The Convention for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as the “ICH-Convention”) and its OperationalDirectives recommend the involvement of experts of ICH in the implementation of the ICH-Convention. And indeed, many researchers in thedomains of ICH and its safeguarding from the South and the North as well as from the West and the East have come to the various meetings ofthe organs of the ICH-Convention.However those unique opportunities so far have not been utilized for involving researchers, or for discussing relevant research topics in a systematicway during or in the margin of those meetings, although well targeted research in the various domains of the ICH and its safeguarding is aprerequisite for a sound development of the ICH-Convention.Thus some experts took the initiative to organize a Forum of ICH Researchers as well as a first meeting of this Forum that in principle is to take placeas a side-event before the biannual meetings
