The eighteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Convention 2003 of UNESCO was opened at the Cresta Mowana Resort in Kasane, Republic of Botswana on 5 December 2023.

The session will be chaired by H.E. Mr. Mustak Murad, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Botswana to UNESCO.

An information and information exchange meeting was held on 2 October 2023 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris to present the working methods of the Committee as well as practical information about this session.

The agenda of the ICH NGO FORUM at 18.COM is about moving forward with state and non-state interested parties teamwork beyond the 20th anniversary of the 2003 UNESCO Convention: Exploring the Past, Present and Future of Safeguarding Cooperation between many interested parties.