The Minister of Culture, Youth and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, affirmed that the bill relating to the protection of heritage aims to preserve all types of Moroccan heritage from attempts at foreign appropriation. This new law responds to a real need to protect the ancestral know-how of Moroccan artisans as well as Moroccan identity.
To ensure the preservation of Moroccan heritage, whether tangible or intangible, Morocco seems to be taking legal steps to protect these emblems of culture and the rich 13th century history of the Kingdom.
Thus, the Minister of Culture indicated before the House of Representatives that one of the objectives of Bill No. 33.22 will be to protect these national treasures from attempts at cultural appropriation.
This echoes a growing trend noticed in recent years where we find the characteristics that differentiate Morocco from other countries in international fairs of other countries, or presented in front of the media as having other origins.
Moroccan Internet users and Moroccans abroad have become ambassadors of their culture which they defend with great passion, not allowing their heritage to be “stolen” by other States.
This trend observed in recent years has affected several aspects of Moroccan heritage, including gastronomy, architecture, clothing, jewelry, art, traditions including those relating to wedding celebrations, etc.
During the presentation of the contents of the bill before the Committee on Education, Culture and Communication, the minister stressed that this text aims, among other things, to protect Moroccan cultural heritage, to preserve it and to promote it. , in order to fill the legal void in the current texts and to respect Morocco’s commitments to international conventions, in particular the 2003 Convention concerning the safeguarding of tangible heritage.
He underlined in this regard that the possible inclusion of the Moroccan caftan in UNESCO’s intangible heritage under the name of another country constitutes a concrete example of attempts at cultural appropriation which target Morocco, just like the Moroccan zellige.
He recalled that the royal message stipulates that with the entry into force of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the protection and promotion of this heritage constitutes a major challenge in international relations, requiring us to fight against attempts illegal appropriation of the cultural and civilizational heritage of other countries. The royal message also affirmed that, faithful to its commitment to the promotion of intangible cultural heritage, Morocco plays an important role in its protection by strengthening its legal framework and actively participating in the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage. safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
The bill does not stop there, it encompasses several notions relating to the preservation of Moroccan heritage. This involves introducing a new definition of national cultural heritage and the classification of its different categories, adapted to the concepts defined by international conventions ratified by Morocco and to the definitions appearing in the most important global legislation on cultural heritage. , taking into account the skills of each ministerial sector.
The text also focuses on different types of cultural heritage such as underwater cultural heritage, natural and geological heritage, historical and architectural cultural heritage, etc. At the same time, he underlines the need to digitize these heritages to keep a digital trace of them while fighting against illegal trafficking of cultural goods.
Regarding sanctions, the bill provides for severe penalties to limit violations, in order to strengthen the legal protection of cultural heritage. It defines the procedures for the protection of cultural heritage, including inscription on the world heritage list, classification among historic monuments, a protection process based on shared responsibility between the owners of these elements and the administration for them. preserve, and registration in the national inventory register, which constitutes a database where heritage elements are listed.
