On December 6, within the framework of the 12th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage being held in the Republic of Korea, a decision was made to inscribe on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity the nomination “Kochari, traditional group dance”, submitted by Armenia.

According to the experts of the UNESCO Evaluation Body, the nomination complied with all the defined criteria.

50 nominations have been submitted to the Committee by the Member States, 35 of which are considered for the inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

50 nominations have been submitted to the Committee by the Member States, 35 of which are considered for the inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Representative List includes the following elements, submitted by Armenia: “Duduk and its music” (2008), “Armenian cross-stones art. Symbolism and craftsmanship of Khachkars” (2010), “Performance of the Armenian epic of 'Daredevils of Sassoun' or 'David of Sassoun'” (2012), “Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia” (2014).

Reference. The Intergovernmental Committee is one of the main bodies of the Convention. It was established in accordance with the Article 5 of the Convention and has 24 members from six regional groups. One of the important functions of the Committee is to make a final decision regarding the nominations submitted by the Member States for the inscription on the lists defined by the Convention. Armenia was elected as a member of the Committee for the period of 2016-2020.