A report on the application processes for Finland's first nominations for inscription to the UNESCO lists has been published

Finnish Heritage Agency has published a report on the application processes for Finland's first nominations to the UNESCO lists of intangible cultural heritage. The Finnish sauna tradition was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December 2020. Decisions on the Kaustinen folk fiddling tradition and the Nordic clinker boat tradition on the inscription are expected in December 2021.

The report presents the traditions nominated to the UNESCO lists and reviews the coordination and implementation of the application process from the perspective of each element and its practitioners. Steps of the process such as the involvement of communities, the networks and projects formed during the process, and the communication between stakeholders, are examined in further detail.

The purpose of the report is to deepen the understanding of current and potential applicants about nominating for UNESCO lists of ICH and to improve future processes. The report also serves as a tool for those interested in nominating for the lists. In addition, an extensive report on the application process for the Kaustinen folk fiddling tradition was published last year in Finnish.

The next opportunity to express an interest in applying for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists will be held in early 2022. It is possible to express an interest in multinational applications in which Finland is invited to participate as a partner through a continuous search (pdf in Finnish).

Download the report here in Finnish. (pdf).

Read more about the traditions and the processes on these sites:
Sauna bathing
Kaustinen fiddle playing
Building clinker boats
Sailing on traditional clinker boats
Submissions to UNESCO

More information
Leena Marsio leena.marsio@museovirasto.fi +358 29533 6017