Nearly an hour and a half—that's the incredibly long time devoted to examining Morocco's nomination for inscription,"The Moroccan Caftan: Traditions, Art and Know-How," during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, on December 10, 2025, in New Delhi. While the examination of the 34 previous nominations took barely ten minutes each, with no amendments required, Morocco's nomination unsurprisingly provoked a last-ditch maneuver by the Algerian delegation to prevent its inscription, politicizing a nomination that should not be politicized. This is a move that Morocco has consistently denounced, repeatedly highlighting this instrumentalization of culture by a regime determined to use every means at its disposal in its all-out war against Morocco, even if it means transforming UNESCO into a political arena.

When propaganda chooses the wrong platform

On Wednesday, December 10, the Intergovernmental Committee and its members watched, stunned, as this maneuver unfolded, which ultimately resulted, after 1 hour and 30 minutes of debate, in the inclusion of Morocco's dossier on the representative list of intangible cultural heritage.

Around 11 a.m. this morning, the nomination was submitted by UNESCO's evaluation body, outlining the description of the Moroccan caftan and the skills involved in its creation. The evaluation body recommends inscribing"The Moroccan caftan: arts, traditions and know-how" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The evaluation body considers that the nominations are prepared and completed in a way that best reflects the aspirations and voices of the communities, groups, and individuals concerned, and notes that the elements of intangible cultural heritage are shared by communities in the region and beyond, the evaluation body representative announced.

The decision of this body was highly anticipated, as it is customary for the Intergovernmental Committee to base its decision on whether or not to inscribe an element on this recommendation. Indeed, disregarding it would effectively discredit the work of the experts within this body. This is why Algiers chose a far more perilous strategy, not by claiming ownership of the know-how, traditions, or arts associated with the Moroccan caftan, but by attempting to denounce a procedural flaw in the Moroccan application. Thus, unable to claim ownership of Moroccan heritage in the face of a committee of experts well-versed in the matter, Algiers has undertaken to question the very functioning of the UNESCO secretariat, implicitly accusing it of not having done its job properly. It took some nerve.

The Algerian delegation, however, encountered an unforeseen obstacle. In addition to its amendment issued on December 5, 2025, another amendment was received from Paraguay, with the support of Haiti and the United Arab Emirates, and circulated on the evening of December 9. But far from aligning with the Algerian position, this second amendment undermined Algeria's strategy of opposing the Moroccan proposal.

When Algeria's amendment clashes with UNESCO regulations

It wasn't his wrestling diplomat, Abdennour Khelifi, who was entrusted with defending the amendment put forward by Algeria. A judicious choice, to say the least, given that he had thoroughly ridiculed his country the previous day by attempting a power grab that fizzled out. Therefore, it was another member of the delegation who defended the Algerian position, speaking on behalf of his country, which is very proud to have significantly participated in drafting this convention, presented as a unique multilateral framework, a country that is also very proud to have ratified this convention as the first state in the world. Algeria, which, according to its ambassador in Washington, was also the first country to recognize the United States of America, is thus considered the founding father of the 2003 UNESCO convention. We've truly heard it all.

In his address, the Algerian expert focused on presenting the amendment submitted against the Moroccan application. Among other grievances, which call into question not only the competence of the UNESCO secretariat but also its integrity, as well as that of the evaluation body, the Algerian delegation, invoking the principle of rigor to which it is committed, criticizes the numerous irregularities in the Moroccan application. Its repeated online posting, missed deadlines, last-minute modifications, and even non-compliance with the convention's procedures—everything is cited. It would seem that Morocco is free to flout UNESCO's regulations and that the organization indulges its every whim.

And the Algerian regime, playing its beloved victim card, lamented that its concerns, submitted beforehand, had not been communicated to the other committee members. To this lengthy litany, in which the regime's usual rhetoric and acute conspiracy theories were evident, the secretariat took the time to respond for over twenty minutes, knowing that this same discussion had already monopolized a significant portion of the previous day's proceedings without Algeria agreeing to withdraw its amendment. Point by point, the Algerian delegation's arguments were thus dismantled, supported by evidence, dates, and procedures, in order to shed full light on a transparent matter that Algiers stubbornly tries to discredit. Move along, nothing to see here! That's the gist of the secretariat's explanation, which demonstrated its rigor, integrity, and exceptional competence in handling the applications received.

But as misfortune never comes alone, Algeria, after having run up against the wall of UNESCO regulations which it tried to undermine with lies, has this time suffered an unprecedented diplomatic setback in the history of UNESCO.

Algeria, the first member country of UNESCO's intergovernmental committee to be disavowed by its peers

Indeed, the amendment from Algiers clashed with the one submitted the previous evening by Paraguay, and supported by Haiti and the United Arab Emirates. Thus, the three countries initiated a series of confrontations with the Algerian delegation by recalling, through the Paraguayan representative, the spirit of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The element presented by Morocco stands out for its strength and coherence, and deserves to be inscribed. According to the evaluation body, the nomination convincingly demonstrates that the Moroccan caftan constitutes a living heritage of the Moroccan people, transmitted, cultivated, and preserved by the communities that hold it and that guarantee the vitality of this heritage. Paraguay emphasizes that it is important for the inscription to highlight the specific nature of Moroccan heritage, allowing for its international visibility and continuity, and it should not be forgotten that we are thereby inscribing it on the Representative List, she declared.

Following suit, all member countries of the committee expressed their support not only for Paraguay's amendment but also for the inclusion of the Moroccan caftan on the representative list. This was the case for Spain, which reiterated that the decisions of the evaluation body must be accepted and that, considering its decision and all the information available to it and presented by the secretariat, Spain believes this item should be included.

The Algerian delegation then watched helplessly as a veritable torrent of reactions against its amendment unfolded. After Spain, Zambia spoke in support of Paraguay's amendment and the inscription of the Moroccan caftan. Next came the Haitian delegation, whose representative did not mince words. Recalling that Morocco's dossier met the five criteria required for inscription, she emphasized that the committee's debates must remain strictly cultural and free from any attempt to dilute or politically reinterpret the proposed elements. She called for the full recognition of the unique character of the Moroccan caftan. Not just any caftan, but the Moroccan caftan as presented by the State that is its historical custodian. The Dominican Republic, the United Arab Emirates, and Burkina Faso then intervened in quick succession, with the latter's representative calling for a consensus that would avoid discrediting the institutions that we ourselves have established.

Seven members expressed their support for Paraguay's amendment and the inclusion of this element, recalled the Committee Chair, Vishal V. Sharma, who is also India's Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. At this point, I turn to Algeria: would you be willing to withdraw your amendment after hearing from the seven Member States that have spoken? he asked the Algerian delegation. But this shows a lack of understanding of this country, ruled by an irrational regime, which, despite this stinging defeat, requested that discussions be organized and that other delegations be heard on both amendments.

The obstinacy of the Algerian delegation

“I understand your request for a discussion; however, I cannot compel any Member State to speak,” the President reminded them. Bangladesh, however, did not hesitate to press the point by summarizing the facts and noting the committee’s consensus. “This committee must evaluate a case objectively and not adopt a subjective analysis. Here, we are talking about the Moroccan caftan. Our decision must be based on the convention, and we must exercise the utmost caution and rigor when making a decision so as not to undermine the convention,” the Bangladeshi representative stated, calling for respect for the evaluation body’s decision and adherence to the spirit of the convention.

Nigeria then took the floor to express its commitment to the spirit of the convention and reiterated its respect for the evaluation body. We must ensure that the decisions taken here are based on objectivity and reflect a majority view. We believe this matter deserves a positive opinion from the committee. We believe that allowing a precedent to be set that suggests we lack sufficient confidence in ourselves or in the evaluation body would be detrimental.

France then also spoke out in favour of the inscription of the Moroccan caftan, calling on Algeria to withdraw its amendment and to accept Morocco's proposal to change the term relating to shared elements by the term disseminated in article 4 of the secretariat's proposal.

In response, Algeria, although completely isolated within a committee of which it is a member, once again refused to answer the question, to withdraw its amendment and called for further informal discussions with member countries in order to find a consensus, while at the same time denouncing a threshold of tolerance which creates discrimination between States.

The dossier concerning this caftan raises irregularities that compel us to reflect. Where is this committee headed if we continue to be so tolerant? the Algerian speaker exclaimed shamelessly. Is it possible to discuss with the delegations that have submitted amendments to try to find a solution that also takes our concerns into account? she insisted, provoking the exasperation of the president, who refused to agree, explaining that he had devoted sufficient time to consultations and called for moving forward to examine the other applications.

I believe that Algeria's proposal is the furthest removed in substance from the original proposal, which recommends including the element, he declared, calling on member states to express their views on whether or not to accept the Algerian amendment, before being interrupted again by a statement from Algeria, which this time declared that it did not understand the approach or what was being asked. We wish to have a discussion with France, the speaker requested, believing that it could obtain a different kind of consensus in its favor with France, which had suddenly become a possible ally. How ironic for a country that stubbornly refuses outstretched hands and chooses escalation in its relations with others to suddenly realize what diplomacy is for! “And I wanted to go see the Taj Mahal myself, this magnificent monument, but I have to move forward with this draft decision,” the president retorted ironically, clearly at his wit's end. This exasperation was shared by the United Arab Emirates, who then asked to be given the floor to Morocco.

The final snub delivered by Morocco to Algeria

Invited to comment on the alleged irregularities in the Moroccan application, Samir Addahre, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to UNESCO, set the record straight. “I would like to support the clarifications provided by the Secretariat, which are perfectly clear, except for those who refuse to listen,” he began, adding that Professor Skounti, who was with him, was one of the drafters of the 2003 Convention. “Therefore, we are also founding fathers of this Convention.” This clarification was directed at the Algerian delegation, which is practically claiming to be its author. Finally, he added, “I believe this is a sad day, as the values that unite us are unfortunately being trampled upon by this action of the State Party contesting Morocco’s inscription.” The Moroccan ambassador reminded everyone that what is presented in this dossier is done on behalf of the communities and the people, not on behalf of the governments. We have all always fought to banish politicization, which is a scourge for this convention and this organization, and I humbly ask the honorable members of the committee to bear in mind the unfortunately prevailing context today, which is the main motivation behind the State's action in contesting the inclusion of a dossier that has been positively evaluated and recommended for registration.

With France again calling on Algeria to withdraw its amendment, the Algerian delegation this time delivered its verdict, forced and compelled by a unanimous committee."Unfortunately, the person responsible for this situation is the one who caused the irregularities. Once again, we are here to raise them and to prevent them from happening again in the future," the Algerian speaker responded in a final, futile jab at Morocco, before raising yet another question, pushing the absurdity to the point of asking for further explanation of the proposed text.

Breathless, the president was finally able to get an answer to his question: Mr. President, I am delighted to announce that we join the consensus if that is the wish of the committee.

The Moroccan ambassador said it was a sad day, but dear brother, rest assured, before the day is out, you will be a happy man, I hope, God willing, the president then said to Samir Addahre before inviting the committee to deliberate and accept the draft decision in its entirety. And so it was done. The end of a bad movie that had gone on far too long.

Morocco's reminder of the rules in the face of a dangerous situation that must not be repeated

The Moroccan ambassador finally expressed his gratitude to the assembly, sharing Morocco's joy at the caftan's inclusion on the Representative List. This traditional garment, an essential marker of Moroccan cultural identity, embodies the history of an ancestral sartorial heritage of the Moroccan nation, its ingenuity, and the creative inspiration of its craftsmanship, he began in the preamble to his speech, adding that this inscription does justice to the indigenous Moroccan communities, representing the different regions of Morocco, who have carried these skills, deeply ingrained in their bodies and hearts, for 13 centuries.

Each silk thread, each bead, each touch of embroidery reflects a part of ourselves, of our memory and our traditions, recalled Samir Addahre, insisting that our convention cannot in any way be instrumentalized for purposes of cultural usurpation or political instrumentalization in view of what he calls a first in the history of the committee, namely the objection fueled by hostility on the part of Algeria towards an element positively evaluated by the evaluation body. And to invite the committee to reflect on the consequences of such actions on the image and credibility of our organization, given that the nobility of the values carried by our convention essentially aims at bringing people closer together through their living heritage and must in no way become an instrument that navigates tensions or conflicts affecting the cultural sovereignty of our societies or harming their historical and civilizational attributes.

And to conclude with powerful words that testify to Morocco's attachment to its heritage: By wearing, celebrating, and promoting the Moroccan caftan, we are not only transmitting an aesthetic, but also a history, a culture, and a sense of pride. We are sharing with the world what Morocco holds most precious: its soul. Long live the Moroccan caftan, long live Moroccan craftsmanship, and may this elegance that makes our country shine endure from generation to generation!