Intangible Cultural Heritage is integral part of life and culture of humanity. In this connection it also called as living heritage, transmitted by people within communities, which is ever changing. ICH has important functions for the communities, groups and individuals concerned, and for the understanding and promotion of cultural diversity and human creativity.

In 2003 the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), which entered into force in 2006. Already over two-thirds of the Member States of UNESCO have now ratified this Convention, among them – Uzbekistan, ratified convention in 2008.

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), also known as the Intangible Heritage Convention, aims at the safeguarding of the intangible heritage of communities, groups and individuals everywhere in the world. By April 2012, 143 countries were States Parties to this Convention.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the ICH that oversees the implementation of the Convention has requested the UNESCO Secretariat to organize worldwide workshops aimed at reinforcing capacities for the implementation thereof. Several States Parties have provided generous financial support to allow the Secretariat to prepare workshop materials, train facilitators and fund workshops.

As result, in the beginning of 2012 a joint project ”Strengthening the National Capacity on Safeguarding ICH in Central Asia” was launched by UNESCO offices in Tashkent and Almaty with the financial support of the Norwegian Trust-in-Funds. Within the framework of this project the present workshop is organizing for the specialists in the filed of IHC from all principal regions of Uzbekistan.

The main goal of the workshop is to strengthen the national capacity in the field of Implementation of the UNESCO Convention 2003 at national level, in particular provide a broad overview of the Convention and Operational Directives, what obligations States take on when ratifying the Convention and possible ways of implementing the Convention as well as safeguarding the ICH, its identification and inventorying, cooperation with communities, public awareness and international assistance.

The workshop will be conducted by UNESCO international experts in the field of intangible cultural heritage.