The 20th Session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) held from December 8 to 13, 2025, at the Red Fort in New Delhi, Delhi, marking the first time hosted by India.
- This event marks 20 years since India ratified the 2003 UNESCO Convention in 2005.
- The inaugural ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including Khaled El-Enany, Director-General (DG), UNESCO; Union Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA); Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism (MoT); and Chief Minister (CM) of Delhi Rekha Gupta.
Exam Hints:
- What? UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held
- Where? Red Fort, New Delhi (Delhi)
- When? December 8 to 13, 2025
- Edition: 20th
- Organizers: Ministry of Culture & Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA)
- Chair: Vishal V. Sharma (Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO)
- Global Addition: 67 new elements from 77 countries
- Indian Festival Inclusion: Deepavali (UNESCO’s Representative List of the ICH of Humanity)
- 2026 Presidency: China
About UNESCO ICH Committee:
Adoption: On 17 October 2003, UNESCO adopted the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the ICH at its 32nd General Conference in Paris, France.
- The Convention was created to protect living cultural traditions such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, traditional knowledge, and craftsmanship, which were increasingly at risk due to globalization, social change, and lack of resources.
Committee Members: It comprises 24 elected States Parties: Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Barbados, Burkina Faso, China, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Haiti, India, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Paraguay, Slovakia, Spain, Uganda, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Ukraine, and Zambia.
Highlights of 20th Session of UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee:
Organizers: The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India (GoI) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA).
Venue Significance: The Red Fort is a 17th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site which was inscribed in 2007. It served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years from Shah Jahan who commissioned it in 1638-1648 until the British colonial period.
- The Red Fort, managed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Chair: The session was chaired by Vishal V. Sharma, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO.
Participation: The session brought together delegates from over 150 countries, experts, and observers to deliberate on safeguarding policies, review nominations to UNESCO’s ICH lists, enhance international cooperation, and promote community-led preservation approaches.
UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage List Expansion:
Expansion: During the session, the Representative List of the ICH of Humanity was expanded with the addition of 67 elements from 77 countries. It includes:
- 11 elements on the List of ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
- 53 elements on the Representative List of the ICH of Humanity
- 1 Programmes on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices of ICH
- Two elements were upgraded to the Representative List of ICH, with their safeguarding programmes added to the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.
Global Inscriptions: With the 2025 inscriptions, 849 cultural practices in 157 are now part of UNESCO’s living Heritage lists.
First-Time Inscriptions: In 2025, Barbados, Chad, the Comoros, El Salvador, Gabon, Libya, and Sao Tome and Principe received their first-ever inscriptions on UNESCO’s ICH lists.
Deepavali Added to UNESCO’s ICH List: During the session, Deepavali, one of India’s widely celebrated festivals, has been added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the ICH of Humanity in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Culture.
- Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is a festival symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. It usually falls in October or November each year. It is celebrated on the Amavasya (new moon) day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika.
- It is primarily a Hindu festival, celebrating the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and victory of Lord Krishna’s triumph over Narakasura.
List of Newly Added Inscriptions in Asia and Pacific 2025:
| Sl No | Inscriptions | Country |
|---|---|---|
| List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding | ||
| 1 | Art of crafting and Kobyz | Uzbekistan |
| 2 | Boreendo, Bhorindo: ancient dying folk musical instrument, its melodies, knowledge, and skills | Pakistan |
| 3 | Craft of making Dong Ho Folk woodblock printings | Vietnam |
| 4 | The practice of making Asin Tibuok, the artisanal sea salt of the Boholano of Bohol Island, Philippines | Philippines |
| Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity | ||
| 6 | Antep isi, drawn thread embroidery of Gaziantep | Turkiye |
| 7 | Ayeneh-Kari, the art of mirrorwork in Persian architecture | Iran |
| 8 | Behzad’s style of miniature art | Afghanistan |
| 9 | Culture of Sumanak/ Sumalak cooking | Tajikistan |
| 10 | Deepavali | India |
| 11 | Hezhen Yimakan storytelling | China |
| 12 | Kithul Madeema/ Kithul Kapeema, an ancient indigenous technology for tapping Kithul in Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka |
| 13 | Pantun | Indonesia-Malaysia-Brunei Darrussalam |
| 14 | The art of breeding Turkmen alabay | Turkmenistan |
| 15 | Traditional knowledge and skills in making Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Karakalpak yurts (Turkic nomadic dwellings) | Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan |
| 16 | Traditional Saree weaving art of Tangali | Bangladesh |
| 17 | Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan | Japan |
| 18 | Washi, craftsmanship of traditional Japanese hand-made paper | Japan |
| 19 | Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan | Japan |
| Register of Goods Safeguarding Practices | ||
| 20 | Safeguarding Programme for Hezhen Yimakan storytelling | China |
Chairmanship Handover to China:
During the session, India will formally hand over the chairmanship of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the ICH to China, which will host and preside over the 2026 Session.
Indian Elements on UNESCO’s ICH Representative List:
India’s Presence: As of December 2025, 15 Indian elements have been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the ICH of Humanity.
Elements: The traditions in various categories include:
- Performing arts such as Kutiyattam and Chhau
- Sacred traditions such as Vedic chanting and Buddhist chanting in Ladakh
- Community practices such as Ramlila, Ramman, and Sankirtana
- Traditional knowledge and crafts, including the metalcraft of Thatheras of Jandiala Guru and Kalbelia music and dance
- Large cultural gatherings such as Kumbh Mela
- Living traditions such as Yoga, Durga Puja, and Garba
- Shared regional heritage, represented by Novruz, celebrated in India and other countries.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director General (DG) – Khaled El-Enany
Headquarters – Paris, France
Established – 1945
