No: 184, 4 June 2014

Turkey has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2014-2018 period by obtaining the highest number of votes (72) among the three candidate countries from its group at the elections held during the Fifth Session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Committee’s role is to protect intangible heritage, also known as living heritage, consisting of oral narratives, traditions, representations, knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation, to take the necessary measures for ensuring the perpetuation of cultural values that risk sinking into oblivion for various reasons and for securing the realization of this heritage's potential to contribute to sustainable development.

The Committee also decides on matters such as the inscription of intangible cultural assets to safeguarding lists, notably the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which includes eleven elements from Turkey.

Turkey, through its expertise and experience in this field, aims at making a concrete contribution at global level to the Committee's work and at bringing this heritage to the fore in promoting closer intercultural ties and dialogue and supporting cultural diversity.

Turkey previously served on the Committee in the 2006–2010 period.