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THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE
UNESCO INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
ON ITS 20th ANNIVERSARY

The historic research paper written in october 2023 reflects on two decades of development in the protection of intangible heritage, with a particular focus on its global distribution.

For many years, UNESCO has been criticised for promoting a narrow understanding of cultural heritage; one that overemphasises Europe, historic towns, religious buildings (particularly Christian), and so-called “elitist” architecture. This approach has often overlooked living cultures, ethnographic and archaeological landscapes, and broader forms of human activity that hold value. In response, the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was introduced as a counterpoint, aiming to recognise and prioritise non-Western cultural expressions and practices.

Twenty years later, this research investigates whether the convention has succeeded in fostering a more geographically diverse representation within the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.



From a spatial design perspective, intangible cultural practices do not adhere to national borders. They are dynamic, continuously evolving, and often spread through migration, where they interact with other traditions and give rise to new hybrid forms. However, the current UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list is organised by physical location, which introduces a structural bias that does not reflect the fluid nature of culture.



Using a range of digital analytical tools to examine the present geographical distribution, and drawing on Peter Straser’s 2022 study on UNESCO World Heritage as a comparative reference, the research concludes that the Intangible Cultural Heritage list remains significantly Eurocentric.



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This paper was written at Erasmus University Rotterdam within the Applied History programme, under the supervision of Prof. Ralf Futselaar and Peter van den Heede.