Kiri

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, Place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France

T: +33 (0)1 45 68 01 78

Dear Ambassador, I am writing to invite your country to submit a report on the status of ‘Building and use of expanded dugout boats in the Soomaa region’ within the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. According to paragraphs 160 to 166 of the Operational Directives for the 2003 Convention, each State Party to the Convention shall submit to the Committee (in the fourth year following the year in which the element was inscribed, and every fourth year thereafter) reports on the status of elements of intangible cultural heritage present in its territory that have been inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. As the element in question was inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List in 2021, your country’s first report is due to be examined by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at its twenty-first session in November/December 2026 and is therefore expected to be submitted to the Secretariat by 15 December 2025 at the latest. The report should be prepared in English or French, using the Form ICH- 11. States are encouraged to use the online interface developed by the Secretariat. To make use of this online tool, please provide us with the name and e-mail address of the person in charge of coordinating the preparation of the report by writing to [email protected]. The Secretariat will contact that person to explain the practical steps to be followed and provide her/him with a code to access the online platform. To facilitate the preparation of your report, please also find attached the word version of the reporting form. Your competent authorities are invited to pay particular attention to Decision 16.COM 8.a.2, and to ensure that the information provided in the report addresses the considerations and possible concerns that the Committee expressed in this decision.

H.E. Mr Priit Pallum Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Estonia to UNESCO Ambassade de la République d'Estonie 17, rue de la Baume 75008 Paris

23 April 2025

Ref.: CLT/LHE/25/0234900001

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Furthermore, when discussing reports on the status of elements inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List, the Committee adopted a number of decisions related to cross-cutting issues addressed to all States concerned. Your country may wish to take these into consideration when preparing its report, in particular the latest Decision 19.COM 6.a, adopted in 2024. Documents of the Committee, as well as its decisions on periodic reporting related issues from the past cycles are also available on the website of the Convention. Should your country wish to request the transfer of the element concerned from the Urgent Safeguarding List to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, please be informed that such a request should be submitted at the same time as your report, using Form ICH-02 USL to RL. For further information please do not hesitate to contact us at: ich- [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.

Yours sincerely,

Fumiko Ohinata Secretary, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Enclosure: Word version of Form ICH-11

cc: Estonian National Commission for UNESCO (UNESCO Eesti Rahvuslik Komisjon) Ms Leelo Viita, Head of the ICH Department, Estonian Centre of Folk Culture