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The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference in October 2003 and entered into force in 2006 after ratification by 30 Member States. As of September 2017, the Convention has been ratified by 175 Member States. Despite the rapid rate of ratification, many States Parties to the Convention still need to appreciate better the concepts and mechanisms established under the Convention. 

Moreover, they often lack the human capacities and financial resources to implement the Convention effectively. In response, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ initiated a global capacity-building strategy which aims to build up the knowledge and skills in both government institutions and civil society in State Parties countries, so that they will have sustainable frameworks for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and implementing the 2003 Convention on a long-term basis. 

With the generous support from the Government of Japan, the regional capacity-building project ‘Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage through the Strengthening of National Capacities in Asia and the Pacific’ was designed and implemented as part of this strategy, including a series of training workshops and activities, tailored to respond to the identified needs of each beneficiary country. 

The project also provided other benefits, ranging from practical support to community-based inventorying to consultation on possible policy or legal reforms or technical assistance to the national government agency responsible for ICH safeguarding. The beneficiary countries under the first phase of this project (November 2011 – April 2014) were Bhutan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste, while under the second phase (April 2015 – October 2017), Fiji, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Samoa and Sri Lanka were beneficiaries. 

The project utilized over 50 units of training materials developed under the global capacity-building programme and adapted them to the specific needs and context of each country. Regional experts with extensive experience in safeguarding ICH were trained to use these units and were later assigned to facilitate the capacity-building activities in the beneficiary countries. 

UNESCO Bangkok Office coordinated the regional project in close collaboration with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Section and responsible Field Offices, who liaised with the national implementing partners in the organization of project activities in the beneficiary countries.

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