International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts

The International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF, French: Conseil international des organisations de festivals de folklore et d'arts traditionnels) is an international nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Official partnership with UNESCO and is accredited to provide advisory service to the Committee of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. CIOFF has 63 full members, 21 associate members and 18 corresponding members worldwide and 3 partner members. Its headquarters are in Confolens in France. Full members are National Sections with the aim to preserve traditional art, to organize Folklore Festivals or similar activities as well as unite voluntary organizations, working in the field of dance, music, costumes, customs and ethnography. The National Sections belong to sectors in the organization according to their geographic location.^[1]

Aims of the organization are the preservation, promotion, and dissemination of traditional art and Folklore.^[1]

Each year more than 350 Folklore Festivals organized by CIOFF take place worldwide ^[1] Every 4 years CIOFF world organization is holding Folkloriada. This is a major festival where all members of CIOFF are invited to send Folklore Groups from their countries to show the diversity of Folklore. CIOFF has organized 5 Folkloriadas. The 2020 Folkloriada is scheduled for July 18 - Aug 1 in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.^[2]

Two very important aims of CIOFF are to disseminate the ideas of the (Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions^[3] and to collaborate on the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage^[4] of the UNESCO.

The organization was founded on August 8, 1970 in Confolence in France by Henri Coursaget und 9 other people.^[1]

On July 11, 1984 CIOFF was given the category of mutual informal Relations to UNESCO (Status C). From then on CIOFF became a member of the members of the International Nongovernmental Organizations of UNESCO. In September 1990 CIOFF was upgraded to the category Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO (Status B).

• Henri Coursaget, France (1970–1989)
• Guy Landry, Canada (1989–1997)
• Kari Bergholm, Finland (1997–2005)
• Dr. Udomsak Sakmunwong, Thailand (2005–2013)
• Philippe Beaussant, France (2013–03/2022 )
• Norbert Müller, Germany (03/2022-09/2022)
• Dr. Alejandro Camacho Gonzalez, Mexico (09/2022-2023)
• Christian Hidalgo-Mazzei, Canada (2023-...)

The General Assembly (GA) is the highest organ of CIOFF. It takes place every year in one of the member countries. It is the decision-making unit, because determines of the targets and the formal guidelines of the organization’s work and makes decisions on proposals presented by the council. The GA also elects the members of the Council for a period of 4 years. The council meets twice a year.

The General Secretariat has its headquarters in Stockton on Tees in United Kingdom and is overseen by the Secretary General.

For the development of basic themes in the comprehensive field of activities of CIOFF and for advising the council and the General Assembly permanent Commissions are established. These are the Festivals Commission, the Legal Commission and the Cultural Commission.

Committees are established to deal with specific issues.

To solve temporary problems or to do work on specific projects working groups can be established.

The management bodies of CIOFF are the Executive Committee (EXCO), consisting of the President, two Vice Presidents, the Treasurer and the Secretary General and the Council consisting of the EXCO, the Chairpersons of the Commissions, the Representatives of the Sectors, the Representative to UNESCO and the Chairperson of the Youth Coordinating Committee.

African Sector: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo RDC, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Asian and the Pacific Sector: Bangladesh, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan Kingdom, Rep. of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tahiti, Thailand, Timor Leste, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uzbekistan.

Central and North European Sector: Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, United Kingdom (Currently Belarus and Russia are suspended)

Latin American and Caribbean Sector: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

North American Sector: Canada, United States of America, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

South European Sector: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Cyprus Northern Part, France, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland,

• CIOFF-World organization
• NGO at UNESCO
• CIOFF World Folkloriada 2012 in Korea