SESSION 1 Eighth Annual Meeting of the South East European Experts Network on Intangible Cultural Heritage 15-16 May 2014. Limassol, Cyprus Author: Corina Mihaescu, Scientific researcher at the National Heritage Institute DISCLAIMER The ideas and opinions expressed in the above presentations are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the documents do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city of area or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

1. Implementation of the
Convention for the Safeguarding of
Intangible Cultural Heritage
in Romania
Limassol, Cyprus, 15-16 May 2014
Eighth Annual Meeting of the South East European
Experts Network on Intangible Cultural Heritage

2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,
adopted during the 2003 General Conference of UNESCO, was also adopted in
Romania in 2005, by the Law no. 410 and ratified in 2006.
The primary goals of the Convention have been:
– to safeguard intangible cultural heritage;
– to ensure respect for the intangible cultural heritage of the
communities groups and individuals concerned;
– to raise awareness and appreciation of the importance of intangible
cultural heritage al the local, national and international levels;
– to provide for international cooperation and assistance.

3. In order to implement the goals of the Convention, in 2008 we adopted the
Law no. 26 regarding the protection of the intangible cultural heritage, which
“established the general frame work necessary to identify, to document, to
research, to protect, to promote, to revaluate, to value and revitalize the
elements on the intangible cultural heritage” (art. 1, par. 1).
The law defined the term in the Convention as “the practices, representations,
expressions, knowledge, skills - as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts
and cultural spaces, associated there with - that communities, groups and, in
some cases, individual recognized as part of their cultural heritage” (art. 2.1.).

4. The law contains rules and regulations concerning the National Commission
for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Inventory of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Living Human Treasures program.
The National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage represents a scientific body without legal personality in the
subordination of the Ministry of Culture. It is comprised by specialists
representing Romanian cultural institutions, such as the Romanian Academy,
museums and universities.

5. The National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage has been created in 2007, by the Ministry of Culture - Order no. 2203 -
and its main attributions are “the coordination of the activities of protection
and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage, developed on the basis of
the cultural politics of the Ministry of Culture” (art. 5), as well as the National
Program of Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage (art. 6).
These foresights regarding The National Commission for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage have been included in the Law no. 26/2008
regarding the protection of the intangible cultural heritage.

6. According to recommendations from UNESCO and international commitments
that Romania has part, the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage has proposed to comprise a repertory of cultural
elements that constitute the national intangible cultural heritage.
This resulted in a synthesis of all types of Romanian traditional culture as well
as the traditional culture of of Romania’s minorities .
REPERTORY

7. This synthesis was named The National Repertory of Intangible Cultural
Heritage and it is updated periodically. The National Repertory of
Intangible Cultural Heritage may be considered a central basis for concrete
actions to identify and to define the elements that have a spiritual
dominant in Romanian traditional culture.
This approach is accomplished on three different levels: elements that are
still present in community life, elements that are endangered and
elements which represent the passive fund of traditional culture.

8. First tome Inventory of Immaterial Cultural Heritage
• Chapter 1. Oral traditions and expressions / Formes de l’art du récit et expressions orales
traditionnelles
• Nicolae Constantinescu, PhD, prof., Ioana Ruxandra Fruntelată, PhD, lecturer- Universty of
Bucharest / Université de Bucarest
•
• Chapter 2. Traditional music / Musique folklorique
• Marian Lupaşcu, senior researcher, PhD – Ethnography and Folklore Inst. „Constantin Brăiloiu”
• / Institut d’ethnographie et de folklore «Constantin Brăiloiu»
•
• Chapter 3. Traditional dance / Danse folklorique
• Zamfir Dejeu, PhD, prof., Academy of Music „Gheorghe Dima”, Cluj-Napoca / Académie de
musique «Gheorghe Dima» de Cluj-Napoca
•
• Chapter 4. Children and teenagers’ games / Jeux d’enfants et d’adolescents
• Nicolae Constantinescu, PhD, prof. - University of Bucharest / Université de Bucarest
• Sabina Ispas, PhD, member of Romanian Academy / Institut d’ethnographie et de folklore
«Constantin Brăiloiu»
•
• Chapter 5. Hollidays, traditions and rituals / Fêtes, rituels et traditions
• Otilia Hedeşan, PhD, prof. - West University, Timişoara / Université de Timişoara
• Doina Işfănoni, PhD – National Village Museum „Dimitrie Gusti” / Musée national du village
«Dimitrie Gusti»
•
• Chapter 6. Traditional medicine: practices in preventing, combating and healing / Médecine
traditionnelle: pratiques de prévention, de traitement et de guérison
• Ilie Moise, PhD, prof. - University „Lucian Blaga”, Sibiu / Université «Lucian Blaga» de Sibiu
•
• Chapter 7. Traditional handicrafts / Les métiers artistiques traditionnels
• Corina Mihăescu, PhD, senior researcher - National Village Museum „Dimitrie Gusti” / Musée
national du village «Dimitrie Gusti»
• Steluta Pârâu, PhD – Ethnography and Traditional Art Museeum, Tulcea / Musée
d’ethnographie et d’art populaire de Tulcea
•
• Chapter 8. Traditional food / Cuisine traditionnelle
• Narcisa Alexandra Ştiucă, PhD, lecturer – University of Bucharest / Université de Bucarest
•
• Second tome A: Knowledge and practices concernig man, nature and the universe
• Chapter 1. Astronomy and Meteorology
• Capter 2. Earth Sciences (mythology, geology and mineralogy)
• Chapter 3. Traditional Representation of the Human Body
• Chapter 4. Ethnobotany
• Chapter 5. The Wild World (ethnozoology)

9. First tome of Repertory of the Immaterial Cultural Heritage, published in 2009,
has the following structure:
– Oral traditions and expressions/Formes de l’art du récit et expressions orales
traditionnelles
– Traditional music/Musique folklorique
– Traditional dance/Danse folklorique
– Children and teenagers’ games/Jeux d’enfants et d’adolescents
– Holidays, traditions and rituals/Fêtes, rituels et traditions
– Traditional medicine: practices in preventing, combating and healing/Médecine
traditionnelle: pratiques de prévention, de traitement et de guérison
– Traditional handicrafts/Les métiers artistiques traditionnels
– Traditional food/Cuisine traditionnelle.

10. The second tome, part A - Knowledge and practices concerning man, nature
and the universe - is ready for printing and has the following structure:
– Astronomy and Meteorology
– Earth Sciences (mythology, geology and mineralogy)
– Traditional Representation of the Human Body
– Ethnobotany
– The Wild World (ethnozoology).

11. This year, the Commission start to work the part B of the second tome of the
Repertory, regarding space and habitat as elements of intangible cultural
heritage.
Third national tome will be dedicated to minority ethnic groups living on
Romanian territory.
The Repertory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from Romania is available
online in a bilingual version (Romanian-French) on the website of the Ministry
of Culture, www.cultura.ro.

12. Thanks to the work performed by the National Commission for Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage between 2005 and 2013, Romania has now a
total of four items included in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural
Heritage - UNESCO:
– The Ritual of Căluş (in 2005, it was included on the List of the Master pieces of the
Humanity Intangible Cultural Heritage, since 2008 it is on the Representative List);
– Doina (2009, a taditional romanian lyric song);
– Techniques related to the traditional ceramics of Horezu (2012);
– Men’s Group Colindat/Christmas time ritual (2013 - file Romania - Republic of
Moldavia).
REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

20. Programs in 2013-2014
Nominations submitted for the Representative List of UNESCO
Cooperation
Trans-national
On a regional plan, Romania has collaborated with a series of states (Turkey,
Republic of Moldavia, Croatia and Serbia) for the drafting on the Spring
Holydays trans-national application: Hidrellez/St. George coordinated by
Turkey, for the entry on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural
Heritage.
The file has been submitted to UNESCO in March 2013.

21. Trans-national
Romania has initiated the drafting of a trans-national application - Mărţişorul -
together with Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of
Moldavia, for the entry on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural
Heritage.
The file has been submitted to UNESCO in March 2014.
National files
– Pilgrimage of Moisei (2013)
– Lad’s dances in Romania (2014)

26. Application files for the Representative List 2015
Some members of The National Commission for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage, together with other specialists in this field from
Romania and the Republic of Moldavia, started the drafting of Carpet Weaving
Techniques file, in order to be submitted for the registration in the
Representative List of the year 2016.

32. MONITORING OF THE REPRESENTATIVE ELEMENTS
One of the objectives pursued by the National Commission for the Safeguarding
of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is the monitoring of the elements included in
the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In monitoring projects, the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage has closely followed how traditions and good
practices are transmitted to young generation.

40. One of the conclusions resulted from the activity of the Commission was that,
during last years, a lot of special programs dedicated to the promotion of
cultural heritage have been developed, through the optinal educational school
curricula, as well as through specialised cultural projects launched by national
institutions, such as museums, the National Center for the Promotion and
Conservation of the Traditional Culture, the centers for the promotion and
conservation of the traditional culture from the counties of Romania and
several universities.

47. INVENTORY
The National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
recommends also the elements submitted in the Inventory of the living
elements of intangible cultural heritage.
According to the Law no. 26/2008 for the protection of the intangible cultural
heritage, the National Inventory is organized and administered by the National
Center of the Promotion and Conservation of the Traditional Culture, institution
subordinated to the Ministry of Culture; present day, the Center is included in
the National Institute for Patrimony.
The Inventory is available online on the web page: www.centrul-cultura-
traditionala.ro/noutăţi/inventar.

50. After the validation of the Low no. 26/2008, Romania, as state member of the
UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,
assumes to elaborate and to implement the Living Human Treasures program.
The Program, adopted by the Ministry of Culture (Order no. 2491/2009)
includes rules regarding the selection criteria used in order to accord the title
of Living Human Treasure, as well as the contents of the application, the
examination and analysis of each application file.
LIVING HUMAN TREASURES

51. Until now, Romania implemented four sessions of this program, from 2010 to
2013, and, as a result, there are 30 Living Human Treasure honorary titles that
have been awarded.
In April this year the Commission initiated the 5th session for 2014
nominalisations.
Since 2013, the 17th of October has been proclaimed the National Day for
Intangible Culture Heritage by order of the Ministry of Culture.

57. In 2013, the Romanian National Commission for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage has been represented in The International
UNESCO’s meeting such as 7th Annual Meeting of The South East
European Experts Network on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Sofia, The
Ceremony of the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention in
Skopje and also the 8th Session of The Intergovernmental Committee in
Baku.