JA seeking another prestigious UNESCO position
Published:Tuesday | June 5, 2018 | 9:14 AM
Jamaica is making a bid for a seat on another high-profile UNESCO Committee.
When the General Assembly closes on Wednesday, June 6 in Paris, France there will be a vote that will determine whether Jamaica or the only other candidate, St. Kitts, will get the approval of delegates to sit on the Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
Only one seat will become available on the Committee in Group 3, which covers the Latin America and Caribbean region.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange is leading the charge in Paris and is hopeful that the bid will be successful.
She said: “The people of Jamaica and in fact, all nations, must sustainably benefit from the aspects of intangible cultural heritage that they engage in. We have made a concerted effort in Jamaica to protect the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the country by developing a national registry. We also recently submitted Reggae for possible inclusion in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. We are quietly confident that we will succeed.”
The Committee comprises twenty-four Member States who manage all matters related to safeguarding intangible heritage, including the establishment of Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Lists are developed to ensure better protection of important intangible cultural heritage worldwide and the awareness of their significance.
While in Paris, Minister Grange will meet with newly elected Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay to discuss among other matters, Jamaica’s chairmanship of the Conventions and Recommendations Committee of UNESCO’s Executive Board and major thematic issues impacting Small Island Developing States in Education, Science, and Culture.
She will also undertake bilateral talks with Member States and meet with various other high- ranking delegates at UNESCO.
Last November, Jamaica ended its four-year leadership of the World Heritage Committee.
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