The concept of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is defined not by objects or monuments, but by practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural identity. These include oral traditions, performing arts, social rituals, festive events, and traditional craftsmanship, among others. What distinguishes ICH is its living and dynamic nature—it is continually recreated and transmitted across generations, shaped by interaction with the environment, history, and cultural change. This framework places communities at the center of heritage-making. They are not passive recipients of institutional recognition but active agents in defining, safeguarding, and transmitting their heritage. The emphasis is on participatory governance, with states supporting communities’ efforts without imposing top-down interpretations or freezing practices into static forms. Safeguarding measures prioritize education, documentation, intergenerational transmission, and respectful integration into development plans. Crucially, ICH must not be dissociated from the values and meanings it holds for the community itself. Commodification, appropriation, or decontextualization can undermine its vitality. The definition thus marks a paradigm shift in heritage policy: from preservation of artifacts to the promotion of cultural diversity and human creativity, rooted in living, evolving, and context-specific expressions of identity.
UNESCO (2022). Text of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Operational Directives. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
