ICHCAP

ICHCAP will hold the 2018 Information Officers Meeting for Safeguarding ICH in the Asia-Pacific Region with the theme of “Knowledge-Sharing Network and Strengthening Capacity for Safeguarding ICH” on 10 and 11 December in Seoul. Participants will discuss how to strengthen knowledge-sharing and information capacity for ICH safeguarding.

The meeting aims to set the groundwork for cooperation to build ICH information-sharing mechanisms, strengthen Member States’ capacity to manage information related to ICH safeguarding, and build a network to carry out tasks for ICH information-sharing mechanisms.

On the first day, a public workshop will be held in Somerset Palace, Seoul. Session speakers include ICH info experts from UNESCO Headquarters, Sahapedia (open online resource on India’s arts and cultures), and Island Ark Project Foundation (headquartered in the US).

On the second day, there will be working meetings at the same place. Agenda items include country reports on ICH information infrastructure and capacity (by Tajikistan, Mongolia, Vietnam, Fiji, Bhutan, and Nepal), panel discussions on measures and tasks to strengthen information foundations for ICH safeguarding, and reports on strategies to support enhancing information capacity.

ICHCAP has held multiple expert meetings and related projects to establish an information infrastructure and share information on ICH. In 2016, ICHCAP held the Information Officers Meeting for Safeguarding ICH in the Asia-Pacific Region to explore ways of using information and communication technology for safeguarding ICH.

Internet penetration is modifying the concept of traditional information services and creating a new environment. This opens up new possibilities for safeguarding ICH. An ICHCAP official said that networking of ICH information institutions and knowledge sharing can contribute to promoting heritage and safeguarding activities, expanding knowledge and gaining insights through knowledge transfer across fields and regions.