Browse the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices

The Committee meets annually to evaluate nominations proposed by States Parties to the 2003 Convention and decide whether or not to inscribe those cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage on the Convention’s Lists.

By clicking on the inscribed elements listed below, you can discover the nominations, photos and videos, together with Committee decisions and evidence of community consent.

You may also experience a conceptual, visual and interactive navigation through ‘Dive into Intangible Cultural Heritage’ interfaces which demonstrate the thematic interconnectedness between all the elements inscribed and their relation to nature or to threats.


The nomination files submitted by the States Parties are published by the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention on its website in compliance with paragraph 54 of the Operational Directives regarding the nomination procedure; moreover, the information included in the nominations is reflected in working documents of the Committee in order to ensure transparency and access to information.


The sole responsibility for the content of each nomination file lies with the submitting States Parties concerned. The designations employed in the texts and documents presented by the submitting States Parties do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Committee nor UNESCO concerning a) the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, b) the legal status of its authorities, c) the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or d) references to specific historical events.







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Results : 162 elements corresponding to 5 regions and 92 countries
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2023

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Ancestral and traditional techniques for the elaboration of the 'Poncho Para'i de 60 Listas', from the city of Piribebuy, Republic of ParaguayParaguay
Mek MulungMalaysia
XeedhoDjibouti

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Bolero: identity, emotion and poetry turned into songCuba – Mexico
Garba of GujaratIndia
Mahadra, a community system for transmission of traditional knowledge and oral expressionsMauritania
Malhun, a popular poetic and musical artMorocco
Rickshaws and rickshaw painting in DhakaBangladesh
Shuwalid festivalEthiopia
The practice of opera singing in ItalyItaly
Traditional skills of loincloth weaving in Côte d’IvoireCôte d'Ivoire

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

ICH safeguarding practices program for the cultural and ecologic Sea Turtle Festival of ArmilaPanama
Program for the safeguarding of the Bandos and Parrandas of the Holy Innocents of Caucagua: nuclei of initiation and transmission of wisdoms and community councilsVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

2022

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Alheda'a, oral traditions of calling camel flocksSaudi Arabia – Oman – United Arab Emirates
Ancestral system of knowledge of the four indigenous peoples, Arhuaco, Kankuamo, Kogui and Wiwa of the Sierra Nevada de Santa MartaColombia
Crafting and playing the OudIran (Islamic Republic of) – Syrian Arab Republic
Festivals related to the Journey of the Holy family in EgyptEgypt
Hungarian string band traditionHungary
Knowledge of the light rum mastersCuba
Manual bell ringingSpain
Telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja/ Molla Nesreddin/ Molla Ependi/ Apendi/ Afendi Kozhanasyr AnecdotesAzerbaijan – Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan – Türkiye – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan
Timber raftingAustria – Czechia – Germany – Latvia – Poland – Spain

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Portuguese-Galician border ICH: a safeguarding model created by Ponte...nas ondas!Portugal – Spain

2021

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Malagasy Kabary, the Malagasy oratorical artMadagascar

2020

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

ChamaméArgentina
Hawker culture in Singapore, community dining and culinary practices in a multicultural urban contextSingapore
PantunIndonesia – Malaysia
Practices and traditional knowledge of Terere in the culture of Pohã Ñana, Guaraní ancestral drink in ParaguayParaguay

2019

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Rituals and practices associated with Kit Mikayi shrineKenya

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Byzantine chantCyprus – Greece
Irish harpingIreland
Music and dance of Dominican BachataDominican Republic
Traditional turkmen carpet making art in TurkmenistanTurkmenistan

2018

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Lkhon Khol Wat Svay AndetCambodia
Suri Jagek (observing the sun), traditional meteorological and astronomical practice based on the observation of the sun, moon and stars in reference to the local topographyPakistan

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Art of dry stone walling, knowledge and techniquesCroatia – Cyprus – France – Greece – Italy – Slovenia – Spain – Switzerland
Heritage of Dede Qorqud/Korkyt Ata/Dede Korkut, epic culture, folk tales and musicAzerbaijan – Kazakhstan – Türkiye
Međimurska popevka, a folksong from MeđimurjeCroatia
Ritual and festive expressions of the Congo culturePanama

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Land-of-Legends programme, for promoting and revitalizing the art of storytelling in Kronoberg RegionSweden

2017

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Al Azi, art of performing praise, pride and fortitude poetryUnited Arab Emirates
Colombian-Venezuelan llano work songsColombia – Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Dikopelo folk music of Bakgatla ba Kgafela in Kgatleng DistrictBotswana

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Art of crafting and playing with Kamantcheh/Kamancha, a bowed string musical instrumentAzerbaijan – Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Kumbh MelaIndia
Kushtdepdi rite of singing and dancingTurkmenistan
PuntoCuba
RebetikoGreece
The art of Bài Chòi in Central Viet NamViet Nam
Zaouli, popular music and dance of the Guro communities in Côte d’IvoireCôte d'Ivoire

2016

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Chapei Dang VengCambodia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Gada system, an indigenous democratic socio-political system of the OromoEthiopia
Practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three RealmsViet Nam
YogaIndia

2015

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Glasoechko, male two-part singing in Dolni PologNorth Macedonia
Koogere oral tradition of the Basongora, Banyabindi and Batooro peoplesUganda

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Aitysh/Aitys, art of improvisationKazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan
Al-Razfa, a traditional performing artUnited Arab Emirates – Oman
Epic art of GoroglyTurkmenistan
Fichee-Chambalaalla, New Year festival of the Sidama peopleEthiopia
Majlis, a cultural and social spaceUnited Arab Emirates – Saudi Arabia – Oman – Qatar
Sbuâ, annual pilgrimage to the zawiya of Sidi El Hadj Belkacem in GouraraAlgeria
Tradition of kimchi-making in the Democratic People's Republic of KoreaDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea
Traditional knowledge and technologies relating to the growing and processing of the curaguaVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

2014

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Mapoyo oral tradition and its symbolic reference points within their ancestral territoryVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Al-Zajal, recited or sung poetryLebanon
Arirang folk song in the Democratic People’s Republic of KoreaDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea
Askiya, the art of witUzbekistan
Ebru, Turkish art of marblingTürkiye
Know-how of cultivating mastic on the island of ChiosGreece
Traditional knowledge and skills in making Kyrgyz and Kazakh yurts (Turkic nomadic dwellings)Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan
Traditional Mauritian SegaMauritius
Zmijanje embroideryBosnia and Herzegovina

2013

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Nan Pa’ch ceremonyGuatemala

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Art of Đờn ca tài tử music and song in southern Viet NamViet Nam
Chinese Zhusuan, knowledge and practices of mathematical calculation through the abacusChina
La Parranda de San Pedro de Guarenas y GuatireVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Music of TerchováSlovakia
Practices and knowledge linked to the Imzad of the Tuareg communities of Algeria, Mali and NigerAlgeria – Mali – Niger

2012

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Ala-kiyiz and Shyrdak, art of Kyrgyz traditional felt carpetsKyrgyzstan
Noken multifunctional knotted or woven bag, handcraft of the people of PapuaIndonesia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Al-Taghrooda, traditional Bedouin chanted poetry in the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of OmanUnited Arab Emirates – Oman
Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of KoreaRepublic of Korea
Craftsmanship and performance art of the Tar, a long-necked string musical instrumentAzerbaijan
Klapa multipart singing of Dalmatia, southern CroatiaCroatia
Marches of Entre-Sambre-et-MeuseBelgium
Performance of the Armenian epic of 'Daredevils of Sassoun' or 'David of Sassoun'Armenia
Qālišuyān rituals of Mašhad-e Ardehāl in KāšānIran (Islamic Republic of)

2011

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Esuwa, Harakbut sung prayers of Peru’s Wachiperi peoplePeru
Hezhen Yimakan storytellingChina
Moorish epic T’heydinnMauritania
Saman danceIndonesia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Chinese shadow puppetryChina
Traditional knowledge of the jaguar shamans of YuruparíColombia
Tsiattista poetic duellingCyprus

2010

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Ojkanje singingCroatia
Wooden movable-type printing of ChinaChina

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Craftsmanship of Alençon needle lace-makingFrance
Gastronomic meal of the FrenchFrance
Indonesian AngklungIndonesia
Kalbelia folk songs and dances of RajasthanIndia
Mongolian traditional art of KhöömeiMongolia
Music of the Bakhshis of KhorasanIran (Islamic Republic of)
Naadam, Mongolian traditional festivalMongolia
Pirekua, traditional song of the P’urhépechaMexico
Ritual dramatic art of Ta‘zīyeIran (Islamic Republic of)
Scissors dancePeru
Semah, Alevi-Bektaşi ritualTürkiye
Traditional art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving in the Republic of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Wayuu normative system, applied by the Pütchipü’üi (palabrero)Colombia

2009

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Ca trù singingViet Nam
Cantu in paghjella, a secular and liturgical oral tradition of CorsicaFrance
Mongol Tuuli, Mongolian epicMongolia
Traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridgesChina
Traditional Li textile techniques: spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroideringChina
Traditional music of the TsuurMongolia
Traditions and practices associated with the Kayas in the sacred forests of the MijikendaKenya

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Âşıklık (minstrelsy) traditionTürkiye
Chinese traditional architectural craftsmanship for timber-framed structuresChina
Dainichido BugakuJapan
DoinaRomania
Gesar epic traditionChina
Grand song of the Dong ethnic groupChina
Hua’erChina
Irrigators’ tribunals of the Spanish Mediterranean coast: the Council of Wise Men of the plain of Murcia and the Water Tribunal of the plain of ValenciaSpain
Manden Charter, proclaimed in Kurukan FugaMali
Mongolian art of singing, KhoomeiChina
Radif of Iranian musicIran (Islamic Republic of)
Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas, IndiaIndia
Septennial re-roofing ceremony of the Kamablon, sacred house of KangabaMali
Traditional handicrafts of making Xuan paperChina
Xi’an wind and percussion ensembleChina

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage of Aymara communities in Bolivia, Chile and PeruBolivia (Plurinational State of) – Chile – Peru

2008

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah epicEgypt
Art of Akyns, Kyrgyz epic tellersKyrgyzstan
Arts of the Meddah, public storytellersTürkiye
Azerbaijani MughamAzerbaijan
Baul songsBangladesh
Cultural space of Jemaa el-Fna SquareMorocco
Cultural space of Palenque de San BasilioColombia
Cultural space of Sosso-BalaGuinea
Cultural space of the Bedu in Petra and Wadi RumJordan
Gbofe of Afounkaha, the music of the transverse trumps of the Tagbana communityCôte d'Ivoire
Hudhud chants of the IfugaoPhilippines
Ifa divination systemNigeria
Kihnu cultural spaceEstonia
Language, dance and music of the GarifunaBelize – Guatemala – Honduras – Nicaragua
Mak Yong theatreMalaysia
Maroon heritage of Moore TownJamaica
Oral and graphic expressions of the WajapiBrazil
Oral heritage and cultural manifestations of the Zápara peopleEcuador – Peru
Oral heritage of GeledeBenin – Nigeria – Togo
Palestinian HikayeState of Palestine
Pansori epic chantRepublic of Korea
Polyphonic singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central AfricaCentral African Republic
Shashmaqom musicUzbekistan – Tajikistan
Taquile and its textile artPeru
Tradition of Vedic chantingIndia
Traditional music of the Morin KhuurMongolia
Vanuatu sand drawingsVanuatu
Wayang puppet theatreIndonesia
Woodcrafting knowledge of the ZafimaniryMadagascar
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