At the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural and Sports Organization (UNESCO), a number of living traditions were, this year, inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

Among them, the Moroccan caftan – art, traditions, and craftsmanship was officially recognized in New Delhi, in the spotlight of the ancestral techniques and artisanal know-how passed down from generation to generation.

Haitian compas, a musical and dance genre created in the 1950s, with themes of peace, freedom, and resistance, was also honored. 

Finally, Swiss yodeling, an Alpine vocal tradition, practiced by thousands of singers and choirs, joined tens of other cultural expressions added by UNESCO. These new inscriptions point to the need to preserve and celebrate the world’s cultural diversity.