News

UNESCO joins second consultation workshop on Krama Khmer in Siem Reap

With technical assistance from the UNESCO Phnom Penh office, a one-day workshop on Krama Khmer, was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts at the 1979 High School in Siem Reap on 17 March. Presided over by the Director of the Siem Reap Department of Culture, H.E. Mr. Siyonn Sophearith, Director General of Cultural Technics, of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, H.E. Governor of Siem Reap and Mr. Masanori Nagaoka, UNESCO Culture Programme Specialist, the workshop gathered 100 participants, including artisans and Ministry representatives.

27 March 2023

Last update:20 April 2023

Following an initial consultation workshop on Krama Khmer, organized in Banteay Meanchey province in February 2023, the second workshop sought to invite practitioners and bearers from Siem Reap, to discuss the cultural practices and expressions related to Krama Khmer, as well as concrete safeguarding measures to promote and protect the element.

The workshop focused first of all, on a roundtable discussion on existing mechanisms for the preservation and promotion of Krama Khmer, inviting members of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, and local artisans. Moderated by UNESCO, the session provided participants with the opportunity to discuss the current efforts made by the Royal Government of Cambodia and local practitioners and bearers, to safeguards Krama Khmer.

The afternoon session was then devoted to an open discussion on the cultural significance of Krama Khmer in Cambodian society, as well as opportunities to raise awareness and ensure that traditional practices and skills related to Krama Khmer are passed on to the younger generations. As a result of the workshop, and with the technical assistance of UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts strengthened their knowledge about the element and identified measures for its safeguarding.

Cambodia is currently preparing to submit the nomination dossier of Krama Khmer to the UNESCO 2003 Secretariat, for inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The workshop therefore allowed the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to gather the necessary information and inputs for finalization of the dossier and submission to UNESCO by the 31^st of March 2023.

About the 2003 Convention:

The main objective of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is to safeguard the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.

Since the ratification of the Convention by Cambodia in 2006, the UNESCO Phnom Penh office has provided technical support to the Royal Government of Cambodia, in particular the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, to promote and safeguard living heritage. This has resulted in the inscription of 6 elements on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: (2008), (2008), (2015), (2016), (2018) and , traditional martial arts in Cambodia last November 2022.

More information on the .