'Matter of immense joy': PM Modi as UNESCO's 20th Intangible Cultural Heritage session commences in India

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his delight as the 20th session of UNESCO's Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage commenced in India in the national capital on Monday, marking a significant cultural milestone for the country.

In a post on X, PM Modi noted that the prestigious global forum has brought together over 150 nations "to protect and popularise our shared living traditions", as the session is being held for the first time in India and at the iconic Red Fort.

"It is a matter of immense joy that the 20th Session of UNESCO's Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage has commenced in India. This forum has brought together delegates from over 150 nations with a vision to protect and popularise our shared living traditions. India is glad to host this gathering, and that too at the Red Fort. It also reflects our commitment to harnessing the power of culture to connect societies and generations," PM Modi said in his post.

According to a release, India is hosting UNESCO's 20th Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee session here for the first time from December 8 to December 13.

The historic Red Fort complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been chosen as the venue, symbolising the convergence of India's tangible and intangible heritage under one roof.

India's permanent delegate to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma, will chair the meeting, and the event will coincide with the twentieth anniversary of India's ratification of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2005, underscoring India's sustained commitment to preserving living cultural traditions.

Intangible cultural heritage, as UNESCO defines it, includes the practices, knowledge, expressions, objects, and spaces that communities see as part of their cultural identity. Passed down over generations, this heritage evolves, strengthening cultural identity and appreciation of diversity.

For the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO adopted the 2003 Convention on October 17, 2003, during its 32nd General Conference in Paris. The Convention responded to global concerns that living cultural traditions, oral practices, performing arts, social customs, rituals, knowledge systems, and craftsmanship were increasingly threatened by globalisation, social change, and limited resources.

The Convention placed communities, especially indigenous communities, groups, and individual practitioners at the heart of safeguarding efforts, acknowledging their vital role in creating, maintaining and transmitting cultural heritage.