I am pleased to share the Polish translation of the UNESCO guidance note Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in urban contexts / Ochrona niematerialnego dziedzictwa kulturowego w kontekstach miejskich, prepared and made available by the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Public and Global Governance.

The guidance note was approved during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in New Delhi from 8 to 12 December 2025. Its aim is to strengthen dialogue between actors working in the fields of intangible cultural heritage and urban planning, and to deepen the understanding of the relationship between these areas.

The document emphasizes that living heritage in cities should be understood not only through its material or spatial connections, but also through practices, knowledge, social relations, ways of using urban space, and the needs of communities, groups and individuals who recognize it as part of their heritage. It also highlights the importance of participatory planning processes, mapping living heritage, improving coordination between the culture and urban planning sectors, and recognizing both the opportunities and risks associated with urbanization.

The translation has been made available in connection with the work of the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Public and Global Governance on intangible cultural heritage in urban contexts, including international reflection on the role of living heritage in sustainable urban development, urban policies and spatial planning.

I warmly congratulate María Claudia López Sorzano, who prepared the source document, and thank her for her important contribution to the international debate on living heritage in urban contexts.

I would also like to thank Mariusz Lewicki, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to UNESCO, for bringing attention to this topic at UNESCO during the 11th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the 2003 Convention, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 17–18 June 2026.

The Polish translation is intended as an auxiliary version. The English UNESCO document remains the source version.

Polish translation:
Ochrona niematerialnego dziedzictwa kulturowego w kontekstach miejskich

UNESCO source document:
Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in urban contexts