Sharjah 24: The Sharjah Institute for Arabic Heritage, in the presence of Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH), has launched the most recent training workshop for employees of the International Centre for Capacity Building in the field of intangible cultural heritage in the Arab region. The session runs online for five days, from May 6th to May 10th.

The workshop was attended by Rasul Samadov and Juan Luis González from the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Latin America's Intangible Cultural Heritage (CRESPIAL), as well as Chee Kuan from the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region. Hani Al Hayajneh and Ibtisam Al Wahabi also participated. The programme addressed a wide range of academic and practical topics that were important to the participants.

Dr Al Musallam goes on to say, "This training workshop reaffirms the importance and necessity of continuing work in this vital field in the heritage world, within the institute's plan and agenda as a regional capacity-building centre, and based on the unlimited support the institute receives from His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah."

Aisha Al-Hussan Al Shamsi, Director of the Arab Heritage Centre of the Institute, stated, "This workshop is one of the training workshops implemented by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage as a Category II centre in building the capacities of workers in accordance with the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage." Participants in the programme will learn about the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, its areas, and key categories.

The workshop included discussions about the institute's experience, an introduction to the fundamental ideas of the 2003 Convention and its national implementation, as well as how to protect intangible cultural assets and their relevance to sustainable development. We also looked at the success stories from UNESCO's framework for Category II institutions and centres, its capacity-building programme, and the way the CAP programme is run in the Arab region, among other things that have to do with intangible cultural assets.

The Capacity Building Centre for the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage is a UNESCO-affiliated organisation that implements short- and long-term programmes and activities to create capabilities in the field of preserving cultural heritage. These programmes are based on the organisation's own programme, which ensures successful implementation of the 2003 Convention while also adapting capacity-building materials and data to the regional context and translating them into Arabic.