ADDIS ABABA – National efforts of inscribing Ethiopian Epiphany (Timket) Festivity on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage List have reached at final stage , Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) announced.
Working in collaboration with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, A national committee has been collecting audiovisual documents that possibly reflect the real features of the festivity, ARCCH Cultural Anthropologist and Timket UNESCO Inscription Process Coordinator and Ethiopia’s Heritage Inscription Nomination File EditorIn-Chief Gezahegn Girma told The Ethiopian Herald.
Accordingly, the document that includes a video clip, photographs, and written documents that recognize the registration of the heritage in the country and the public request of the inscription as international intangible heritage had been submitted and accepted by UNESCO, he said.
Therefore, the country has been collecting the documents of nomination files including the celebration features, history, and how it passes down to generations, he stated. In addition, document review, archiving and analyzing activities have been also conducted, he noted. It was in March 2018 that the nomination file was sent to the UNESCO.
The organization has released the file using its website to gather public comment, he told. In the whole process, UNESCO has been evaluating some of the information and giving recommendation,thus Ethiopia also resubmitted the documents having done the needed revision, Gezahegn said. Currently UNESCO’s evaluation body is studying the nomination file whether it fulfills the requirement or not. And in October 2019 ,the body will present the file to intergovernmental committee which incorporates 24 participants from the whole member countries which Ethiopia had been also part of it until last June, according to him.
“This committee would announce the last decision during the meeting that would be held November 2019 in Colombia. We hope that Timket would be possibly inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list.”
Ethiopia has played important role in recognizing the world heritages registration in general and its heritages in particular, he said adding, currently the country has finished its term and the absence might affect the final step of Timket inscription [with no Ethiopian guardian] despite the fact that the requested document is completely presented, he doubts. As to him, inscribing the heritage would enable the country to attract more tourists as the festivity will have the chance to be promoted across the world via the official website of UNESCO.
The inscription is also supportive to recognize and conserve the heritage at local and international level, Gezahegn underlined.
The Ethiopian Herald, January 15/2019
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
