Professor Laužikas on His New Position at Unesco: This Is a Great Responsibility to the Country

Vilnius University (VU) professor Rimvydas Laužikas became the first Lithuanian appointed to the Evaluation Commission of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The professor says that he feels a great responsibility in regards to his new duties.

Professor Laužikas is the VU lecturer, archaeologist, historian, former dean of the VU Faculty of Communication. The professor's research interests include research on intangible heritage (gastronomic heritage), heritage communication and research on the functioning of heritage in modern society.

- What does it mean to you that you were chosen as a member of the Evaluation Commission of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage?

- First of all, it means a huge responsibility for me. The Evaluation Committee has a total of 12 members. 6 of them are representatives of states and 6 are representatives of accredited organisations. So it is a big responsibility to the country that delegated you. On the other hand, the members of the Evaluation Commission must distance themselves as much as possible from the culture of their country, the region, the related area of intangible heritage, their personal interests and strive for objectivity. And this is also a big responsibility, because applications are submitted by all countries of the world.

- What will your functions be in general and what will your work look like as a member of the Evaluation Commission?

- The Evaluation Commission advises the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by presenting its opinion on which intangible heritage values should be included in the UNESCO lists, which good practices for the protection of the intangible cultural heritage should enter the UNESCO register and which should receive international support. Therefore, reading of many applications and discussions with other members of the commission await.

- What do you think it means for Lithuania that a Lithuanian was elected as one of the members of the Evaluation Commission for the first time?

- I think that every high-level international position is very important for every country. The same applies to Lithuania, because it not only increases the visibility of the country, but also shows that the country has strong experts in one or another field. On the other hand, when working in such structures, experience is accumulated, professional networks are created, which are useful when making decisions within the country or participating in other expert structures.

- How do you feel about becoming a member of the Evaluation Commission? Are you excited and eager to get started, or are you more nervous and take it as a huge responsibility?

- The second feeling (next to responsibility) would be gratitude. The election campaign was a rather long process in which a large number of people actively participated: Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to UNESCO Jolanta Balčiūnienė and the entire team of the Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Lithuania to UNESCO, the Secretariat of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and especially the Head of Cultural Programs Milda Valančiauskienė. Also the entire Lithuanian delegation at the UNESCO session in Morocco.

UNESCO is a specialised institution of the United Nations, founded in 1945 to promote cooperation between various nations in the fields of education, science, culture and communications.