Armenia’s delegation participated in the 11th session of the General Assembly of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, delivering statements on the country’s efforts to preserve and promote living cultural traditions.
Speaking at the session, Naira Kilichyan, Head of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation Division at Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, emphasized the importance Armenia places on cooperation between the state and civil society in the field of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding.
She noted that Armenia views such cooperation as a cornerstone of an effective and sustainable cultural policy. Kilichyan also highlighted that the ministry, through an open and transparent cultural policy, provides annual financial support to cultural non-governmental organizations through grant programs aimed at preserving, transmitting and promoting intangible cultural heritage in local communities.
Armenia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Aram Hakobyan, reaffirmed that safeguarding intangible cultural heritage remains one of the priorities of the country’s cultural policy. He stressed the importance of understanding communities’ needs and ensuring the preservation of their cultural heritage.
During the session, the Armenian NGO Culture for Sustainable Development was accredited as a non-governmental organization providing advisory services to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in recognition of its professional expertise in the field.
It became the second Armenian NGO to receive such accreditation. In 2020, the Hazarashen Armenian Center for Ethnological Studies was granted the same status.
