The Embassy of India in Belgrade is pleased to announce that India has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural heritage for the term 2014-2018, the election to which took place during the 5th General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held from 2 to 5 June 2014 in Paris, France.

The Embassy of India sincerely thanks the Government of Serbia for its support in favour of the candidature of India.

With a vast intangible cultural heritage, the cultural milieu of India provides a breathtaking ensemble for unique cultural experiences. What sets the Indian experience apart is the fact that underneath this diversity lies the continuity of Indian civilization and social structure from the very earliest times until the present day. India has been providing strong support and encouragement to UNESCO's action in the field of safeguarding Intangible Cultural heritage. India strongly supports this Convention and believes it to be a manifestation of growing-concern about the fate of the intangible elements of cultural heritage: language, stories, art styles, music, dance and religious beliefs-those aspects of culture not directly embodied in material things.

In its quest to defend the intangible, India builds on its longstanding interest in protecting the world's cultural and artistic treasures. India has a well-developed network comprising both the Government as well as the Non-Government sector, including Research Institutes, Living Museums and Repositories that are actively engaged in the protection of intangible cultural heritage. India has a vast pool of experts on matters relating to protection and safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and has been bilaterally providing assistance to many member States. Over the years India has built up a vast repository of knowledge and expertise in this field. India believes it is in a position to share its experience with the rest of the world, especially with other developing nations.

India considers the work of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to be of great importance and believes that it can play a significant role on the Committee. As a multi-cultural, multi-religious democracy of over 1 billion people, India believes it has a stake in shaping the contours of policy to help promote safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In Belgrade
5 June 2014