Overview
- External affairs minister S. Jaishankar opened the proceedings and read a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling intangible heritage a living, community-rooted legacy.
- Culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, UNESCO director-general Khaled El-Enany, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, and India’s UNESCO envoy Vishal V Sharma attended the ceremony.
- India staged thematic galleries and live performances at the Red Fort to showcase living traditions and the country’s 15 elements already on UNESCO’s Representative List.
- Chairing the session, Vishal V Sharma outlined an agenda that includes assessing new nominations, reviewing listed elements’ status, and considering requests for international assistance.
- The Red Fort complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is closed to visitors from December 5 to 14 as the six-day meeting hosts delegates from across the world.