Press release 

The ninth session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention on Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage is held at the UNESCO Headquarters on July 5-7, 2022 (Paris, France). The issue of electing new countries to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the next four years was discussed in connection with the end of the mandate of the member states during the session of the General Assembly held on July 6.

We are pleased to inform you that under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the National Commission for UNESCO A.A.Abdukhakimov and with the efforts of the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan to UNESCO, Uzbekistan for the first time was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage for 4 years (2022-2026), gaining 105 votes out of 180 countries, (5 states are pretindets for 2 places) i.e. Uzbekistan was ahead of 5 countries (Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Estonia).

The core functions of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage are to promote the objectives of the Convention, provide guidance on best practices and make recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage.The Committee examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programmes and projects. The Committee is also in charge of granting international assistance. The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage prepares the implementation of the Convention, mainly through the elaboration of a set of operational directives and of a plan for the use of the resources of the Fund for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, established by Article 25 of the Convention. It submits these documents for approval to the General Assembly.

To date, 180 countries have joined the UNESCO Convention. The Republic of Uzbekistan became the party of the convention in 2008.

At present, the following 9 elements of ICH of Uzbekistan have been included in UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the efforts of the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO:

1 Cultural space of Boysun District (national nomination - 2008);

2 Shashmaqom music     (multinational nomination: Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, 2008);

3. Katta Ashula   (national nomination, 2009);

4. Askiya, the art of wit  (national nomination, 2014);

5. Navruz     - (Afghanistan – Azerbaijan – India – Iran– Iraq – Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan – Pakistan – Tajikistan – Turkmenistan – Turkey) – multinational nomination, 2009 and 2016);

6. Palov culture and tradition (national nomination, 2016);

7. Khorazm dance - Lazgi (national nomination, 2019);

8. Art of miniature (multinational nomination - Azerbaijan – Iran – Turkey – Uzbekistan, 2020);

9. Art of Bakhshi (national nomination, 2021).

Moreover, Margilan Crafts Development Centre, safeguarding of the atlas and adras making traditional technologies was the first item that was included in the UNESCO Register of good safeguarding practices (National 2017) among the CIS countries.

The following nominations have been prepared and submitted by the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO for possible inscription in 2022 and 2023:

1. Traditional Embroidery of Central Asia – multinational nomination (submitted by Uzbekistan in cooperation with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan);

2.  The Telling Tradition of Nasreddin Anecdotes (submitted by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan);

3. Traditional crafting and playing Rubob – multinational nomination (submitted by Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan);

4. Sericulture and production of silk for weaving (multinational nomination - Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tajikistan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).

5. Ceramic schools of Uzbekistan (national nomination - Uzbekistan);

6. The art of illumination: Tazhib (multinational nomination - Iran (Islamic Republic of), Turkiye, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan);

7. Iftor and its Socio-Cultural Traditions (multinational nomination - Azerbaijan, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Turkey, Uzbekistan).