Morocco succeeded, this Wednesday, in the Republic of Paraguay, in foiling a new attempt by Algeria aimed at appropriating Moroccan intangible heritage.
According to a well-informed source Hespressthis attempt consisted of integrating an image of the traditional Moroccan caftan into a file devoted to Algerian clothing heritage. The Moroccan ambassador to UNESCO, Samir Addaher, officially contested this inclusion.
For the first time in history, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage accepted Morocco’s objection. Consequently, the incriminating photo was removed from the Algerian file, following the presentation by the Moroccan delegation of tangible evidence confirming that this image represents a Moroccan caftan.
According to information obtained by Hespressthe Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of Morocco to UNESCO, has collected detailed data on the Moroccan caftan, including information specific to the image used and of its Moroccan origin.
This decision constitutes a victory for Morocco in the preservation of its cultural rights. UNESCO claimed that the use of the image of the Moroccan caftan in the Algerian file constituted a violation of intellectual property rights. This judgment also highlights Algeria’s repeated attempts to appropriate Moroccan heritage.
The Moroccan Ministry of Culture has long been committed to the protection of national heritage, whether through UNESCO, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, or through the establishment of mechanisms such as the national label “Label Maroc”.
In this context, Morocco actively participates in the work of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage, with a delegation led by Samir Addaher, ambassador and permanent representative of Morocco to UNESCO, and Mustapha Jallouk, director of cultural heritage at the ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication.
