♦ The 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) began at the Red Fort in New Delhi on 8 December 2025.

♦ The session was chaired by Vishal V. Sharma, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO.

♦ The session concludes on 13 December. 

♦ This marks the first time India is convening the session.

♦ India has nominated Diwali – the festival of light, brotherhood, compassion, and collective celebration – as its submission for the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list this year.

♦ The event coincides with the twentieth anniversary of India’s ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

♦ The session focuses on protecting living cultural traditions recognized by communities as part of their identity, including practices, knowledge, expressions, objects, and spaces passed down through generations.

♦ Adopted on October 17, 2003, during UNESCO’s 32nd General Conference in Paris, the Convention responded to global concerns over cultural traditions, performing arts, rituals, craftsmanship, and knowledge systems being threatened by globalization, social change, and limited resources.

♦ It emphasizes the role of communities, indigenous groups, and individual practitioners in safeguarding heritage, while promoting global cooperation and awareness among younger generations.

♦ The Intergovernmental Committee advances the objectives of the 2003 Convention and ensures their effective implementation across member states.