How to safeguard ICH?

　　Living Human Treasures are persons who possess to a high degree the knowledge and skills required for performing or re-creating specific elements of the intangible cultural heritage. The Living Human Treasures programme aims at encouraging member states to grant official recognition to talented tradition bearers and practitioners, thus contributing to the transmission of their knowledge and skills to the younger generations. States select such persons on the basis of their accomplishments and of their willingness to convey their knowledge and skills to others. The selection is also based on the value of the traditions and expressions concerned as a testimony of the human creative genius, their roots in cultural and social traditions, their representative character for a given community, as well as their risk of disappearance.

　　The establishment of a national Living Human Treasures system may also involve:
· adopting legal or regulatory provisions;
· identifying and including in one or more inventories the selected ICH elements as well as the names of their bearers;
· creating a commission of experts responsible for selecting candidates and for monitoring the implementation of the system, especially with regard to the transmission of knowledge and skills.

　　In order to facilitate the creation of new systems, UNESCO endeavours to assist member states technically or financially through its regular budget, Participation Programme and extra-budgetary contributions by member states. UNESCO offers recommended guidelines to implement Living Human Treasures systems.

　　Below are presented examples of effective Living Human Treasure systems such as those below:
· Czech Republic: "Bearers of Popular Craft Tradition";
· France: "Master of Art";
· Philippines: "Manlilikha ng Bayan";
· Republic of Korea: "Poyuja";
· Thailand: "National Artists".

　　Ⅲ. Involvement of communities, groups and individuals

　　States parties shall take the necessary measures to ensure the safeguarding of their intangible heritage; within the framework of their safeguarding activities they shall endeavor to ensure the widest possible participation of communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals, that create, maintain and transmit such heritage, and to involve them actively in its management. They shall also endeavor to promote the function of this heritage in society and to ensure recognition of, respect for and enhancement of the intangible cultural heritage in society.

　　The ITH section of UNESCO organized, in cooperation with Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU, Japan), an expert meeting on community involvement in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

　　Ⅳ. Legislation

　　The 2003 convention, which is the first binding multilateral instrument for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage, enriches and supplements existing international agreements, recommendations and resolutions concerning the cultural and natural heritage.