- working group. As States Parties to the Convention increased, the demands on and expectations of the Convention would also evolve. Thus, it would be good to adopt a long- term approach and reflect on the nature of the Lists under the Convention, particularly the Representative List, as it should not become a victim of its own success and remain open and inclusive while being primarily a tool to ensure safeguarding and sustainable development, working hand-in-hand with local communities, and not necessarily associated with commercial or tourism interests.
- 49. The delegation of Viet Nam thanked Mr Byong-hyun Lee for his succinct and clear report on the Committee's work. It welcomed the progress made in recent years in the promotion and visibility of the Convention, the capacity-building programme, and above all, the issues of governance in the work of the Committee and in the working group on the overall results framework. The delegation particularly encouraged the Committee to continue its efforts to further strengthen the process of dialogue between States Parties and their evaluations.
- 50. The delegation of Palestine concurred with the remarks by the Philippines and thanked Mr Byong-hyun Lee for his efficiency as Chairperson in his new approach to decision-making at the twelfth session, which should be followed in the future. It was noted that in the Committee's twelfth session a new procedure had been introduced on the dual option for some files. It therefore wished to hear from the Secretariat as to whether this procedure would be adopted in the future.
- 51. The delegation of Sweden congratulated the Chairperson on her election and thanked the Committee for its report on its important work. The Convention has the purpose of building bridges and understanding between people, yet it could also lead to polarization and ownership issues. The delegation highlighted aspects that it valued and prioritized, such as capacity building, awareness-raising, safeguarding, and the important role of civil society. Too much attention was still directed at the Representative List and - like many other countries - it was worried about the process. There was a need to reduce and manage the politicization of nominations and decisions, as pointed out by the ad hoc working group, and the listing process must be a question for experts with knowledge within the field of intangible cultural heritage. The delegation also encouraged dedicating more time and attention to other aspects of the Convention, as well as the Register of Good Practices. As mentioned in the report, the priorities of the open-ended ad hoc working group and its revision work [to improve the work of the Committee] were of great importance and were steps in the right direction.
- 52. The delegation of Turkey congratulated the Chairperson on her election and thanked Mr Byong-hyun Lee for the successful conduct of the twelfth session of the Committee and for the report. As a Committee member for the past four years, Turkey had exerted every effort to contribute to the constructive and smooth functioning of the Committee, and to a number of important decisions taken at the last session, for example, the examination of the proposal for the overall results framework. The delegation believed that after its possible adoption by this General Assembly, the implementation and monitoring of the Convention would be improved. Another important issue was the possible adoption by this General Assembly of the draft plan for the use of the ICH Fund, which would enable the Secretariat to efficiently implement the International Assistance mechanism and thus fulfil the demands of States Parties in this regard. It also believed that the regional periodic reporting process was in line with the overall results framework of the Convention and would result in a major transformation of the Convention with respect to effectively monitoring ICH activities. Finally, the delegation agreed that there was a need to lessen the politicization of the Committee.
- 53. The delegation of Malaysia congratulated the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairs on their appointments and thanked Mr Byong-hyun Lee for the report. It commended the Committee, adding that it remained committed to the sound governance of the Convention and to its possible improvements, and it agreed that the knowledge management system of the Convention should be enhanced and improved. The delegation also agreed with the Philippines and Turkey that periodic reporting enhanced the system, and it applauded the Committee for selecting the seven Good Safeguarding Practices, adding that they would be