On September 5, Suriname became the 175th State to join the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage bringing the convention close to attaining universal ratification. This important step has been reached following an increased number of ratifications over the past two years, including by Cabo Verde, Cook Islands, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ireland, Malta, Saint Kitts and Nevis, South Sudan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu.

As States Parties to the Convention, these countries are now part of a worldwide international network promoting the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and have access to the different mechanisms of the Convention supporting national authorities in this endeavor. In particular, they can apply for inscription on the lists , share good safeguarding practices, and receive financial support from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund through International Assistance.

It is worth noting that, in some cases, the ratification is part of an intense process of capacity-building by the State in the field of intangible cultural heritage. This was the case for Suriname, which benefitted from the recently completed three-year project ‘Strengthening the capacities of Suriname and Dutch Caribbean islands for implementing the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage’ supported by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund thanks to the Government of the Netherlands.