Why Intangible Cultural Heritage and SDGs?
The word SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) is prevalent in various scenes in society today. It is also a principal keyword in the field of cultural heritage protection. For example, Target 4 of SDG Goal 11,“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable,” aims to “strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.” There is more. Learning about history and culture through cultural heritage is related to SDG Goal 4,“Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education,” and the utilization of cultural heitage in tourism is related to Goal 8,“Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.”
In recent years, intangible cultural heritage, often referred to as “living heritage,” has become particularly closely connected to the SDGs. This is because intangible cultural heritage is being preserved by people living in the present, including those who have inherited traditional skills and techniques and members of local communities, and achieving the SDGs is essential for the sustainable continuation of their efforts.
In 2024, the form for nominating an element to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity has changed, and the revised form includes a section for “contribution to sustainable development.” In other words, UNESCO now requires an explanation of how a nominated intangible cultural heritage would contribute to such goals as quality education and gender equality if inscribed on the Representative List. This change highlights a growing expectation of the role of intangible cultural heritage in achieving the SDGs.
With this in mind, we at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties wish to take this occasion to reflect on the surveys and research of intangible cultural heritage we have conducted to date from the perspective of the SDGs.
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