and 2005, designated a total of 90 forms of intangible heritage around the world as Masterpieces: Current status The increasing number of candidature files received and number of Masterpieces proclaimed every two years meant that UNESCO's goal of raising awareness on the importance of the protection of intangible heritage has been achieved. The rise in the number of participating member states led to the 2003 adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which took effect in 2008. The standard-setting instrument was meant to complement the 1972 World Heritage Convention in its protection of intangible culture. Following the successful example of the World Heritage Convention's World Heritage List program, UNESCO established the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This superseded the Proclamation program when the Convention took effect in 2008. All the 90 previously proclaimed Masterpieces, which would be called elements, were featured as the first entries on the new List. The process for designating an element for the list follows similar steps as the Proclamation. The former role of the jury was supplanted by a new body known as the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In addition, UNESCO established a separate program, identifying elements for the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, to highlight elements at risk despite the efforts of the local community to preserve and protect it, as a result of which it cannot be expected to survive without immediate safeguarding. It also established a fund to provide emergency assistance for the preservation of such elements. In 2003, UNESCO drafted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which provides an international framework, source of funding, and strategic overview for the further identification and protection of these masterpieces and other intangible cultural heritages. The Convention went into force on 2006, and has since been approved by over 130 members. References External links Defending Threatened Cultures by Juan Goytisolo, Chairman of the International Jury for the 2001 Proclamation Dédalo Project. Open Software for Management of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Oral History Traditions UNESCO Cultural heritage Traditional knowledge pt:Patrimônio Oral e Imaterial da Humanidade