From 17 to 19 June 2026, I took part in a series of meetings held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in connection with the 11th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
My participation included the statutory work of the General Assembly, activities organized by the ICH NGO Forum, a global meeting devoted to capacity-building approaches under the 2003 Convention and the role of the Convention’s network of facilitators, and the Coordination Meeting of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks active in the field of intangible cultural heritage.
During the ICH NGO Forum activities, I also contributed to the discussion around the special edition of #HeritageAlive, entitled ICH and Armed Conflicts. Sharing Experiences from the Field. The publication included my chapter, “Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Military. New Partnerships in Uncertain Times”, which addresses the role of armed forces in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in crisis and conflict-related contexts. [Read more about chapter in the #HeritageAlive special edition.]
On 19 June, I participated in the Coordination Meeting of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks active in the field of intangible cultural heritage. During the session devoted to knowledge, innovation and capacity-building, I delivered introductory remarks on the need to move beyond knowledge production towards knowledge accountability in the safeguarding of living heritage. I emphasized the ethical, political and governance-related challenges connected with the circulation of community-based knowledge, especially in the context of digital environments and artificial intelligence.
The Paris meetings also provided an opportunity for exchange with representatives of UNESCO, UNESCO Chairs, accredited NGOs, researchers, practitioners and other actors involved in the implementation of the 2003 Convention.
A broader summary of the visit, including the activities of the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Public and Global Governance, is available on the Chair’s website.
