Indonesia and Four ASEAN Countries Successfully Make Kebaya as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
JAKARTA - The 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTb) of UNESCO on Wednesday in Asuncion, Paraguay officially recognized the kebaya as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on its website said that this recognition was the result of collaboration between Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand who jointly submitted the kebaya as a nomination.
The Head of the Indonesian Delegation to UNESCO, Ambassador Mohamad Oemar, welcomed this determination and called it a "celebration of the rich history of countries in Southeast Asia" and "an extraordinary representation of multiculturalism," as quoted on Friday, December 6.
The kebaya is the second Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage to be recorded in the multinational nomination category. Previously, Pantun had been designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020 at the suggestion of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay and Deputy Head of the Indonesian Delegation, Sulaiman Syarif, expressed his pride in this success.
"This achievement not only symbolizes the richness of Indonesian culture, but also strengthens solidarity and cooperation between ASEAN countries in preserving cultural heritage," he said.
On a separate occasion, the Indonesian Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, stated, "Kebaya is a cultural heritage that is a symbol of unity in Southeast Asia. This determination is a global recognition of our cultural values and a joint effort to preserve it."
To celebrate this historic achievement, the five proposing countries held a kebaya exhibition and fashion show on the sidelines of the UNESCO Committee Session.
This initiative not only promotes kebaya to the international world, but also strengthens unity and the spirit of togetherness between countries in Southeast Asia.
It is known that this determination follows the determination of Reog Ponorogo as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in the category "In Need of Urgent Safeguarding" at the UNESCO ICH Committee Session the day before.