The Ministry of Education and Culture Recommends 272 Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia

JAKARTA - THE MINISTRY of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) has proposed 272 intangible cultural heritage of Indonesia to be established this year. This proposal was presented during the Meeting of the Expert Team for Indonesia's Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTbI) held in Jakarta from August 19-23, 2024.

The establishment of intangible cultural heritage is an annual agenda mandated by Law Number 5 of 2017 concerning Cultural Advancement, and further regulated by Government Regulation Number 87 of 2021 regarding the implementation of this law.

The WBTbI Expert Team meeting involved 14 experts, heads of provincial and district/city cultural offices, and representatives from Cultural Preservation Centers in 23 regions of Indonesia. "The establishment of Indonesia's Intangible Cultural Heritage is part of a sustainable program that supports Cultural Advancement," said the Director General of Culture at Kemendikbudristek, Hilmar Farid, in his speech on Monday, August 19, 2024.

Meanwhile, the Director of Cultural Protection at Kemendikbudristek, Judi Wahjudin, noted that in 2024 there were 668 proposals for intangible culture from 32 provinces in Indonesia, excluding Papua and West Papua which did not submit proposals. These proposals went through several selection stages, starting from administrative selection, first-stage assessment, to second-stage assessment based on improvement results. The final stage is the third assessment, the results of which are discussed in the WBTbI Establishment Meeting by the expert team.

This five-day establishment meeting recommended 272 intangible cultures to be established as WBTbI for the year 2024 through a Decree from the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. Since 2013, a total of 1,941 WBTbI have been established as WBTbI.

Hilmar Farid also reminded the importance of preserving cultural heritage after its establishment. He emphasized that preservation is key to keeping cultural heritage alive and sustainable. "The responsibility for preserving cultural heritage does not only lie with the central and regional governments but also with communities, cultural institutions, and the wider society. Therefore, good synergy and cooperation are needed to create a sustainable cultural ecosystem," he concluded.[*]