Role of NGOs in safeguarding intangible cultural heritages highlighted
The Asia-Pacific Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Conference, which closed in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on November 8, placed a spotlight on the important role played by NGOs in implementing sustainable community development goals through the protection of ICHs.
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| Kwon Huh, General Director of the International Information and Networking Centre for ICH in the Asia-Pacific Region speaks at the event |
Participants affirmed commitments towards adopting measures to protect intangible cultural heritages in the spirit of the UNESCO 2003 convention for the safeguarding of humanity’s ICHs.
The conference adopted a recommendation, affirming the great contribution of ICHs towards sustainable development and the prosperity of the global community, as well as highlighting the need to empower the community towards maintaining sustainability, creativity, and integration in preservation work.
It also called for stronger cooperation and exchange in the region for this field, especially in educating young people from disadvantaged backgrounds on the importance of ICH protection.
The event encouraged other NGOs and relevant parties to join the NGOs network towards more effectively supporting the preservation of ICHs in the region.
UNESCO and its member nations were called to continue supporting NGO activities in the conservation of intangible cultural heritages, especially for initiatives related to cooperation.
Kwon Huh, General Director of the International Information and Networking Centre for ICH in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP), stressed that NGOs play a crucial role in conserving intangible cultural heritages, adding that the event offers a good chance to understand more about the relationship between intangible cultural heritages and society, as well as defining some of the predominant challenges facing preservation works.
In the time to come, attention should be paid to building orientations and targets for protecting ICHs and giving specific guidance and recommendations for NGOs in this field, he said.
It is necessary to define the role of heritage in the development of tourism, science-technology, the environment, and economy, thus mapping out plans for preserving and upholding values of intangible cultural heritages in the community, he stressed.
