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- progress, for considering the role of formal and non-formal education for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, and for endeavouring to raise the visibility of the Convention through outreach and communication tools. Jordan expressed sincere gratitude for the enduring efforts of the Secretariat in supporting the orientation of intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development, as reflected in a number of thematic areas. Jordan also appreciated t he Secretariat's constant efforts in facilitating International Assistance and knowledge management, managing the capacity-building programme, and developing partnerships with educational institutions to support the transmission of and respect for intangible cultural heritage. A great advancement achieved by the Secretariat was its appeal to UNESCO's global response to emergency situations by its Strategy for the Reinforcement of UNESCO's Actions for the Protection of Culture and the Promotion of Cultural Pluralism in the Event of Armed Conflict. The General Assembly thus demonstrated constructive cooperation among States Parties in the pursuit of the Convention's objectives, with its provisions implemented by States Parties in the interest of all communities. The delegation believed that the actions taken in the past as well as those currently taken demonstrated the commitment of States to the codes of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage for humanity.
- 33. The delegation of Viet Nam congratulated the Chairperson on her election, wishing her success in her work, and commended all the States that had recently ratified the Convention and were thus joining the family and contributing to the success of the Convention.
- 34. Congratulating the Chairperson on her election, the delegation of Italy remarked that interest in intangible cultural heritage had grown in recent years among countries and civil society. If intangible cultural heritage was the expression of identity, or even the soul of its people, then safeguarding and promoting intangible cultural heritage represented a vector of sustainable development for many communities and individuals who were both the creators and guardians of this heritage. This context of current affairs and social change was confirmed by the adoption of a new chapter in the Operational Directives that highlighted the role of intangible cultural heritage as a driving force and guarantor of sustainable development with a specific paragraph entitled 'food security', which Italy strongly supported . In this regard, traditional patterns of food consumption are an important vehicle for cultural identity in communities around the world, as evidenced by the multiple listings of agri-food practices on the Representative List. For these reasons, Italy had organized an international meeting on 24 May 2018 at UNESCO to promote an in-depth reflection on the cultural dimension of food traditions as a fundamental element of the identity of peoples. In the course of the four roundtables, high-level panellists from a wide range of backgrounds described the social and cultural importance of food as a mirror of the ancient and contemporary history of people. As was now known, major current themes, such as quality of life, environmental protection, the safeguarding of biodiversity, and the valorization of identities and communities come first and foremost through food choices and expressions.
- 35. The delegation of Paraguay commended the Chairperson on her election to the General Assembly, which was now in excellent hands. It welcomed the States Parties that had recently ratified the Convention, which was important in showing the increasing relevance of the Convention to which all were deeply attached as it directly dealt with living heritage. The delegation also commended the Secretariat for its hard work and for the support it provided to all States Parties. Every country was sustaining progress in the implementation of the Convention based on its own means. In January 2018, Paraguay had established its National Committee for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. This nationwide body had made significant progress in conducting an inventory and the preparatory work for inscribing an element on the List. The delegation stressed the importance of cooperation between Member States and, in this regard, it thanked Mexico for the bilateral work conducted through the framework of this Convention with a view to strengthening national capacities.
- 36. The delegation of Colombia congratulated the Chairperson on her election, and the Assistant Director-General for Culture for his first General Assembly. It thanked the Secretariat for its work in improving the Convention's policies internationally, regionally and nationally in dealing with matters of intangible cultural heritage. The delegation stressed the need for the