The Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Gomashie, has informed the King of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, about the inclusion of Ghana’s traditional woven textile, Kente, on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The feat falls under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Marking one year in office, the Minister paid a visit to the Manhyia Palace on April 8, 2026, during the third Awukudae Festival to present the plaque to the Monarch.
According to her, the application for the listing was championed during her tenure as Deputy Tourism Minister from 2013 to 2017.
“As deputy Minister, I worked with them to get Parliament to ratify the convention, highlighting our culture as Ghanaians. That document cemented Kente as a symbol of our identity. We followed the protocol, and with God’s grace and your support, it got approved.”
She was in the company of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, officials of the Ministry, UNESCO and others.
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is an international treaty adopted by UNESCO in 2003.
It aims to protect and promote cultural practices, traditions, and expressions that are not physical (intangible) but are vital to a community’s identity, like music, dance, language, festivals, and more.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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Source:
opemsuo.com