Abu Dhabi to host UNESCO state parties falconry expansion workshop

ABU DHABI, 9th March, 2015 (WAM) -- A dedicated workshop to extend the international falconry file featured on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity with new member state parties begins tomorrow in Abu Dhabi. The two-day workshop, organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) will bring extension hopefuls Germany, Italy, Pakistan and Kazakhstan together with representatives from the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Syria, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, France, Czech Republic, Mongolia, Korea and Spain. "This important workshop aims at updating the international falconry files, registered on UNESCO’s world intangible heritage list since 2010 following the extensive efforts led by the UAE in cooperation with ten other countries where falconry is highly regarded as a national heritage sport. Incorporating these four countries is the next logical step following the addition of Austria and Hungary in 2012, as the joint international file gives all countries that meet the requirements the chance to sign up," said Dr. Nasser Ali Al Humairi, Director of the Intangible Heritage Department at TCA Abu Dhabi. "Around thirty countries are expected to be part of the file over the next ten years, promoting the UAE’s international position and highlighting its efforts to give falconry a wider international dimension by attracting more countries to the file, which several UNESCO entities described as one of the best and most significant files of the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity," he added. "This encouraged TCA Abu Dhabi to take the initiative and combine efforts with the Sultanate of Oman to inscribe Al Taghrouda poetry and Al Ayyala traditional dance on the same list and nominate Arabian coffee, traditional Majlis and Al Harbiyah dance to be soon inscribed as coordinated files with Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar," added Dr Al Humairi. One of the UNESCO pre-requisites is to update all inscribed files with their related countries. The UAE, spearheading the falconry inscription process, holds a workshop every time a country or a group of countries are asked to enlist. The application is carefully studied according to the standards set by the UNESCO for the original file, which will then be updated in light of the new data. The workshops discuss several topics including falconry’s characteristics, means of raising awareness about its role in national heritage, the accomplishments in terms of preserving the sport, organisations and communities involved in preservation of traditions and how to best represent and document falconry on national inventory lists. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395277608287.html