India will host the 20th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) at Delhi’s Red Fort from December 8–13, 2025. Over 1,000 delegates from around the world will participate. The session will focus on India’s nominations of Deepawali and Chhath Puja, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of India’s ratification of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention.
1. What is the upcoming UNESCO event that India will host?
India will host the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for the first time. It will take place at Delhi’s Red Fort in December 2025.
2. What are the dates and venue for the meeting?
The event will be held from December 8 to 13, 2025, inside the Red Fort complex in New Delhi.
3. How many delegates are expected to attend the session?
More than 1,000 delegates from various countries are expected to participate.
4. Who will chair the meeting?
The session will be chaired by Vishal V. Sharma, India’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO.
5. What is the focus of the session?
The meeting will discuss India’s two cultural nominations—Deepawali and Chhath Puja—and evaluate global nominations for inclusion in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
6. What is the significance of this session for India?
The event coincides with the 20th anniversary of India’s ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, which India joined in 2005.
7. What is meant by ‘intangible cultural heritage’?
It refers to living cultural expressions such as festivals, rituals, oral traditions, performing arts, and craftsmanship that are passed down through generations and maintained by communities.
8. How is this different from UNESCO’s World Heritage List?
The World Heritage List recognises monuments, architecture, and sites, while the Intangible Cultural Heritage List honours festivals, rituals, and community practices that represent living traditions.
9. What is the current status of India’s nominations?
India’s nomination of Deepawali has already been submitted, while the process for Chhath Puja is underway and expected to be submitted by 2027.
10. What makes intangible cultural heritage more dynamic?
It is community-driven and continuously evolving, reflecting people’s identities and traditions—unlike monuments, which are static and require physical conservation.
11. How many Indian elements are currently on UNESCO’s Representative List?
India currently has 15 elements inscribed on the list:
12. What does India’s nomination describe Deepawali as?
It presents Deepawali (Diwali) as a festival of light symbolising the triumph of virtue over vice and light over darkness—celebrating renewal, abundance, and social unity rather than being limited to religious significance.
13. What message does Deepawali convey according to India’s nomination?
Deepawali represents not only the victory of light over darkness but also the return of righteous leadership and the promotion of good governance and harmony.
14. When will UNESCO announce its recommendation on Deepawali’s inscription?
UNESCO’s advisory body is expected to announce its decision around November 10, 2025.
15. Why is India’s hosting of this panel important?
It strengthens India’s cultural diplomacy, reinforces its role as a guardian of living traditions, and showcases its cultural diversity on the global stage.
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