Jakarta: Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture has sought UNESCO cultural heritage status for Reog art from Ponorogo, East Java, Kolintang traditional musical instrument from North Sulawesi, and traditional Kebaya clothing.
“There are three cultural heritages proposed by Indonesia and these have been discussed in 2024. At the moment, we are still waiting for UNESCO’s decision,” the ministry’s assistant deputy for cultural advancement and preservation, Andre Notohamijoyo, informed during a media meeting here on Monday.
He said that the Kolintang was proposed as a cultural heritage in a joint nomination with an African musical instrument.
He added that the Kebaya was also nominated jointly with four other countries — Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and Thailand.
“We add Reog and Kolintang in this joint nomination. These three are currently Indonesia’s achievement targets at UNESCO. We hope that the decision will be made through the World Heritage Committee,” he said.
He informed that UNESCO will convene a meeting to discuss the cultural heritage proposal in August or September 2024. Thus, the heritage status of Reog, Kolintang, and Kebaya is pending the UNESCO meeting.
Earlier, two cultural heritages from Indonesia were recognized and certified by UNESCO, namely the preservation of the Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks and the healthy traditional herbal drink or jamu.
The certificate for the Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks as a world cultural heritage was issued on September 24, 2023, during the 45th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The certificate for the “Jamu Wellness Culture” as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage was issued on December 6, 2023, in Kasane, Botswana.
