Rabat – Morocco’s government is reiterating efforts in a bid to safeguard the country’s tangible and intangible heritage from cultural appropriation attempts.
On Monday, Minister of Culture Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid pledged to fully enforce the provisions of Bill No. 33.22, which aims to protect national heritage against any attempt of usurpation and appropriation.
The minister delved into details on the bill during a meeting before the Education, Culture, and Communication Committee at the House of Representatives. He explained that this new regulation came as Morocco made significant archaeological discoveries that placed the country on the global map for advanced archeology and geology research.
The bill is also part of Morocco’s efforts to tackle this issue as the country is hosting prestigious events like the 2023 World Cup – a platform that will serve as an opportunity to further promote the country’s heritage.
The legislation also seeks to modernize the legal framework for heritage protection to align with international standards ratified by Morocco, the minister said, noting that the goal is to make national heritage a source of wealth and employment creation by establishing funds through public-private partnerships.
Bensaid also recalled King Mohammed VI’s message to the 17th UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in November 2022, referencing the threats that Morocco’s national intangible cultural heritage has been facing.
“Given the rapid changes affecting the world today, it has become necessary to highlight the intangible heritage of countries around the world, and to adopt measures for its preservation, namely by furthering the objectives set out in the Convention,” the monarch said in his message.
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Bill No. 33.22 also introduces strict penalties to combat violations, strengthening the legal protection of cultural heritage and defining preservation procedures for heritage – including registering it on the World Heritage List.
“This measure relies on shared responsibility between the owners of cultural objects and the administration to preserve and register them in the National Inventory Registry,” the minister said.
Morocco’s cultural heritage has been subject to frequent appropriation attempts, particularly from Algeria.
In recent months, the Algeria-orchestrated campaign targeting Morocco’s cultural heritage reached new heights.
In 2022, Algeria presented the zelliges as part of its cultural heritage during an exhibition.
The country also attempted to include the Moroccan caftan, a traditional garment in the North African kingdom, in a UNESCO submission seeking to make the Moroccan garment part of the Algerian intangible heritage.
Such controversial moves by Algeria have intensified calls for Morocco to be more proactive in defending its cultural heritage. And during a UNESCO meeting in Paraguay last month, the North African kingdom succeeded in thwarting Algeria’s attempts to falsely claim part of Moroccan heritage.
Morocco’s ambassador to UNESCO, Samir Addaher, formally objected to Algeria’s attempt to claim the Moroccan caftan and, for the first time in UNESCO’s history, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage such an objection.
