Anna Steiner

Challenges of implementing the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The presentation will illustrate some of the steps that Austria has taken in the last years for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage and in particular for the creation of an inventory of intangible cultural heritage. Having a federalistic political system in Austria, the provinces are important stakeholders in the implementation process. An Advisory Council has been set up for supervising the implementation consisting of representatives of the Federal Ministries involved, the provinces and experts for each of the domains of ICH as mentioned in the Convention. In order to have all domains of ICH duely represented on the national inventory Austria focuses on specific domains like « knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe », as well as » traditional craftsmanship ».