Morocco receives couscous’ certificate of registration in UNESCO

Morocco’s ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Samir Addahre, received on Wednesday the certificate of registration of the couscous, which was inscribed in December on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia submitted the application.

Following the official ceremony broadcast on the UNESCO website on the sidelines of the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in December, the representatives of the four countries expressed in turn their «joy» and «pride» for this recognition, AFP reported. 

Moroccan Ambassador to @UNESCO, Samir Addahre, received today the certificate of registration of the #couscous inscribed last December 16 on @UNESCO's list of #IntangibleCulturalHeritage. #Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia and Algeria presented a joint candidacy.@Marocdiplo_EN pic.twitter.com/P9avUJmd1Y

— Le Maroc à l'UNESCO ?? (@Maroc_UNESCO) February 17, 2021

Entitled «Knowledge, know-how and practices related to the production of couscous», the Maghreb file was among around forty other applications submitted to the Committee.

The four countries decided to submit the joint application after a long dispute on the origins of the dish. The application was finally submitted in March 2019.