- Secretariat to develop a comprehensive communication plan in order to promote the objectives of the Convention. Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation process and an in- depth review, proposals for priority communication and outreach actions were developed in 2017 in partnership with an external communications company. In light of these proposals, the Secretariat had initiated its reflections on the development of key messages and graphic orientations for future communication tools. These tools were aimed at supporting States Parties, partner organizations, such as accredited NGOs and category 2 centres, as well as communities in their awareness-raising and outreach initiatives. In this way, the outreach was in itself a safeguarding activity. It was not solely about promoting the visibility of the Convention, but also an opportunity to develop key messages that would be helpful for States Parties and partners. The Secretary added that a series of side events during this Assembly was possible thanks to this outreach and communication initiative, and the Secretariat had tried hard to showcase aspects of the Convention that were currently at stake. The overall theme of the side events, ' Tell Your Living Heritage Story ' , was intended to highlight the human relevance of living cultural heritage and to convey the dynamics of intangible cultural heritage through the lived experiences of the different actors involved.
- 126. Concluding, the Secretary wished to share some final thoughts on the future development of the Convention. It seemed, after ten years dedicated to obtaining ratifications, setting up the procedures and mechanisms of the Convention, and supporting its implementation through capacity building, that one might consider that the Convention was entering its next stage of life. A number of new and emerging issues were appearing and the need to assess and broaden its impact at various levels was becoming more and more evident. In its recent sessions, the Committee had called for a systemic and holistic stocktaking of the impact of the Convention, as well as a broad implementation of its activities. A number of items for discussion during this General Assembly pointed to this, such as the discussion on the overall results framework, the reflections on the periodic reporting mechanism, and the role of accredited NGOs, among others. Of course, capacity building remained fundamental, but new areas of work needed to be opened up on the ground, in which the Secretariat had started to invest time and resources. These include intangible cultural heritage in education and intangible cultural heritage and emergency situations. One important issue for which the Secretariat provided support to the Committee concerned the transfer of inscribed elements from one List to another. As mentioned under agenda item 6, apart from the need to clarify the procedural matters, this topic was related to larger issues on the nature and purposes of the Lists of the Convention. Needless to say, the Secretariat stood ready to support the organization of the open-ended working group and Committee to reflect on such issues that would require extrabudgetary funding. The possibilities and potential for this Convention were vast, and it continued to grow. In this respect, the situation regarding the human and financial resources to support this expansion remained extremely worrying. Indeed, as the number of States Parties expanded, the demands would naturally increase. Yet the resources to meet those demands continued to decrease. Solutions were being sought for consideration by the General Assembly under agenda item 8 to address one of the most acute gaps in the Secretariat's operations.
- 127. The delegation of Uganda congratulated the Chairperson on her election and thanked the Secretariat for coordinating the meeting. Uganda thanked the Secretariat for implementing the decisions of the General Assembly, especially in allowing States to apply for funds for less than US$100,000 [through the Bureau of the Committee], which had increased the number of States Parties applying for funds. This increase in International Assistance had also absorbed the funds available, which had been a persistent problem and challenge. Concerning capacity building, Uganda appreciated the innovations. However, it strongly suggested continued research on the challenges faced by States Parties at the country level in order to make it relevant to the needs of the States Parties. It thanked the Secretariat overall for the creative and innovative methods of initiating and addressing the challenges faced in implementing the Convention.
- 128. The delegation of Norway congratulated the Chairperson on her election. It commended and thanked the Secretariat for its excellent work, noting that the Secretariat had faced growing