The Regional Center for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (Crespial) will hold, next March, a virtual event in two sessions, aimed at non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Latin America and the Caribbean that want to join the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). Registration closes on the 24th. The event will be held in Spanish. Crespial was created in 2006, based on an agreement between Unesco and the government of Peru, with the aim of promoting and supporting actions to safeguard and protect the intangible cultural heritage of the peoples of Latin America. In accordance with article 9 of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco (2003), NGOs that develop actions related to the safeguarding of the intangible heritage can be accredited to prepare guidelines, analyze proposals and participate in meetings on the preservation and promotion of the intangible heritage. During the meeting promoted by Crespial, the NGOs will be informed about the registration and accreditation process with Unesco. The dates of the event sessions will be sent to registrants by email. Brazil is one of the members of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco, which presented to the world guidelines and commitments that aim to guarantee the viability of the intangible cultural heritage in the signatory countries and has in the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) the mission of ensuring the safeguarding of Brazil’s intangible heritage. Stimulus Speaking today (14) to Agência Brasil, the director of Iphan’s Intangible Heritage Department, Deyvesson Gusmão, informed that to enroll in the Crespial event and participate in the Unesco convention, it is necessary, in the first place, to be civil society organizations civil servants who work with intangible cultural heritage in any of the signatory countries. In the case of the disclosure made by Iphan, the objective is to encourage Brazilian NGOs to accredit themselves with Unesco to be part of the list of institutions that can, among other things, work together with the intergovernmental committee of the convention, be part of an international network of other organizations of the same type, participate in meetings and activities promoted by Unesco that have intangible heritage as a theme. Gusmão explained that NGOs are invited to participate in consultative bodies to evaluate proposed activities and, in some cases, even to advise the intergovernmental committee on safeguarding intangible heritage. “This committee designates or includes cultural property from around the world on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, called the Representative List of the Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, which is one of the lists provided for in the 2003 convention for the safeguarding of the cultural and intangible heritage.” The IPHAN director clarified that the potential of NGOs in Latin America and the Caribbean that exist today to participate in these instances is much greater than what has been tapped. Therefore, Crespial, headquartered in Cuzco, Peru, decided to hold a virtual event with two sessions, to guide these NGOs on how to register and better explain what advantages these entities will have when they register and, being chosen, participate in this set of institutions. Advantages In general terms, Deyvesson Gusmão stated that, among the advantages for NGOs that are accredited by Unesco is the fact that they can be recognized by Unesco as agents that carry out safeguard actions, related to the principles of the convention. “They can also count on the possibility of financial assistance to participate in the meetings of the intergovernmental committee, they can participate in courses and meetings on intangible heritage when called by the convention or even by the member states, or even support the elaboration of guidelines with the committee to implementation of the principles and procedures of the convention itself in member countries of the United Nations (UN)”. In Gusmão’s evaluation, it is a very technical work that takes advantage of the experience of civil society organizations. He considered that social participation is a basic principle not only of the intangible heritage policy in Brazil, but constitutes a basic element of the principles that are established in the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage. The IPHAN director estimated that the registration and accreditation of NGOs at the Unesco Convention should take place later this year. In 2010, Unesco started to register partner NGOs and, currently, 217 organizations from over 70 countries are already part of this network. They are cultural agencies, academic societies, independent research centers, associations of friends, cultural associations, centers of reference, interpretation and appreciation of heritage, craft organizations and foundations that work with the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Agência Brasil
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