The National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO Begins Its Activities
The first meeting of the National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, held as part of the new cycle of activities of the specialized committees, took place on October 5, 2026, with the participation of the committee’s individual and institutional members. At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Hassan Fartousi, Secretary-General of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, welcomed the committee members and emphasized the importance of establishing this National Committee and creating the necessary conditions for Iran to accede to UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. He also provided a brief introduction to The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, the structure of its specialized committees, and the new regulations governing their activities, familiarizing members with the committee’s mission, objectives, and operational mechanisms.
Subsequently, Ms. Hadis Soraya, Acting Head of the Culture Group at The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO and Secretary of the National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity, presented an overview of the main objectives and areas of action of UNESCO’s Culture Program, as well as the programmatic priorities of the Culture Group of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO. The presentation also included a brief introduction to UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and its 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, both of which fall within the scope of the Committee’s work.
The individual and institutional members of the Committee were then introduced. Those attending the meeting emphasized the Committee’s capacity to make use of the opportunities and potential offered by these two conventions in order to foster broader interaction between national mechanisms and UNESCO’s global programs for promoting and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and cultural diversity. They also affirmed the shared foundations and close links between UNESCO’s 2005 and 2003 Conventions, recognizing them as complementary instruments in achieving this objective.
Institutional and Individual Members of the Committee
The institutional members attending the meeting included Dr. Mehdi Shafiei, Deputy Minister for Artistic Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance; Dr. Vahid Shalchi, Deputy Minister for Cultural and Social Affairs at the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; Dr. Barzin Zarghami, Deputy for Handicrafts and Traditional Arts at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts; Dr. Atousa Momeni, Head of the UNESCO-affiliated Regional Research Center for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia; and Dr. Mehdi Ahuyi, Deputy for Research at the Iranology Foundation.
The meeting was also attended in person by Dr. Seyed Ahmadreza Khezri and Dr. Soheila Mirshams Shahshahani, who had been nominated by the Secretary-General as individual members of the National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity and appointed for a two-year term by the Minister of Science, Research and Technology and the President of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO. Dr. Mohammad Hossein Papoli Yazdi, Dr. Nematollah Fazeli, and Dr. Blake also participated in the meeting online.
Election of the Executive Board of the National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity
In the final part of the meeting, elections for the Committee’s Executive Board were held in accordance with the new regulations governing the specialized committees of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO. Based on the members’ votes, Dr. Atousa Momeni was elected Chair and Dr. Barzin Zarghami Vice-Chair of the National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO. The appointment letters for the Committee’s individual members, signed by the Minister of Science, Research and Technology, were also presented to them.
The first meeting of the National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Diversity marks a step towards strengthening cooperation among scientific and research institutions, drawing on the country’s specialized capacities, expanding international engagement, promoting and more effectively implementing the 2003 Convention, and establishing a national framework for Iran’s accession to UNESCO’s 2005 Convention. By emphasizing the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, support for the diversity of cultural expressions, and the strengthening of international cooperation, these conventions offer significant opportunities to mobilize domestic capacities and connect them with UNESCO’s global programs and mechanisms. They can also pave the way for the Committee to play a more effective role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
