The Silk Roads is a path and a route, not a fixed concept but a dynamic and expanding polysemic concept. The definition of the Silk Roads varies depending on academic perspectives. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the Silk Roads have become symbols of peace and understanding. It is at risk of abuse, commercialization, and political misapplication. Countries along the Silk Roads are experiencing a great deal of change, especially under the influence of globalization and commercialization. They are, therefore, highly vulnerable to change. It is necessary to consider the definition and target countries/areas, membership, access online and offline, gaps in ICT content production, and updating and maintaining information. Recommendations on improving a possible network include strengthening the information sharing capacity, improving the quality of information, and promoting and making successful public and private partnership programs. Two questions we have to ask are “What is the position of intellectual/academic cooperation for ICH safeguarding along the Silk Roads?” and “Can we support another new scientific approach?”

Based on the notion of culture as a complex multi-layered phenomenon, we admit that some cultural elements or expressions may fluidly migrate and adapt to different local settings, not necessarily or exclusively serving as a marker of an ethnic identity. Moreover, an emerging concept of shared cultural heritage allows us to disclose positive potential for joining efforts in safeguarding and enlivening the cultural heritage of the people. Connecting various national and local cultures along the Silk Roads aims exactly at gaining the joy of sharing the values, wisdom, creativity; at nurturing mutual interests and empathy among cultures and people; and at searching for common threads across the rich multitude of manifestations of cultural heritage of a vast region. The joint initiative by ICHCAP and IICAS to launch the Silk Roads ICH Networking Program needs support and actions by the wide range of stakeholder organizations and groups. Two options might be considered for a Silk Roads ICH Festivals network—either establish its own training program, capitalizing on the European Festivals Association’s experience or—cooperate with EFA on arranging a special edition of their Festival Academy focused on ICH and open for young managers from within the new network.

In introducing the background of building ichLinks as the Asia-Pacific ICH information sharing platform, its core values and objectives, implementation schemes, and expected effects are explained. ichLinks plans to serve as a common ground for all the participating Member States to connect with each other. ICHCAP plans to form a one-stop integrated online service platform and an expanded platform based on the participation of Member States by establishing an Executive Committee led by partner organizations from participating Member States for efficient platform operation. In addition, ICHCAP support will address differences and deficiencies resulting from different technological conditions among nations. These actions would help participating states and partner organizations voluntarily and actively using the platform and continue to create new value through multilateral information sharing, exchange, and cooperation. Information and content shared through ichLinks can be constantly recreated and reused as online and offline resources in areas, e.g. festivals, exhibitions, research, and tourism.

In 2018, UNESCO partnered with the European Union to launch the Silk Roads Heritage Corridors in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Iran—International Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The project focuses on safeguarding, preserving, and promoting the common heritage along the Silk Roads. The action aims to promote the region’s cultural heritage and develop heritage-based tourism, diversifying tourism products and delivering high-quality visitor experiences along in participating countries and improve the livelihoods of the communities in the region, including youth and women, through capacity building and the creation of opportunities for income-generation and jobs, and, through this, demonstrate the role of culture in sustainable development. The project is implemented along the following main components: 1. Valorization and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritage 2. Strengthening capacities in heritage safeguarding, protection and management for the promotion of sustainable tourism 3. Strengthen human and institutional capacities 4. Awareness-raising initiatives to further promote and facilitate partnerships and improve communication.

The UNESCO Silk Roads Program Overall Goal is in line with the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda, in particular with SDG16 (Sustainable Peace and Development), advocating for intercultural dialogue and mutual understand and respect as well as social inclusion and cohesion. Interactions along the Silk Roads have played a vital role in connecting cultures and people across many borders. It is an instructive example of a long-lasting legacy of exchange, influence and cooperation. In the first phase, roads of dialogue among the people of Eurasia began in 1988 and the five expeditions along the Silk Roads collected information for analysis about shared heritage. During the second phase, the major goal was to raise awareness about the shared heritage along the Silk Roads. This occurred by empowering youth through an annual photo contest and a Silk Roads youth research grant. The third structure was to develop, compile and disseminate knowledge through a Silk Roads online platform. This work promotes interactive possibilities for an ICH Silk Roads network with ICHCAP and IICAS by identifying and promoting concrete fields and elements that have facilitated and have been generated through cultural interactions and exchanges along the Silk Roads.