01395nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001653002200042653003300064653001000097653002500107653002200132653001300154100001400167700001700181245006800198856016100266300000900427520076500436                                       d10aUNESCO convention10aIntangible cultural heritage10aMusic10amusic sustainability10amusical diversity10aPOLICIES1 aA. Seeger1 aH. Schippers00aIntroduction: Approaching Music as Intangible Cultural Heritage  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85144405789&doi=10.1093%2foso%2f9780197609101.003.0001&partnerID=40&md5=2d4a68fe072924235814e72d2c619a63  a1-173 aThe 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was a major step in addressing concerns about musical diversity and vitality on a global scale; 180 nation-states have ratified the Convention to date. Many have developed policies to address the sustainability of their music practices. On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the Convention, 14 experts were invited to reflect on two decades of approaching music as Intangible Cultural Heritage. In introducing the contributions to this volume, this chapter introduces the genesis of the Convention, its most prominent features, its workings and successes, and the challenges that have arisen from using this framework to address threats to music sustainability worldwide.