On the eve of the examination, scheduled for December 10, of the Moroccan application for the registration of the dossier The Moroccan Caftan: art, traditions and know-how, the Algerian delegation, from the first day of the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, attempted to have the agenda of the session modified.
Thus, from the very first stage of examining the draft agenda, the Algerian representatives attempted to influence the priorities of the debates by submitting an amendment. This amendment aimed to add a new item 5.bis, exclusively dedicated to examining their request to modify the title of one of the elements already included under the Convention.
According to diplomatic sources, Algiers is indeed seeking to modify the title of the element"Women's ceremonial dress in the Grand Est region of Algeria: know-how associated with the making and adornment of the Gandoura and Melehfa," inscribed in 2024, by adding the term"caftan." In response, the Chair of the Committee, Vishal V. Sharma, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO, recalled that the Committee Bureau, meeting beforehand in accordance with established practices, had already reached a unanimous compromise addressing Algeria's concern without disrupting the structure of the work. He thus proposed maintaining item 9, dedicated to the follow-up of already inscribed elements, while beginning its examination with sub-item 9.b—which includes the requests submitted by Algeria—before proceeding to sub-item 9.a. This option was deemed consistent, since requests to modify titles fall under the monitoring mechanism, and not under the procedure for registering new elements.
This response failed to satisfy the Algerian delegation, which, for nearly 30 minutes, feigned incomprehension in an attempt to circumvent UNESCO's regulations. Refusing this compromise, the Algerian delegation insisted that member states vote directly on the amendment. Bangladesh then spoke first, emphasizing that the Bureau, composed of elected representatives of the Committee, already reflected the Committee's opinion.
The United Arab Emirates, in turn, expressed their support for the Bureau's position. Spain, joining this position, nevertheless indicated that if a vote were to be held, it should be by secret ballot, and not by a show of hands, a procedure deemed perfectly acceptable by UNESCO's legal advisor, whose consultation was requested by the representative of Bangladesh, visibly exasperated by the maneuvers of the Algerian delegation, which fooled no one.
For behind this insistence on examining this amendment under the heading of point 5.a, lies the Algerian delegation's real desire to have it examined before the Moroccan dossier,"The Moroccan Caftan: Art, Traditions and Know-How," which is listed under point 7.b.33. This initiative cannot be openly revealed before the intergovernmental committee, as this maneuver is utterly ludicrous. It essentially amounts to claiming to have registered the term"caftan" before Morocco.
Cornered, facing an unexpected vote and an increasingly unfavorable diplomatic situation, the Algerian delegation requested a recess to consult with its capital. After a brief break, generously granted, the delegation ultimately accepted the Bureau's proposal upon resuming proceedings, thus abandoning the planned vote.
The Committee then adopted the agenda as presented, with only the internal order of item 9 reversed, without any structural changes. All that for nothing.
