SINGAPORE: Singapore has nominated its hawker culture for inscription as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The nomination documents were jointly submitted by the National Heritage Board (NHB), National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Federation of Merchants’ Association, Singapore (FMAS), said representatives of the organisations on Thursday (Mar 28) during a media briefing.
Advertisement“The submission of the nominated documents is a milestone in Singapore’s UNESCO inscription journey to better recognise and protect our intangible cultural heritage,” a statement from the three organisations said.
“A successful nomination will demonstrate greater appreciation for our hawkers, and show our commitment as a nation to safeguard hawker culture for generations to come,” it added.
The documents submitted to UNESCO will be available for viewing on UNESCO’s website and the three agencies' websites by July.
The bid includes letters and videos showing community support for the nomination, photographs contributed by Singaporeans and entries to the #OurHawkerCulture photography contest, and a 10-minute video to provide a better understanding of the country's hawker culture.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe nomination will be evaluated by six UNESCO experts qualified in various fields of intangible cultural heritage and six representatives of accredited non-governmental organisations.
They will evaluate Singapore’s bid based on five criteria, such as how it meets UNESCO’s definition of intangible cultural heritage and how existing and future safeguarding measures ensure the promotion, transmission and continued practice of the hawker culture.
A decision on the nomination will be made by end-2020. Currently, 429 items are on the intangible cultural heritage of humanity list.
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