Dr Enas Abdel-Dayem, Minister of Culture, chaired the organizational meeting of the Supreme Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage to set up the general frameworks for its work and to implement its national strategy.
The moves follows the four stages that were adopted including collection, documentation, preservation and maximizing the benefit out of it.
Abdel Dayem announced the establishment of the first central unit for safeguarding the intangible heritage, to activate the UNESCO convention that Egypt has signed in 2003.
Abdel Dayem pointed out to the wealth of the Egyptian intangible heritage that proves its leadership and forms an important part of its unique identity.
Moreover, the minister clarified that the committee works to implement a clear strategy to unite efforts and coordinate between the governmental organizations and the civil community institutions to protect the intangible heritage and to maximize the benefit out of its elements.
The minister explained that Egypt has succeeded, in the recent years, in registering historical elements belonging to the Egyptian intangible heritage in the UNESCO Urgent Safeguarding List.
The list included: "Al-Tahteeb - Sticks" and " Alarajouz doll".
Besides, Egypt participated in the registration of " The Palm" element in cooperation with a group of Arab countries.
It is worthy of note that the minister has formed a committee to develop a national strategy for the management of intangible cultural heritage in Egypt, working in the light of the studies prepared in this regard by UNESCO.
The committee aims to prepare plans for implementing these strategies, in addition to following up the implementation of international obligations of the provisions of the agreements signed by Egypt about safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
The committee is concerned with the following tasks:
- The promotion of cultural expressions and proposing the necessary legislative measures and procedures.
- Following up the implementation of these measures.
- Setting up an annual plan to prepare the files and the elements to be registered on the lists of " 2003 Convention " - concerning the urgent safeguarding projects and international aid and following the articles of the Convention.
- Communicating with the international and regional counterparts for exchanging experiences - following the rules of the cooperation protocols signed.
- Preparing annual report of the national efforts in the field of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and promoting cultural expressions in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
- Submitting reports, prepared by the Intangible Cultural Heritage safeguarding Unit, to the concerned Authorities after being reviewed and approved in its final form.
- Following up the work of the Intangible Cultural Heritage safeguarding Unit in the Ministry of Culture to help in overcoming obstacles to fulfil its mission in coordination with the competent authorities.
- Discussing the ways to maximize the benefit out of the National Archive of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- Approving the implementation of the programs that achieve this goal.
It is worthy of note that this committee is considered to be the only body entrusted with the coordination with the National Egyptian Committee, recognized by UNESCO, to implement the provisions of the international conventions about this matter.
Furthermore, the committee includes the membership of:
- The Head of the Academy of Arts.
- The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Culture.
- The Head of the National Organization for Urban Harmony.
- The Head of the General Organization of Cultural Palaces.
- The Head of the National Library and Archives.
- The Head of the Cultural Development Fund.
- The Head of the Cultural Production Sector.
- The Head of the Foreign Cultural Relations Sector.
- The Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Committee for Education, Culture and Science.
- The Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Cultural Relations.
- The Head of the Development Agency for Small, Medium and Micro projects.
- The Head of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee in the Supreme Council of Culture.
- Five experts in intangible heritage.
- Representatives of civil society institutions who are working in the field of heritage preservation and safeguarding.
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