A 3-Day Capacity-Building Workshop on the Domestication of the 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Nigeria, begins tomorrow, June 1, 2011 with the Executive Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, as the Special Guest of Honour.

The Workshop, which is a collaboration between UNESCO and the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation and the leading cultural Institute in Nigeria, takes place in Bridge-Water Hotels, Enugu, Enugu State. The Executive Secretary, NICO, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, Director/Country Representative, UNESCO Abuja, Dr. Joseph Ngu, and the other top management staff of NICO, UNESCO, Enugu State Government, stakeholders in the culture sector, will be in attendance.

The workshop aims at implementing the content of the Basic Text of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by UNESCO in its meeting in Paris from September 29 to October 17, 2003, at its 32nd session. The Convention, in agreement between State Parties and administered by UNESCO, has Nigeria as a State Party. The areas covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage are oral traditions, historical events, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices, traditional craftsmanship, etc.

The 3-day workshop is an avenue to raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, and ensure mutual appreciation; provide international cooperation and assistance, the sessions will highlight ICH Inventorying under the convention, involving the communities concerned, ICH and sustainable development, good safeguarding practices, visit to safeguarding project, implementation  at the international level, handling nominations of ICH elements into representative list and urgent safeguarding list, etc.

The event ends on Friday, June 3, 2011.

Nwagbo Nnenyelike
Corporate Affairs