UNESCO lists 47 elements including UAE’s Al Talli, traditional embroidery techniques

PARIS – UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage met in Rabat from 28 November to 3 December to inscribe 47 elements submitted by 60 countries to the Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of this Heritage, chaired by the Kingdom of Morocco, resulted in the inscription of 47 properties by participating countries, including: 4 inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, 39 There are four items on the Representative List of Cultural Heritage and the List of Good Conservation Practices.

”Congratulations to the countries that presented these proposals, the quality of the debates of the committee members, Morocco for hosting them and the 180 countries that brought the UNESCO Convention into force. This living legacy plays an important role in bringing people together and fostering peace in people’s minds,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

Al Talli in the United Arab Emirates, traditional embroidery techniques are one of the elements listed by UNESCO.

Talli is a traditional handicraft of the United Arab Emirates. Currently, the demand for Talli is highest before religious festivals (Eids) and the summer wedding season. Talli is a time-consuming craft traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. The gathering of women in houses and communities to braid Talli has social significance as it provides an opportunity for social interaction and exchange of knowledge about Talli as well as other folk tales and proverbs.

Date palms, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen and Alheda’a, oral calling The tradition of camel herds is also inscribed.

One-third of the elements included this year relate to nature and the key challenges of protecting biodiversity. Accordingly, the international community has demonstrated its determination to make environmental protection a priority in all circumstances.

A third of the new inscriptions deal with practices related to environmental protection. They often involve ancestral agricultural techniques that focus on the sustainable use of resources, as well as rituals and festivals that celebrate nature. These elements serve as a reminder that ancestral knowledge is critical to addressing the new challenges of our time, such as climate change.

The Committee also decided to provide financial assistance of US$ 305,000 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund to Malawi’s submission of conservation projects.