Highlights of the ENFP Network Meeting – 14 May 2025

On 14 May 2025, the European Network of Focal Points for the 2003 Convention (ENFP) held its first general network meeting of the year! The gathering brought together focal points, facilitators, and experts from across UNESCO Groups I and II for an engaging session focused on strategic updates, thematic discussions, and forward planning. The meeting reaffirmed the network’s dynamic role in connecting actors across Europe committed to the safeguarding of living heritage, and in strengthening their shared voice in global cultural policy discussions.

Welcoming the New Steering Committee

The meeting opened with the introduction of the newly appointed Steering Committee of the ENFP for the 2025–2027 term. The Committee is composed of:

Ioana Baskerville (Romania – Focal point),
Hildegunn Bjørgen (Norway – Focal point),
Phil Foxwood (United Kingdom – Focal point),
Leena Marsio (Finland – Focal point),
Jorijn Neyrinck (Belgium – Facilitator),
Nikolai Vukov (Bulgaria – Facilitator).

This team brings together a balanced mix of continuity and renewal. Some of the members have been actively involved in the network’s development since its creation in 2020, while others are joining the committee for the first time, bringing fresh perspectives and energy.

Opening Remarks by the UNESCO Living Heritage Entity

Helena Drobna (Programme Specialist), Alessandro Martinotti (Project Officer), and Giovanni Scepi (Head of Programme Management Unit) from UNESCO’s Living Heritage Entity joined the meeting to share a comprehensive overview of recent developments under the 2003 Convention.

They looked back at 2024 and highlighted key decisions taken during the 10th General Assembly held in Paris, including updates to the Operational Directives, new mechanisms for preparatory assistance, and the accreditation of 58 new NGOs. They also presented the growing importance of thematic initiatives, such as work on climate change, economic dimensions of ICH, and upcoming efforts related to safeguarding ICH in urban contexts.

In terms of upcoming events, attention was drawn to major milestones in 2025:

Naples Conference on Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century (Naples, 4-6 June 2025): the second edition of this high-level international event, exploring practical actions that can enhance the effectiveness of heritage safeguarding at the intersection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Member States are invited to send up to three representatives, including ICH and World Heritage experts.
MONDIACULT 2025 (Barcelona, 29 September – 1 October): the next World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, positioned as a key opportunity to advance culture as a global priority.
20.COM in New Delhi (8-13 December 2025): the next session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention, where several new policy tools and pilot initiatives will be reviewed.

The Living Heritage Entity encouraged ENFP members to engage actively in these events and to continue contributing to the shared global effort to safeguard and promote living heritage.

MONDIACULT 2025

Matti Hakamäki (Finnish Folk Music Institute and ICH NGO Forum) provided an inspiring presentation on the #Culture2030Goal Campaign in preparation for MONDIACULT 2025. This global advocacy movement seeks to position culture as a stand-alone goal within the next generation of Sustainable Development Goals (often referred to as “SDG 18”).

He emphasized that culture had been overlooked in the 2015 SDG framework, and that the upcoming MONDIACULT conference is a crucial moment to avoid repeating that omission. The roadmap for the campaign includes the publication of a draft goal, a technical report, and an advocacy document by June 2025. These efforts aim to provide the foundations for integrating culture into the next United Nations development agenda post-2030.

Civil society actors, including ENFP members, are strongly encouraged to participate in this collective process. Matti highlighted the importance of combining political advocacy with strong technical expertise and noted that the Finnish campaign is supported by KULTA ry, with additional funding from the Nordic Culture Fund. A dedicated survey, website, and communication tools are already in place to mobilize contributions across sectors.

MONDIACULT 2025 thus represents both a policy-defining event and a mobilization platform—and ENFP’s engagement will be key to ensuring that intangible cultural heritage is fully reflected in the global conversation on sustainable development.

Ethical Considerations in ICH Safeguarding

Cristina Biasetto (Focal point – Austria) presented the findings of an ongoing peer learning initiative on ethics in ICH safeguarding. This work has been launched for ENFP by Cristina Biasetto, Jorijn Neyrinck (facilitator and ENFP SC) and Joanne Orr (facilitator) in response to the increasing complexity of ethical challenges faced by practitioners and stakeholders across Europe and beyond.

A questionnaire circulated earlier this year received responses from 17 network members, documenting 56 cases and identifying 75 distinct ethical issues. The recurring themes included:

Animal welfare and conflicts with nature-based practices,
Tensions between traditional heritage expressions and public policy or legal frameworks,
Concerns around informed consent, community participation, and commodification.

These findings underline a widespread demand for clearer ethical guidance, improved dialogue between stakeholders, and better clarity on the obligations linked to the 2003 Convention.

To respond to these needs, a series of thematic peer exchange events will take place throughout the second half of 2025:

8 July – Kick-off plenary meeting on ICH & Ethics + thematic breakout sessions
17 September – Focus on animal welfare and nature-based ICH questions
14 October (mind the change of date) – Dialogue, consent, commodification, and AHD (access and benefit sharing) questions
21 November – Exploring practical tools for ethical problem-solving

These sessions will create a safe space for practitioners to reflect together, share cases, and develop a deeper understanding of practical ethical dilemmas in work with living heritage.

ICH and Armed Conflicts

Hildegunn Bjørgen (Focal Point – Norway) shared insights from the April 2025 webinar on ICH and armed conflicts, organised under the umbrella of the ICH NGO Forum. The session brought attention to the dual vulnerability and resilience of intangible cultural heritage in contexts of war and crisis.

Living heritage can become a target of violence, especially when used as an identity marker, and also serve as a tool for rebuilding, healing, and community resilience. The role of civil society actors, including NGOs, was emphasised as key in safeguarding practices before, during, and after conflicts.

Participants also reflected on the importance of:

Documentation and archiving,
Supporting displaced communities in maintaining and transmitting their cultural expressions,
Strengthening the legal and operational frameworks to prevent the instrumentalization or erasure of heritage.

This topic remains highly relevant in light of recent and ongoing conflicts across the region, and the ENFP will continue to support discussion and awareness-raising in this area.

Towards a New Category 2 Centre for ICH in Europe

Jorijn Neyrinck (Facilitator – Belgium) presented the latest progress in the development of a new UNESCO Category 2 Centre for the Safeguarding of Living Heritage in Europe, hosted in Belgium.

This initiative responds to a notable geographical gap: although eight C2Cs dedicated to ICH exist globally, none are located in Electoral Group I (Western Europe and North America). The proposed Centre would serve as a regional hub for coordination, training, and knowledge-sharing related to ICH Safeguarding and the UNESCO 2003 Convention.

Key milestones include:

The establishment of a legal non-profit structure in Belgium (2024),
Formal announcement at 19.COM in Asunción by Belgium, supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and joined by other State Parties,
Application to UNESCO to be submitted by 31 March 2026, with potential approval by autumn 2027 and official launch in 2028.

In the meantime, the team is already preparing activities for 2025–2027, including stakeholder consultations and programme development. ENFP members are invited to participate in an online survey to share ideas and priorities for the Centre, and to attend a dedicated consultation meeting on 24 June 2025 – 2.30pm (CET).

Survey Results & Future Planning

To better understand the needs and expectations of its members, the ENFP Steering Committee launched a survey in March–April 2025. The goal was to gather input on preferred working methods, communication tools, and priority topics for the years ahead.

The results indicate a strong interest in several thematic areas, with the most frequently cited being:

Artificial Intelligence and Intangible Cultural Heritage,
MONDIACULT 2025,
ICH in urban contexts,
Cultural and creative industries,
ICH in disaster and crisis situations,
Indigenous peoples and minorities.

In terms of preferred formats, respondents favoured short online meetings, capacity-building webinars, and peer exchange sessions. There was also growing support for more structured forms of collaboration, such as small working groups on specific issues.

When asked about communication platforms, LinkedIn emerged as the most popular option (70%), followed by Facebook (30%), while TikTok and Instagram were marginally mentioned. These insights will inform how ENFP continues to share information and engage its members moving forward.

These types of surveys are designed not only to map current interests but to ensure that the ENFP’s programming remains responsive, inclusive, and aligned with the evolving landscape of ICH safeguarding. The SC warmly invites everyone to remain engaged, contribute actively, and help shape the network as a collaborative platform for exchange and mutual learning. Building on the insights gathered through the survey and the discussions held during the meeting, the Steering Committee will now work to develop concrete responses and initiatives that reflect the network’s shared priorities and expectations.

Newsletters

At the end of the network meeting Nikolai Vukov (Facilitator – Bulgaria) made an overview of the recent developments of the ENFP Newsletter, specifically of its recent issue n°8. On behalf of the ENFP editing team, words of gratitude were extended to all the contributors to the Newsletter issues whose input with news and information pieces added helped reflect the richness of ICH safeguarding activities across Europe. The next issue of the Newsletter will be prepared in June and will be spread around at the beginning of the summer.

The next ENFP network meeting will take place online on 5 November 2025 (10-12 am CET). Further details and the agenda will be shared in the coming months. We look forward to continuing this collaborative journey with all of you!

More info:

New ENFP Steering Committee elected (2025-2027)

A view from ENFP at the 19th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee

ENFP meeting at the 10th UNESCO General Assembly

Highlights of the 10th session of the UNESCO 2003 Convention’s General Assembly