Phi Ta Khon is a three-day mask festival held every year between March and July in Dan Sai District in Loei Province, Thailand, which includes a ceremony to express respect to the gods and rituals to protect the village and pray for abundant rain during the farming season. Young men wear colorful, fluttering costumes and Phi Ta Khon masks. The mask, representing spirits of the dead, is adorned with a long nose in vibrant primary colors. It consists of three main components: a hat, a face, and a nose. The mask is crafted using a traditional bamboo container known as a Huat, traditionally used for containing boiled glutinous rice.

Phi Ta Khon is a three-day mask festival held every year between March and July in Dan Sai District in Loei Province, Thailand, which includes a ceremony to express respect to the gods and rituals to protect the village and pray for abundant rain during the farming season. Young men wear colorful, fluttering costumes and Phi Ta Khon masks. The mask, representing spirits of the dead, is adorned with a long nose in vibrant primary colors. It consists of three main components: a hat, a face, and a nose. The mask is crafted using a traditional bamboo container known as a Huat, traditionally used for containing boiled glutinous rice.

Phi Ta Khon is a three-day mask festival held every year between March and July in Dan Sai District in Loei Province, Thailand, which includes a ceremony to express respect to the gods and rituals to protect the village and pray for abundant rain during the farming season. Young men wear colorful, fluttering costumes and Phi Ta Khon masks. The mask, representing spirits of the dead, is adorned with a long nose in vibrant primary colors. It consists of three main components: a hat, a face, and a nose. The mask is crafted using a traditional bamboo container known as a Huat, traditionally used for containing boiled glutinous rice.

On the second day of the Lao New Year festival Pi Mai Lao, a traditional Lao mask dance that can only be seen in Luang Prabang is performed. Pou Nyer symbolizing men, Nyar Nyer symbolizing women, and their lion cub Singkeo-Singkham are the focal point of the Lao New Year ceremonies in Luang Prabang. Both Pou Nyer and Nyar Nyer are considered ancestral gods and guardians by the Lao people.

The transversal contribution of culture to development and the central role of living heritage in the Pacific both as a coping mechanism that ensures social cohesion during a crisis, as well as a way of contributing to the 2030 Development Agenda is undeniable. With almost all PSIDS having ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the focus is now turning towards the implementation of the Convention and more specifically on ways the Convention can contribute to sustainable development. To this end, the UNESCO Office in Apia is currently producing a policy brief that will aim to inform policy and decision makers, as well as raise awareness around the important contribution of culture and its relevant institutions in the recovery phase following COVID-19.

Presenting examples of disaster reduction and water management through intangible cultural heritage in countries in the Himalayan region. Understanding the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a response to natural disasters. Looking at the current situation in the knowledge community, where experts from different countries can discuss the use of intangible cultural heritage in this field and outcomes thereof.

The ICH festivals in the Kyrgyz Republic are a great way to safeguard the cultural heritage. Kyrgyzstan has a rich ICH and embraces all ICH domains including the oral traditions andexpressions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive event, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship. Festivals feature various ICH domains such as arts and crafts, cuisine, folklore, felt, hunting with birds, horse games, etc. For instance, the festivals Kyrgyz Shyrdagy and the Oimo International Festival are held with the aim of safeguarding and popularizing traditional knowledge and skills of handicrafts, for safeguarding and promoting traditional games, various birds of prey festivals are held, such as Salbuurun and Kok Boru. Moreover, festivals are dedicated to safeguarding oral traditions, such as Aitysh, the art of improvisation as well as many other festivals reflecting traditional cuisine, folklore, etc.

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.

ICHCAP, in collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok Office, held the Intangible Cultural Heritage Webinar Series from June to August 2020 with a total of four sessions. The 23 speakers from 18 countries met with the public to grapple with alternative practices and emergent modes of delivery in various areas such as heritage education in the universities, networking amongst educational institutions for ICH safeguarding, development of ICH curricula in times of crisis, as well as inter-regional cooperation for cross-cultural instruction and learning.\n\nWhile the entire world is struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19, the ICH sector also has been hit hard by numerous public health measures such as the cancellation of major festivals and events, temporary shutdown of museums, and places of cultural activities, as well as the indefinite halting of formal and informal heritage transmission activities. How can ICH safeguarding and transmission thrive in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, and what role can higher education institutions play to ensure the viability of living heritage in our times? ICHCAP organized this webinar series to answer these urgent questions that we all face today.\n\nIn the first session of the ICH Webinar Series on 18 June 2020, we looked into the state of ICH safeguarding in the region, attending to how it has been conditioned by the pandemic and how various activities have been reshaped in order for them to maintain their purpose while also considering the protocols observed to curb coronavirus transmission.\n\nPresentation1 UNESCO Online Survey Results on Living Heritage Experience and the COVID-19 Pandemic by Juliette Hopkins, Living Heritage Entity, UNESCO\nPresentation2 Reviving the Living Landscape System of Lai Chi Wo for Urban Sustainability by Anna Yau, Project Manager, The University of Hong Kong\nPresentation3 Living Heritage Experiences in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Singapore by Yeo Kirk Siang, Director, Heritage Research and Assessment, National Heritage Board of Singapore\nPresentation4 Disaster as Opportunity by Christopher Ballard, Professor, The Australian National University, Australia\nPresentation5 Te-er/Tengao: The Significance of the Compulsory ‘Rest’ Day of the Bontoks in Mt. Province in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic by Eric Zerrudo, Professor, University of Santo Tomas University, Philippines

ICHCAP, in collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok Office, held the Intangible Cultural Heritage Webinar Series from June to August 2020 with a total of four sessions. The 23 speakers from 18 countries met with the public to grapple with alternative practices and emergent modes of delivery in various areas such as heritage education in the universities, networking amongst educational institutions for ICH safeguarding, development of ICH curricula in times of crisis, as well as inter-regional cooperation for cross-cultural instruction and learning.\n\nWhile the entire world is struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19, the ICH sector also has been hit hard by numerous public health measures such as the cancellation of major festivals and events, temporary shutdown of museums, and places of cultural activities, as well as the indefinite halting of formal and informal heritage transmission activities. How can ICH safeguarding and transmission thrive in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, and what role can higher education institutions play to ensure the viability of living heritage in our times? ICHCAP organized this webinar series to answer these urgent questions that we all face today.\n\nThe third session on 30 July 2020 was an opportunity for the participants, both the invited speakers and the audience, to have a better understanding of networking efforts amongst universities in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. This session, in particular, was a clearer call for inter-regional support and cooperation to push for cross-cultural demonstration of heritage education.\n\nPresentation1 Network of Higher Education Institutions for ICH Safeguarding in Europe by Dr. Cristina Ortega Nuere, Professor, University Oberta of Catalunya\nPresentation2 Network of Higher Education Institutions for ICH Safeguarding in Southern Africa by Dr. Jacob Mapara, Acting Director, Institute of Lifelong Learning and Development\nStudies, Chinhoyi University of Technology\nPresentation3 ReCAPCILAC: A Co-Construction Experience for ICH Safeguarding by Prof. Mónica Guariglio, National University of Avellaneda – UNDAV (Argentina)\nPresentation4 Network of Higher Education Institutions for Heritage Management and ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific by Injee Kim, Culture Programme Officer, UNESCO Bangkok Office

Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia\n\nDVD1 Yapese Traditional DancesΙ\nThis selection features a traditional Yapese men’s standing dance and women’s standing dance. The former is intended to pay tribute to a local god named Yalfath , the one who gives life, customs, and resources. The latter is a unique women’s standing dance, which was taken from the tale of a friendly crab from the shore of Ngariy village, Rull municipality.\n\nDVD2 Yapese Traditional DancesⅡ\nThis selection features a Yapese women’s bamboo dance as well as women’s sitting dance from Rumuu’ village in Fanif municipality. The former was performed during village gatherings and ceremonial events that entailed various traditional games for young locals in the village. The latter talks about the women’s roles and responsibilities in their homes and in the village.\n\n---------------------------------\nYapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia home\n(2017 Federated States of Micronesia-ICHCAP Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Audiovisual Materials)\n\nThe Yap State Historic Preservation Office (YSHPO) is a national research institute established to record and preserve the history and cultural heritage of Yap State, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). FSM has great cultural diversity, as the country consists of Pacific island groupings located between Palau and the Marshall Islands. Even in the same state, cultural differences can be found among residents of major, small and reef islands. Yap State, in particular, is known for its well-maintained traditions and practices. For instance, the Yapese still use stone money, the largest physical currency in the world. YSHPO has recorded and safeguarded various cultures and history in the Yap island.\n\nIn 2017, ICHCAP carried out the Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Materials in cooperation with YSHPO, which resulted in the digitization of five hundred hours of analogue materials. Based on this, ICHCAP has published an audiovisual collection, titled “Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia”, which contains selected digitized materials that well represent FSM’s traditions. YSHPO not just contributed to the digitization of analogue materials, but also supported the production of the collection to help more people discover the precious materials.\n\nThe FSM collection consists of eight CDs and two DVDs. The collection lists twenty tracks of ICH-related stories, legends, and myths of everyday life of the Yapese that were recorded in the 1960s. The collection also features a video on major dances performed during Yap Day, an annual holiday celebrated since 2007. Each CD contains photos about live performances to provide a better understanding.\n\nThe digitization project is meaningful in that it has restored analogue materials in FSM, which were at risk of severe damage, to enhance academic values and raise public awareness of the materials. ICHCAP will continue its efforts to identify valuable materials in the Asia-Pacific region and provide a better access to ICH information through related projects.

ICH Webinar Series on Maritime ICH: Maritime Living Heritage-Building Sustainable Livelihood and Ecosystems in the Asia-Pacific Region\n\nSession1: Traditional Maritime Skills and Knowledge for Inclusive Social and Economic Development\n\n1. 'Maritime Living Heritage and the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development' by Athena Trakadas, National Museum of Denmark / Ocean Decade Heritage Network\n2. 'The ties and tides of knowledge: Living as a community, living as the sea people' by Narumon Arunotai, Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand\n3. 'Strengthening Women Fisherfolk Empowerment toward Social Inclusion in Coastal Environment of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines' by Elmira Thrina C. Pelayo, Bulacan State University, Philippine\n4. 'Traditional Maritime Skills and Knowledge of Social and Economic Development in Inle Lake' by Thu Thu Aung, Department of Archaeology and National Museum, Myanmar\n5. 'Preserving Maritime Cultural Values and Promoting Community Cohesion: From the Viewpoint of Cau Ngu (Whale Worship) Festival in Thanh Hoa Province' by Thao Phuong Le, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam\n6. 'Fisherwomen across Bay of Bengal region and the extension of their profession in ICH- Understanding the contributions of a vital part of the community and their symbolisms of sustainability, survival, and continuity' by Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai, Symbiosis International University, India\n\nSession2: Traditional Maritime Skills and Knowledge for Environmental Sustainablity and Resilience\n\n1. 'Evidence from the Social Economic Impact Acessment of COVID-19 in the Pacific: The Contribution of ICH in human-centered development' by Ellen Lekka, Cultural Officer, UNESCO Apia Office\n2. 'The Coastal Cultural Landscape of Yap and Marine Ecological Conservation' by William Jeffery, University of Guam, Guam\n3. 'Korean National Important Fisheries Heritage System for Strengthening Sustainability:' by Hyunjong Jong, Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, Republic of Korea\n4. 'Voicing Culture after Nature : Traditional Knowledge and Marine Resource Management in the Sulawesi Islands' by Dedi Supriadi Adhuri, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Indonesia\n5. 'O le Va‘a Tā Palolo – The Palolo Fishing Canoe' by Galumalemana Steve Percival, Tiapapata Art Centre inc., Samoa\n6. 'Maritime Cultural Heritage of Matsushima Bay Japan:' by Alyne Delaney, Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University, Japan\n\n\n\n

CD4 QUAN HỌ BẮC NINH IN THE NORTH VIETNAM\nQuan họ,a special alternate singing between men and women, was once only available in Kinh Bắc region in northern Vietnam. Traditional Quan họ was previously the folk art of forty-nine villages in Kinh Bắc, which is presently Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang provinces.Quan họ singing has been associated with twining occasions in the past. Quan họ is often sung between two groups, called bọn Quan họ, who are living in two different villages and wanting to strike up friendship with each other. During annual festivals or their free time, the Quan họ people sing to satisfy their demand for exchanging art. They sing throughout the day and night. The twining relationship between the Quan họ performers as artistic and intimate friends has continued from forefathers to descendants; thus, they are never allowed to marry each other. Quan họ is one of the few musical forms that has alternate singing between men and women and lyrical love-exchange lyrics but has no the function of love-exchange in daily life as other love-exchange folksongs.\n\nNevertheless, Quan họ is sung not only by twinning Quan họ people but also by others from other places. People can sing Quan họ at many locations; for example, they can perform it at houses at night on normal days, at temples on festivals, on hills, in the forest, along the street, at ponds, or on boat.In Quan họ singing, the male group is called liền anh, and the female group is called liền chị. Traditional Quan họ is pair singing without accompaniment. One of the pair is in charge of singing, leading the tune while the other sings as a secondary part. These two people have to be selected and trained to be in perfect harmony at the same timbre. In addition to pair singing, there is group singing, which is performed on congratulatoory and worshipping occasions. The male group sings in response to the female one. Four typical singing techniques of Quan họ are resonant, ringing, restrained, and staccato.

CD8_ĐỜN CA TÀI TỬ, A CHAMBER MUSIC OF SOUTHERN VIETNAM\n\nĐờn ca tài tử is a special traditional genre of chamber music of the Việt people in southern Vietnam. In comparison with other forms of traditional musical performances in Vietnam like Ca trù (Ca trù singing), Ca Huế (Hue singing), etc, the art of Đờn ca tài tử was a late traditional form. According to many musical researchers, Đờn ca tài tử came into being in the mid-nineteenth century from the musical context of the ceremonial music nhạc Lễ of southern Vietnam and the chamber music nhạc Huế. Historically, nhạc Lễ played a very important role in the cultural life of southern Vietnam. The repertoire was divided into two styles played by a martial ensemble phe võ and a classical ensemble phe văn. The phe võ is composed of drums, cymbals, and the Vietnamese oboe kèn bầu. The phe văn consisted of stringed instruments, particularly four types of the cò (two-stringed fiddles, such as the cò, the cò chỉ, the cò tre, and the gáo fiddle), and percussion instruments such as the trống nhạc (drum), and a trống cơm (a small cylindrical drum).\n\nThe two ensembles are invited to play at major village festivals. But for less important occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and housewarmings, a smaller phe văn group is called in, which includes the stringed instruments without percussion instruments. This ensemble is called đờn cây. For the need of artistic entertainment, other stringed instruments progressively joined this ensemble such as the đàn tranh (sixteen-string zither), the kìm (moon-shaped lute) and the very small wooden song lang. Music gradually escapes the solemn nature of rituals to serve daily life. It can be considered the initial foundation of Đờn ca tài tử, but it was not yet the Đờn ca tài tử. In 1885, when the Huế capital fell, the immigration of instrumentalists of the Nguyễn court from central Vietnam to the southern region made significant influence on the development of Đờn ca tài tử. At this time, Đờn ca tài tử was actually shaped after acquiring Huế chamber music in both repertoires and performance styles. The emergence of Đờn ca tài tử has received great support and favor of the majority of people in the southern Vietnam.

CD5 HÁT VĂN\nHát văn (văn singing) is a special traditional music associated with the Tứ Phủ religion, a local religion of the Kinh people in Vietnam. Hát văn or chầu văn means singing for reporting something to gods. In religion, it can be called cầm ca chúc thánh, which means “singing for praising gods”. There is a sentence in a book: “The Buddha loves the scripture and gods love singing”. The combination between singing and instrument playing, various repertoire and melodies, and strict regulations in performing ritual music helped hát văn become a professional traditional music, which strongly attracts listeners. The Tứ Phủ belief (the Four-God belief) is the environment in which hát văn has been nurtured and developed. The Tứ Phủ belief mentions the gods of the four components of cosmos, the world located in Heaven, Earth, Water, and Mountains. These gods are ranked differently. At the top of the temple is the Father of the Jade Emperor. Under the position of that god are Tam tòa Thánh Mẫu, ngũ vị vương Quan, tứ vị Chầu bà, ngũ vị Hoàng tử, Tứ Phủ thánh Cô, Tứ Phủ thánh Cậu, Ngũ Hổ, and ông Lốt. The Mẫu Liễu Hạnh God is considered to play the center role. Before becoming one of four Vietnamese gods, he was a normal person on the Earth with the hometown and the name.\n\nThe people in charge of performing music in the Tứ Phủ belief are called cung văn. A person practicing the cung văn profession has to train for a long time, from five years to seven years. This person has to be excellent in writing Hán-Nôm words and organizing a worship ceremony and hát văn so that he/she can take care of a temple. The cung văn profession is transferred only to family members. Hát văn music is usually performed by two cung văn, including one person playing the nguyệt (moon-shaped lute) and the other playing percussion instruments. One of them or both can sing. In a big rite, the number of performers in a band can be four or five with the participation of the tranh (16-chord zither), the nhị (Vietnamese two-string fiddle), or flutes. The nguyệt originates from the yeuqin instrument of China. However, comparing to the yeuqin instrument, the nguyệt has a longer neck with eight to eleven frets. A neck with ten frets is the most popular. Two strings of this instrument used to be made of silk but now are made of nylon. The small string is called dây tiếu, and the bigger one is called dây đài. The nguyệt is usually tuned to dây bằng (the fifth interval) and dây lệch (the fourth interval). It is seldom tuned to dây tố lan (the minor seventh interval) and to dây song thanh (an octave).

O`lan is a genre of people's oral creation. Mainly, it is performed by women with or without doira accompaniment. At Uzbek parties and celebrations, the O`lan is sung by a girls' team on one side and a boys' team on the other side, or it is sung by two people who take opposing sides so they can perform as though they are having a dialogue.\n\nYor-yor is a folk song performed at a wedding celebration when the bride is seen off. In ancient times, it was widespread among Uzbek, Tajik, Uygur, and Turkmen people. Yor-yor consists of two or four lines; at the end or in the middle of each line are the words 'yor-yor, aylanaman' (my beloved one, I am enchanted). Usually, yor-yor is accompanied by doira music performed by women. The high effect of yor-yor is that it simultaneously harmonises sadness with a merry melody, tone, and the mood of holiday joys. In yor-yor songs, the bride's features, wishes, cherished dreams, and congratulations to her are praised. \n\nThe Republican Scientific and Methodological Center of Folk Art under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO, organised an expedition to Ferghana Valley to research and classify intangible cultural heritage samples as well as to inventory and define the bearers of this heritage. The expedition team recorded samples of O'lan songs from ICH bearers and transmitters of intangible cultural heritage, including Xayrullo Mirzayev, Hanifa Mirzayeva, Inoyat Rafiqova, Makhbuba Yo'ldosheva, Baxtiyor Turg'unov, Zebikhon Abdunazarova, Ko'paysin Oqboyeva, and Qo'zikhon Siddiqova.

Sounds that Run in the Vast Grasslands of Mongolia_Oral Traditions and Performing Arts in Mongolia\n\nSince the early 1950s, the Institute of Language and Literature at the Academy of Science (ILL) has been sending survey teams one to three times a year to research and gather data on oral literature and local dialectics. These activities set the groundwork for officially establishing a new archive with written documents and magnetic audio tapes that could be used for research purposes and be maintained. Preserved on magnetic tapes are languages and dialects that have gone extinct, have lost their distinctiveness, or have been adsorbed into other languages or dialects.\n\nHowever, most of the magnetic tapes being kept at the ILL are more than sixty years old, and the expiration date on many tapes has already lapsed. Also, improper storage conditions have caused some tapes to dry out, cling to one another, or fracture. For these reason, it would be hard to transmit to the next generation. Accordingly, since 2008, efforts have been made towards restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes within the internal capability and capacity of the ILL. The lack of training, finance, and proper tools and technical equipment has, nevertheless, created several obstacles and the digitizing results have not been very successful.\n\nAt this crucial state, the ILL introduced a cooperative request to the Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage (FPNCH), and the FPNCH proposed that ICHCAP continue the joint project and take measures for restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes and distributing and disseminating the data among the general public. According to the above decision, the FPNCH and ICHCAP implemented the Joint Cooperation Project of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage by Using Information Technology from October 2011 to April 2012.\n\nAs the first stage of the project, the Expert Meeting for Safeguarding ICH by Using Information Technology was held in the Republic of Korea to exchange information with experts for digitizing and restoring the analogue data. The experts of Mongolian National Public Radio, the ILL, and the FPNCH started the project after sharing restoration and digitization knowledge with the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) of Korea, the National Archives of Korea, and the Korea Film Council.\n\nAs the main outcome of the project, a total of 715 hours of superannuated magnetic tapes including epics, folk tales, tales accompanied by the morin khuur, traditional arts, khuumei, chor, long and short folksongs, and traditional customs were restored, digitized, and categorized. Among them, 128 audio clips were selected and reproduced in a ten-CD collection called Sounds from the Mongolian Grasslands. The collection also includes a twenty-page handbook in English or Korean. Through this project, the general public’s, involved organizations’, and domestic and international experts’ awareness about Mongolian ICH increased, and the archive and music contents of regional ICH were strengthened.

Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia home\n(2017 Federated States of Micronesia-ICHCAP Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Audiovisual Materials)\n\nThe Yap State Historic Preservation Office (YSHPO) is a national research institute established to record and preserve the history and cultural heritage of Yap State, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). FSM has great cultural diversity, as the country consists of Pacific island groupings located between Palau and the Marshall Islands. Even in the same state, cultural differences can be found among residents of major, small and reef islands. Yap State, in particular, is known for its well-maintained traditions and practices. For instance, the Yapese still use stone money, the largest physical currency in the world. YSHPO has recorded and safeguarded various cultures and history in the Yap island.\n\nIn 2017, ICHCAP carried out the Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Materials in cooperation with YSHPO, which resulted in the digitization of five hundred hours of analogue materials. Based on this, ICHCAP has published an audiovisual collection, titled “Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia”, which contains selected digitized materials that well represent FSM’s traditions. YSHPO not just contributed to the digitization of analogue materials, but also supported the production of the collection to help more people discover the precious materials.\n\nThe FSM collection consists of eight CDs and two DVDs. The collection lists twenty tracks of ICH-related stories, legends, and myths of everyday life of the Yapese that were recorded in the 1960s. The collection also features a video on major dances performed during Yap Day, an annual holiday celebrated since 2007. Each CD contains photos about live performances to provide a better understanding.\n\nThe digitization project is meaningful in that it has restored analogue materials in FSM, which were at risk of severe damage, to enhance academic values and raise public awareness of the materials. ICHCAP will continue its efforts to identify valuable materials in the Asia-Pacific region and provide a better access to ICH information through related projects.

Our Cultural Expressions: Indigenous Sounds of Fiji home\n(2017 Fiji-ICHCAP Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Audiovisual Materials)\n\nSince its foundation in 1904 as a national museum, the Fiji Museum has safeguarded and promoted various cultures and heritage of Pacific islands. The Fiji population consists mostly of iTaukei (native Fijians), Fijians of Indian descent, and Rotumans. The Fiji Museum has collected and shared tangible and intangible cultural heritage of such various ethnic groups through various methods to widely promote Fiji’s cultural heritage.\n\nIn 2017, ICHCAP carried out the Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Materials in cooperation with the Fiji Museum, which resulted in the digitization of five hundred hours of analogue materials. Based on this, ICHCAP has published an audiovisual collection, titled “Our Cultural Expressions: Indigenous Sounds of Fiji”, which contains selected digitized materials that well represent Fiji’s traditions. The Fiji Museum not just contributed to the digitization of analogue materials, but also supported the production of the collection to help more people discover the precious materials.\n\nThe Fijian collection consists of nine CDs and one DVD. The collection lists eighty tracks of chants, children’s songs, dance music, hymns, and folk songs of everyday life of Fijians that were recorded in the 1970s. The collection also features a video on mat weaving that was recorded in 1997. The video introduces mat weaving, which is considered an important element in the culture and life of Fijians, and its social and cultural significance. The collection is expected to be widely utilized in ICH-related research and also in education and transmission of the knowledge at schools.\n\nThe digitization project is meaningful in that it has restored analogue materials in Fiji, which were at risk of severe damage, to enhance academic values and raise public awareness of the materials. ICHCAP will continue its efforts to identify valuable materials in the Asia-Pacific region and provide a better access to ICH information through related projects.

Precious Grops from Nepals Fountain of Folk Music \n(2016 MMN-ICHCAP Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Audiovisual Materials)\n\nMusic Museum of Nepal (MMN) is a non-governmental organization, founded in 1995 with the purpose of collecting, preserving and glorifying Nepali folk music and its related cultural heritage. There are more than 100 ethnic groups in Nepal, and each group has their own culture and traditions of marking every occasion and rite of passage from birth to death with music. MMN has recorded, documented and archived these ICH-related materials since many years ago.\n\nIn 2016, ICHCAP supported the MMN in digitizing around five hundred hours of analogue recordings through the Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Audiovisual Materials. Some of the materials representative of Nepali traditions were chosen and reproduced as Precious Drops from Nepal's Fountain of Folk Music, so they can be enjoyed by more people.\n\nThe Nepali collection consists of eight CDs and two DVDs. The CDs have forty-six tracks of folk music played in religious events and festivals, and the DVDs feature ten videos on folk dances and musical performances of occupational caste musicians. Each CD contains photos and descriptions of folk instruments to provide a better understanding.\n\nThis project is particularly important as it resulted in restoring analogue recordings at risk of permanent damage and digitizing them to enhance their academic value and public visibility. ICHCAP hopes that this collection will enable not just researchers in the relevant fields but also the general public to learn more about and become familiar with Nepali ICH.

UNESCO-ICHCAP, with cooperation of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies(IICAS) and Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum Secretariat, organized the launching events of the Silk Roads Living Heritage Network (SLN) on October 28 and 29, at DDP, Seoul, and Online during Korea Foundation’s ‘Public Diplomacy Week. This publication contains about this event.\n\nThis networking program is based on experiences and achievements obtained from the collaborative work of UNESCO-ICHCAP in the living heritage field in Central Asia over the last decade.\n\nFor reference, the networking program comes on the heels of a three-party MoU signed by ICHCAP and organizations in Uzbekistan in 2019 and was followed by a Central Asia network meeting in Kazakhstan in 2019. In 2020, ICHCAP in cooperation with International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS), conducted a survey project about ICH festivals along the Silk Roads, particularly with countries along the steppe route. Regarding the survey result, ICHCAP, IICAS and Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum Secretariat of the Korea Foundation (KF) held an online webinar and a strategic meeting to consider the need for realizing the multilateral values of Silk Roads-related cooperation.

Based on the ICHCAP Field Survey on Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in some Pacific countries (2009-2013), this summary provides a brief overview on the ICH situation in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, Tonga, Palau, Vanuatu and Federated States of Micronesia. The summary focuses mainly on ICH safeguarding systems, safeguarding policies, and ICH inventories as well as on pending issues and the urgent safeguarding needs of these countries. Moreover, information on the main entities in charge of ICH safeguarding and opinions of each country on the issue of community involvement are provided. To give a quick overview these countries’ participation in ICH safeguarding at the international level, some additional information related to UNESCO is specified as well. Apart from the main topic, information on the situation of intellectual property related to ICH safeguarding in each country is included. This survey report offers a large sample of the diverse ICH situations in Pacific countries. Each country has a different background on the issue of intangible heritage. Although all countries participating in the survey are concerned with the threats facing their ICH, most of them haven’t defined ICH and haven’t established inventory national ICH list or inventory. However, each country expresses a high degree of motivation and encouragement for safeguarding ICH, sharing experiences, and participating in international cooperation efforts. Compared to some Asian countries, Pacific countries seem to be well aware of the emerging intellectual property issues related to ICH. This might be related to the internationally publicized infringement and violation of intellectual property rights by outsiders on the Pacific’s traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and genetic resources . Moreover, these countries appear to collaborate closely with the World Intellectual Property Organization on various awareness-raising and capacity-building activities on protecting traditional culture in a broad sense. \n\nTo date, out of the eight Pacific countries participating in the survey, five countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Palau, and Vanuatu) are drafting laws on the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of culture. Furthermore, in terms of technical terminology, the Pacific countries tend to use “traditional knowledge” and “expressions of culture” as equivalent terms to “intangible cultural heritage”. Pacific countries are also conducting cultural mapping projects, which is another common point that they share. Finally, the Pacific region has the highest rate of indigenous populations of any other region of the world and the highest rate of customary or traditional land ownership.\n\n- Ratified the ICH Convention in 2009; conducted survey in 2009.\n- As of May 2013, has no elements on the ICH Lists of UNESCO and no accredited NGOs.

Based on the ICHCAP Field Survey on Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in some Pacific countries (2009-2013), this summary provides a brief overview on the ICH situation in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, Tonga, Palau, Vanuatu and Federated States of Micronesia. The summary focuses mainly on ICH safeguarding systems, safeguarding policies, and ICH inventories as well as on pending issues and the urgent safeguarding needs of these countries. Moreover, information on the main entities in charge of ICH safeguarding and opinions of each country on the issue of community involvement are provided. To give a quick overview these countries’ participation in ICH safeguarding at the international level, some additional information related to UNESCO is specified as well. Apart from the main topic, information on the situation of intellectual property related to ICH safeguarding in each country is included. This survey report offers a large sample of the diverse ICH situations in Pacific countries. Each country has a different background on the issue of intangible heritage. Although all countries participating in the survey are concerned with the threats facing their ICH, most of them haven’t defined ICH and haven’t established inventory national ICH list or inventory. However, each country expresses a high degree of motivation and encouragement for safeguarding ICH, sharing experiences, and participating in international cooperation efforts. Compared to some Asian countries, Pacific countries seem to be well aware of the emerging intellectual property issues related to ICH. This might be related to the internationally publicized infringement and violation of intellectual property rights by outsiders on the Pacific’s traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and genetic resources . Moreover, these countries appear to collaborate closely with the World Intellectual Property Organization on various awareness-raising and capacity-building activities on protecting traditional culture in a broad sense. To date, out of the eight Pacific countries participating in the survey, five countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Palau, and Vanuatu) are drafting laws on the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of culture. Furthermore, in terms of technical terminology, the Pacific countries tend to use “traditional knowledge” and “expressions of culture” as equivalent terms to “intangible cultural heritage”. Pacific countries are also conducting cultural mapping projects, which is another common point that they share. Finally, the Pacific region has the highest rate of indigenous populations of any other region of the world and the highest rate of customary or traditional land ownership.\n\n- Ratified the ICH Convention in 2010; conducted survey in 2009 and updated in 2015.\n- As of March 2018, has no elements on the ICH Lists of UNESCO and no accredited NGOs.

ICHCAP initiated the project Field Survey of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in the Asia-Pacific Region in 2009. The project aims to collect information on safeguarding systems and policies, ICH inventories, ICH related organizations, ICH lists, and pending issues regarding ICH safeguarding, and it aims to obtain a grasp on the current situation to discover appropriate measures to promote ICH safeguarding. This is the basic field survey report from the FSM.