UNESCO Joins Oman’s Sub-Regional Forum on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Art

The Sub-Regional Forum on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Art took place in Muscat, Oman, bringing together participants to discuss the realities and challenges of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and the Ministry of Education, represented by the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, in cooperation with the UNESCO Chair on World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Management in the Arab Region at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech).

In his opening remarks, Dr. Mahmoud Al Abri, Secretary-General of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, emphasized the role of art in documenting and transmitting cultural traditions. He also highlighted the importance of education in strengthening cultural identity and noted Oman’s achievements in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

Jawida Mansour, Programme Associate for Culture at UNESCO Doha, contributed to a panel discussion titled “UNESCO’s Vision for the Sustainable Safeguarding of Living Heritage in Its Spatial Contexts.” During her presentation, she shared UNESCO’s tools and methodologies for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage within the communities and places where it is practiced and transmitted.

Mansour stressed the importance of community participation in identifying, safeguarding, and promoting living heritage, as well as ensuring the intergenerational transmission of traditional knowledge and cultural practices. She also highlighted UNESCO’s people-centered approach, which recognizes the close connection between communities, cultural expressions, and their cultural landscapes and environments.

The forum coincided with the annual celebration of the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage, observed each year on 17 October. This timing underscored the event’s focus on raising awareness and fostering collaboration to protect intangible cultural heritage in the region.

Overall, the forum provided a platform for regional stakeholders to exchange experiences and strategies for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, reflecting UNESCO’s ongoing commitment to supporting cultural diversity and heritage preservation in the Gulf region.