The seventh session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was held at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, from 4 to 6 June 2018. Representatives of 129 States Parties to the Convention participated in the meeting, six Category 2 centres under the auspices of UNESCO, and fifty-nine accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The full list of participants is available online. The session was held in the six working languages of the General Assembly: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The Section of Intangible Cultural Heritage provided the Secretariat for the meeting.

### [Monday 4 June 2018, morning session]

## ITEM 1 OF THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA: OPENING OF THE SEVENTH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY Document: ITH/18/7.GA/INF.1

- 1. The Assistant Director-General for Culture, Mr Ernesto Ottone Ramírez , was honoured to open the seventh session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. He thanked everyone for their participation, which reflected their commitment to the work of the 2003 Convention. He also thanked Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean for having chosen to highlight their intangible cultural heritage over the past two weeks. Intangible cultural heritage resonates with the world today. This strong support for the Convention was also demonstrated by its rapid development and widespread ratification by more than 90 per cent of UNESCO's Member States. The Convention had thus made significant progress in further highlighting the importance of intangible cultural heritage. The Convention places communities at the centre of activities in light of the established fact that no society can flourish without culture. Intangible cultural heritage is in essence living and evolving and continues to be a source of creativity and inspiration in modern societies. This fundamental approach in respecting and valuing our cultural practices is also vital for shaping a future for all. In addition, traditional knowledge and practices rooted in national cultures are powerful tools for addressing the major challenges facing humanity, such as social marginalization, economic inequality, environmental challenges and threats to peace and security. In this vein, intangible cultural heritage is of paramount importance for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Intangible cultural heritage can thus serve as a force for diversity and inclusion. Every delegate and State Party represented shares a responsibility to safeguard the living heritage present in their territory and to transmit it from generation to generation. International cooperation for the safeguarding of intangible heritage has grown in recent years, demonstrating the shared commitment by States Parties. In the coming days, important issues regarding the implementation of the Convention would be discussed, which would have a direct impact on the way in which intangible cultural heritage is safeguarded at the national level, as well as for the communities on the ground. The Assembly's decision on the overall results framework, which has been in operation for more than ten years, as well as reforms to the periodic reporting system, would better monitor the Convention. Other important issues on the international cooperation mechanism of the Convention would be discussed, such as International Assistance, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, and the accreditation of NGOs. These tools are crucial for equipping States Parties with the means and resources to support the implementation of the Convention, while ensuring that more people and communities benefit from safeguarding measures. Intangible cultural heritage is above all a celebration of the value of cultural diversity. In this spirit, this General Assembly would be hosting a series of events to highlight the world's rich livin g heritage, as well as the advances made in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage with the wide involvement of States, NGOs, youth and community members. In this spirit of togetherness and greater unity and solidarity, the Assistant Director-General wished the Assembly fruitful deliberations and celebration.