In June 2010 the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa presented the application of Fado to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO), a project created to implement an integrated safeguarding programme for the heritage of Fado.

This project’s main goal is to include Fado in the 2011 Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and this decision will be taken at the 6th meeting of the International Committee that will be held in November 2011.

This application articulates the scientific research assumptions with the effective participation of the Fado community. The safeguarding programme is based upon five fundamental fields, namely:

Involving the Civil Society through an institutional co-operation network integrating schools and universities, museums, archives, associations and clubs, and other public and private bodies holding relevant assets for the study of Fado and/or that represent the interest of Fado;

Education/Training through the implementation of Educational Programmes aiming at the effective participation and knowledge conveyance by artists, authors, musicians and musical instruments’ manufacturers;

Publication/Research through the implementation of an editorial programme of historical, musical, poetical, iconographical and sound sources, other literary publications (historical and analytical essays, testimonials, catalogues of documental sources), as well as publications of theme documentaries;

Giving new energy and new life to the traditional venues of Fado through the creation and development of Fado Theme Circuits in Lisbon, encompassing both professional and amateur Fado performing venues;

Promotion actions on Fado’s universe and culture at domestic and international level.