Indonesia advances as candidate for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has nominated itself as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage UNESCO for the 2026-2030 period. The nomination was presented at the 224th UNESCO Executive Board session in Paris on Thursday (23/4) local time, as part of efforts to strengthen global cultural diplomacy. Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon directly outlined Indonesia’s vision and priorities through the Living Heritage, Shared Future platform before around 300 delegates from member states and the UNESCO secretariat. In his presentation, Fadli reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening community-based protection of intangible cultural heritage, promoting equitable cooperation, and expanding access to international support for developing countries. Additionally, Indonesia proposed the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Center for Community-Based Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre to be located in Indonesia. The proposal aims to enhance the Asia-Pacific region’s capacity in cultural preservation, knowledge exchange, and inter-country cooperation. The government views this nomination as an opportunity to strengthen Indonesia’s position in global cultural policy while garnering support from UNESCO member states. The Indonesian delegation at the event was also attended by Director General of Diplomacy, Promotion, and Cultural Cooperation Endah T.D. Retnoastuti, Director of Diplomacy Raden Usman Effendi, and Head of Museums and Cultural Heritage Esti Nurjadin. Indonesia’s active participation in UNESCO is expected to increase support for the nomination and underscore Indonesia’s role in multilateral cooperation in the field of culture.