SINGAPORE: The kebaya has been efficiently inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This was introduced on Wednesday (December 4) at round 9.50pm Singapore time, following a gathering of the 24-member UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) in Asuncion, Paraguay, the National Heritage Board (NHB) stated in a press launch.
The inscription was witnessed by representatives of not less than 130 State Parties and non-governmental organizations accredited to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The kebaya was collectively nominated by 5 Southeast Asian nations – Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – and is Southeast Asia’s largest nomination to this point when it comes to candidate nations.
“The 5 nations collaborated for the primary time on a nomination because the kebaya celebrates our shared cultural id, promotes cross-cultural understanding and continues to be current, produced and actively worn by many communities in Southeast Asia,” NHB stated .
The nomination met all 5 analysis standards utilized by the IGC. Candidate nations had been praised for the extent of neighborhood participation at each nationwide and regional ranges in the course of the nomination course of.
They had been additionally praised for “cohesion in recognizing (the) kebaya as a unifying factor that connects totally different cultures and communities that transcend geographical boundaries,” NHB stated.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who can also be chairman of Singapore’s National Commission for UNESCO, referred to as the inscription “a milestone value celebrating”.
“For the primary time, these 5 nations have joined forces to acknowledge the kebaya as an emblem of our shared historical past and cultural id.
“In addition to recognizing its cultural significance, its inscription on the UNESCO checklist can also be a possibility to advertise cross-cultural understanding and unity in Singapore and throughout the area.”
The checklist was developed by UNESCO in 2008 and consists of intangible cultural heritage objects from totally different nations.
It seeks to lift consciousness of the significance of such practices and expressions, encourage dialogue that respects cultural range, and provides due recognition to the practices and expressions of communities all over the world.
