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National Committee of ICH

National Committee of ICH

Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO – formation, responsibilities and operation

In 2008 the minister formed his own advisory body from representatives of the relevant administrative, professional and social organisations (Hungarian National Committee for the Intangible Cultural Heritage). As of 2012, functions of the Hungarian National Committee for the Intangible Cultural Heritage have been carried out by the ICH Expert Committee operating under the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, whose operation is regulated in Government Decree 17/2012 (II. 16) on the Hungarian National Committee of UNESCO.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Expert Committee of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO is an advisory body to the Minister responsible for Cultural Heritage. It has 22 permanent, voting members and 7 permanent members with the right of consultation. The members are delegated by institutions, organizations and ministries relevant to intangible heritage. The Committee ensures  implementation of the points of the Convention on a national level by devising measures geared toward their realization, making recommendations to the Minister for inscription of a particular element on the National Inventory, as well as for Hungarian nominations for inscription on the UNESCO Lists. The Committee also deals with questions of developing programs and education projects for achieving the points of the Convention, and for developing international cooperation and diplomatic cultural relations. The president of the Committee is nominated by the Minister responsible for education and culture, who can convene meetings of the Committee multiple times a year.


Members of the Committee are delegated by the following institutions/ organizations:

Permanent members are

a) the President of the Commission,
b) the Secretary General of the Commission;

permanent, voting members are delegated by:

a) Minister responsible for Culture (2 persons),
b) Minister responsible for Foregn Affairs (1),
c) Minsiter responsible for local government (1),
d) Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2),
e) Hungarian Academy of Arts (2),
f) Hungarian Heritage House (1),
g) National Institute for Community Culture (1),
h) Museum of Ethnography (1),
i) Hungarian Open Air Museum (1),
j) Association for European Centre for Traditional Culture (1),
k) Hungarian Association of Country House Museums (1),
l) a MANÉTA (Hungarian Folk Arts Council) (1),
m) Hungarian Rector’s Conference (2),
n) Association of Hungarian Rural Museums (1),
o) President of the Committee of the parliament responsible for culture (1);

Permanent members with the right of consultation are delegated by:

a) Minister responsible for rural development (1),
b) Minister responsible for tourism (1),
c) Minister responsible for the coordination of the church relations (1),
d) Minister responsible for the development of social relations and the relations with civil society (1)
e) Minister responsible for foreign affairs (1),
f) UN Association of Hungary (1),
g) Commissionar for Fundamental Rights (1);


Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO
Elemér Muharay Folk Art Assosiation
Assosiation of Hungarian Folk Artists
Institute of Ethnology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Kriza János Ethnographic Society
Hungarian Ethnographic Society
Museum of Ethnography
Hungarian Heritage House
National Cultural Institute