| Description |
This paper begins with a brief introduction to the history of the Pacific region and its cultural cooperation centering on past and on-going projects, such as the Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA), community-based Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), and Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS). The introduction is followed by a progress report on intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding and the promotion and implementation of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Pacific. Activities both at country and regional levels as well as those carried out in partnership with other organizations are highlighted in the progress report. The paper then presents three areas for the future tasks for ICH safeguarding in the Pacific:
i) ICH and community resilience,
ii) ICH and community well-being, and
iii) ICH policy and strategy
In doing do, the paper uses the information and data obtained through the field projects and observations on the ground. The paper concludes by presenting a way forward and showing major cultural events as opportunities for further promoting ICH safeguarding and the ICH Convention in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS). |
