Bulgaria elected to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee

The General Assembly of the States Parties to the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage overwhelmingly supported Bulgaria’s election as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2026–2030 period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. The vote was held in Paris during the 11th session of the assembly, with Bulgaria receiving the highest number of votes among the candidates from its region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Bulgaria has traditionally been among UNESCO’s active participants. Thanks to the country’s consistent efforts, Bulgarian traditions and cultural practices such as Nestinarstvo (fire dancing), Surva, Martenitsa, and the Koprivshtitsa Folk Festival have been added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Bulgaria also hosts the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Southeastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov