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- more active reporting, as well as serve as a regional capacity-building exercise. The delegation would also appreciate an update on the safeguarding plan, either included in the nomination file or in the previous report would be integrated into the Operational Directives, namely, concerning elements inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List. This could have a positive impact and encourage States Parties to respect the status of communities, groups and individuals to grant the necessary attention to ensure that continuous safeguarding efforts were carried out for the elements in question. Concluding with Latvia's experience with the electronic submission on periodic reports, the delegation explained that in 2017, States had been given the possibility to electronically submit their national periodic reports on elements inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List. After successfully completing this exercise, it reassured the Assembly of its smooth functionality and it appreciated the Secretariat 's provision of technical solutions in this regard.
- 344. The delegation of Lithuania congratulated the Chairperson on her election and thanked the Secretariat for the very efficient organization of this session. With regard to the revision of the Operational Directives aimed at moving towards a regional cycle of national reporting, the delegation welcomed the draft resolution and the amendments proposed by the Secretariat as this regional approach would certainly contribute to improving cooperation among member countries, and would also help countries better reflect on the panorama of national intangible cultural heritage safeguarding policies. Its only concern lay in the implementation of the transition period, especially the submission of periodic reports of countries from the first region concerned that had to submit the reports from the last few years, just before this change. Although it might be premature, the delegation proposed considering the possibility, in the context of the new cycle, of accepting the same reports from countries from the first region concerned, i.e. the same reports that had already been submitted a year or two ago, just before the implementation of the new periodic reporting procedure. This would take into consideration the short transition period, making it more effective and participatory for certain countries that might otherwise have difficulties with this task. The delegation thanked the Republic of Korea for its generous assistance that had contributed to the development of the much-awaited new reporting tool.
- 345. The delegation of Mexico believed that the processes initiated should first be concluded, followed by the transitional period. In this regard, it wished to share its experiences in 2017 with the Category 2 centre of UNESCO, the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL) based in Cuzco, Peru. Astudy was carried out by Mexico that benefitted from an evaluation by CRESPIAL undertaken with the participation of its fifteen Member States in a crosscutting effort in a meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil. The delegation believed that this experience could be useful when thinking about this transitional period, as an alternative or as a possibility for implementing this new mechanism.
- 346. The delegation of Turkey welcomed once again the improvements to the periodic reporting process with the submission of reports every six years based on a system of regional rotation and in line with the overall results framework of the Convention. It thanked the Secretariat for its reform efforts that would allow for the effective monitoring of intangible cultural heritage activities with a results-oriented perspective at the national level. The delegation hoped that the rate of submissions would increase in line with the Secretariat's expectations of the online periodic reporting process of the 1972 Convention. Necessary steps should also be taken to ensure that the Secretariat was equipped with the necessary funds to fulfil its capacity- building activities to encourage cooperation and the exchange of information at the regional level.
- 347. The delegation of Germany welcomed the new reporting format that would enhance international comparability with regard to the implementation of the Convention. It would also enable States Parties to take stock of its implementation of the Convention at a national level and would contribute to greater exchange at the regional level.
- 348. Congratulating the Vice-Chairperson, the delegation of Senegal believed that this [new process] was a logical continuation of the adoption of the overall results framework, and the amendment was thus timely. It fully supported the resolution despite the small technical