This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 008416 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS 
 
E.O. 12958:     N/A 
TAGS: SCUL ETRD SENV SOCI PGOV CJAN UNESCO
SUBJECT:  UNESCO: INTANGIBLE HERITAGE CONVENTION: 
CHALLENGES FOR USG POLICY GOALS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  The UNESCO Intangible Heritage 
Convention (IHC), which is designed to ensure the 
safeguarding of the international cultural heritage, 
will likely enter into force mid-2006.  After that, IHC 
Member States will establish "Operational Guidelines" 
that will set the basis for the creation of a 
"Representative List of International Cultural 
Heritage" and a separate list of "Heritage in Need of 
Urgent Safeguarding." 
 
Despite the obvious possibilities for conflicts, there 
was no detailed discussion of balancing "safeguarding" 
and other priorities, such as trade or development, at 
a 8-9 December Experts Group meeting. 
 
The IHC will replace UNESCO's annual "Masterpieces of 
Oral Traditions" awards, which caused criticism and 
hurt national feelings following the Nov 25 rejection 
of the Spanish application for flamenco dancing.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The IHC has been ratified by 27 out of the 30 
countries necessary for entry into force.  See para. 
¶11.  Intangible Heritage Sector Chief Rieks Smits told 
poloff 9 December that several additional countries are 
"far along" in the ratification process.  He expects 
entry into force no later than mid-2006. 
 
¶3. (U) The goal of the IHC is to protect intangible 
cultural heritage, in a manner similar to that used to 
protect physical sites under UNESCO's flagship 
Convention, 1972 World Heritage Convention. (Note. 
There are now 822 World Heritage Sites.  End note.) 
When the IHC goes into effect, Member States will 
prepare national inventories of intangible cultural 
heritage.  An Intergovernmental Committee, chosen from 
among Member States, will pass on Member State 
applications to include specified traditions on the 
"Representative list of International Cultural 
Heritage."  The Committee will also draw up a List of 
International Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent 
Safeguarding." 
 
¶4. (SBU) So far, most of the ratifying states are from 
the developing world (see para. 11), with some notable 
exceptions. UNESCO observers fear that these developing 
states might not be able to provide the necessary 
wherewithal and focus to craft comprehensive and 
workable Operational Guidelines for the IHC.  (Note. 
Implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention is 
dependent on the application of voluminous, detailed 
and carefully crafted Operational Guidelines.  End 
note.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Operational Guidelines will likely address 
very difficult topics, such as how to balance 
safeguarding intangible heritage with development and 
will require calm, considered deliberation. The IHC 
provides for application of the principles of 
sustainable development, but this obviously requires 
further definition.  A UNESCO Experts' Group met 8-9 
December, apparently to start the thinking process 
going.  (Comment.  The UNESCO professional in charge of 
the IHC, a hardworking accomplished academic, seems to 
appreciate the difficulty of these issues and to want 
to see them discussed thoroughly and openly.  End 
comment.) 
 
¶6. (U) The Experts recommended that the Guidelines 
specify that all traditions included on the 
Representative list must be consistent with widely 
accepted international human rights norms.  (Note.  As 
a UNESCO specialist remarked, this would likely 
eliminate well more than half of the world's cultural 
traditions.  End note.)  The group also recommended 
that the tradition included on the Representative List 
should be passed from generation to generation, still 
living and part of the life of the community, and that 
a plan exists to safeguard the tradition.  The written 
recommendations on these points are expected to be 
ready mid-January 2006. 
 
¶7. (U)  UNESCO's Masterpiece of Oral Tradition awards 
will end when the IHC goes into force next year.  The 
"masterpieces" will be folded into the IHC 
representative list.   Further background on the 
"Masterpiece" program and the IHC can be found at: 
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php- 
URL_ID=16429&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201. html 
 
¶8. (SBU) Many criticized the "Masterpieces" announced 
at a 25 November UNESCO ceremony as geographically too 
limited and esoteric and not representing real, live 
culture.  The Spanish application for flamenco dancing 
was rejected, as was the Argentinean application for 
tango dancing two years ago.  The Mexican application 
for its national cuisine also did not get the nod. 
 
¶9. (SBU) UNESCO insiders declined to share their 
understanding's of the jury's reasoning in making the 
awards, but it appears that "endangered" traditions, 
especially those which have remained unchanged for many 
generations, are favored. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The rejection of the Spanish application for 
flamenco dancing brought forth strong national feelings 
from some UNESCO Spanish staff.  One highly placed 
Spaniard on UNESCO's staff told poloff Nov 29 that 
while there is disappointment when a site x or y in a 
country does not get World Heritage Site status, there 
is something close to anger when UNESCO tells a 
country, in effect, that its national traditions don't 
make the grade. 
 
¶11. (U) Countries who have ratified the IHC IN order of 
ratification): 
 
Algeria 
Mauritius 
Japan 
Gabon 
Panama 
China 
Central African Republic 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Belarus 
Republic of Korea 
Seychelles 
Syrian Arab Republic 
United Arab Emirates 
Mail 
Mongolia 
Croatia 
Egypt 
Oman 
Dominica 
India 
Viet Nam 
Peru 
Pakistan 
Bhutan 
Nigeria 
Iceland 
 
¶12. (SBU) Comment.  The IHC will likely soon go into 
force.  We will likely want to talk to our partners 
(see above) about crafting Operational Guidelines that 
do not allow the important purposes of the IHC to be 
lost because they have been subsumed in the loud 
"globalization" arguments. 
 
KOSS