15
At the same time, increasing awareness of the
importance of oral expressions and traditions such
as dance, music, celebrations, ceremonies and
handmade creations raises a plethora of questions
- both on a theoretical and a practical level -
regarding the procedures followed to identify,
record, safeguard andpromote ICH, the role played
today by international organisations, governments,
experts and communities in producing, protecting,
maintaining and recreating the ICH; its touristic
and commercial exploitation, its authenticity
and standardisation issues, cultural exchanges,
diversification and evolution, copyright laws, but
also as to how we share knowledge and skills that
have been transmitted orally from one generation
to the next.
Cyprus ratified the UNESCO Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
in 2006, making specific commitments in terms of
implementing it. As part of these commitments, it
has so far inscribed threeelementson theUNESCO
Lefkaritiko Embroidery Lace, Modi and Modulations Exhibition, Artist
Anastasia Lampaski-Onisiforou © 2015, CyNatComN.Louca
“Lefkaritiko sensitivity”, acrylic on wood, 30x30cm,
by Stella Karayiorgi © 2015, Cyprus National
Commission for UNESCO
Artists Kyriacos Theocharou and Constantinos Pseftodiakos during the group training that took place at the Lefkara Handicrafts
Centre, © 2015, Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO
