Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2020-03-04

'Setting up of a Permanent Institutional Framework for the Conservation and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Sri Lanka'

- 'The International Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage' has been adopted in the year 2003 with a view to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage for the future generations and Sri Lanka has given its concurrence to the Convention in the year 2008. Especially, the social customs and formalities, pageants, publications, knowledge, skills, cultural spaces and the items and tools bound thereto, exist as intangible cultural heritage and Sri Lanka is bound, to safeguard these intangible cultural heritage in the face of the challenges posed by westernization, globalization, commercialization and changes, to promote them and to prepare an appropriate approach for same, in terms of the said International Convention. Since, the unavailability of a separate institute for this purpose at present has become a barrier in implementing the terms of the above Convention expeditiously and accordingly, the proposal made by the Hon. Prime Minister in his capacity as the Minister of Buddhasasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs, to establish a special unit to carry out the activities of the intangible cultural heritage, was approved by the Cabinet.