The possibilities for safeguarding local cultural heritage in the framework of
UNESCO Convention for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
Margit Siim
Estonian National Commission for UNESCO
I would like to speak about a relatively new UNESCO Convention that is about safeguarding
intangible cultural heritage. I hope to give you some idea of what this convention is about, what it
aims to achieve, who are main players and what are the rules of the game so to speak. Who is
expected to do what?
The title of the convention speaks for itself: it is about the safeguarding of the intangible cultural
heritage or in other words the living culture we cannot touch - customs, traditions, knowledge and
skills that are relevant for a given cultural expression.
The Convention is first and foremost about safeguarding. But what does safeguarding mean when
we speak of a living heritage? It is certainly not about freezing heritage in some lifeless, unchanging
form. The main thing is to keep the social function of this heritage so that it continues to be
practiced in the real life of the communities concerned and transmitted to the future generations. It
is important to transfer knowledge, skills and meaning, not simply the cultural manifestation itself,
such as dance performances, songs or crafts.
As a treaty, the Convention is an international agreement concluded between states in written form
and governed by international law. States that ratify the Convention express their consent in being
bound by its provisions. By doing so, they become States Parties to the Convention and enjoy all the
rights and assume all the obligations included within the Convention. Indeed, it has been a very
popular convention in the world and we have already 144 States Parties. Estonia and Hungary have
ratified this convention some time ago. Finland and Russian Federation have not yet joined the
convention.
Speaking from the experience of Estonia we could certainly say that this convention is a very useful
tool. It has given a new impetus for the work at national level and opened the international
mechanisms of the convention such as its two lists and register of best safeguarding practices. The
world knows now more about Hungarian dance-house model of teaching folk dance and music as
well as Busó festivities at Mohács which is a masked end-of-winter carnival custom. Seto people
have shared with the world their distinctive polyphonic singing style - Seto leelo.
International listing means that heritage is recognized outside its own circle and this can have a
positive effect within a community for its self-esteem, but I would like to emphasize that this is not
in any way about creating hierarchies among different expressions of heritage. All cultures are equal
and of the highest value to those who practice it.
In the definition of intangible cultural heritage we list practices, representations, expressions,
knowledge and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage. These practices
and expressions fall into several domains which are not meant to be exhaustive, but rather
illustrative.
While the cultural expressions are very different there are also common characteristics. The
convention stresses that ICH is transmitted from generation to generation, is continuously evolving
and gives communities a sense of belonging.
It is already in the definition of intangible heritage that the central role of the communities is
highlighted. The originality of this definition is with the central role of communities in the
recognition of what is, for them, their own intangible heritage. No external expert, no political
decision-maker, no international jury may decide it for them. This fundamental principle lies at the
very heart of the Convention and has huge implications for how it is to be carried out.
The convention does not define communities and they really do come in all shapes and sizes.
Perhaps we could say that in this convention communities refer to a network of people who share a
sense of connectedness and identity in the practice and transmission of their ICH. A person can - and
often does - belong to several communities at the same time.
As those who create intangible cultural heritage and keep it alive, communities have a privileged
place in safeguarding it. Sometimes they may not have the power, or the means, to do this on their
own. In any case their efforts can be usefully supported by the State. Also other agencies,
institutions and organizations such as NGOs, might work with them to help safeguard their living
heritage.
The State Parties of the Convention have promised to safeguard the intangible heritage that is
present on their territories. This means the heritage of all different nationalities and groups that live
in a given country.
One very concrete obligation of the States Parties is to draw up an inventory of the intangible
cultural heritage present in its territory and to update it regularly. This means identifying and
defining the various elements of the intangible cultural heritage with the participation of
communities and relevant NGOs. Inventorying may be carried out by individuals and competent
bodies, public or private, but must always be with the participation of communities. This is a big shift
compared to old practices where only experts are involved.
In Estonia, the process of inventorying is under way. As we have opted for the bottom-up approach
to serve local cultural purposes it takes a lot of time, but we think that it is a time well spent. This
process itself helps to affirm community identities and self respect, and it also enhances cultural
networks inside and between communities and cultural practitioners.