At the nineteenth session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asuncion, Paraguay, from December 2 to 7, the national nomination file titled ‘Tandir craftsmanship and bread baking in Azerbaijan’ was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The decision on the nomination file, which received a positive opinion against the relevant criteria by the UNESCO Evaluation Body, was announced on December 3.
Thus, the number of our elements included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has been increased to 24.
After the decision was announced, the Permanent Representative of our country to UNESCO, Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UNESCO Evaluation Body and the Intergovernmental Committee for supporting the cultural heritage of our people. He then gave the floor to Saadat Yusifova, Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan. In her speech, Deputy Minister Saadat Yusifova first thanked the Evaluation Body and the Secretariat for their positive decision. She highlighted the importance of including tandoor craftsmanship, rooted in ancient traditions, in the Representative List for the Azerbaijani people. S. Yusifova emphasized the critical importance of preserving cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations in a rapidly modernizing world. She also discussed the initiatives of the Ministry of Culture in this area, highlighting the Culture for Climate (C4C) initiative presented during COP29.
The nomination file titled Tandir craftsmanship and bread baking in Azerbaijan was submitted to UNESCO by the Ministry of Culture through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2023. Representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Permanent Representation to UNESCO, and the National Commission for UNESCO are participating in the 19th Session, where the element was inscribed. The session will continue until December 7.
