The Convention in Sweden

Sweden ratified UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.

National organisation

For the national implementation of the Convention, Sweden has developed a national organisation focused on cooperation and the participation of civil society. This work is coordinated by the Institute for Language and Folklore (Isof). The organisation consists of five ‘expert nodes’ for five different areas (sami intangible heritage, oral traditions, handicraft, music, nature and intangible cultural heritage). Each node consists of a responsible authority and a large network of different organisations, associations and non-profit organisations who collaborate to spread information about ongoing activities and safeguarding measures.

The responsible actors are:

• The Institute for Language and Folklore (Isof) External link.
• Nordiska museet External link.
• The National Swedish Handicraft Council External link.
• The Swedish National Heritage Board External link.
• The Sami Parliament External link.
• Swedish Performing Arts Agency/Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research External link.

The Inventory

The inventory is an important part of the work with the Convention. According to the Convention, the inventory should be a tool to identify, describe and disseminate knowledge of intangible cultural heritage. Sweden’s national inventory features a broad range of intangible cultural heritage in Sweden, and is continuously expanded through proposals from organisations and the general public.