Maghreb Nations Unite to Seek UNESCO Heritage Status for Couscous

This common file of these 4 Maghreb countries (only Libya is missing) was filed with the UNESCO Culture Sector, in charge of universal conventions and declarations and therefore the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.

Before that, the preparations. A convention was signed by representatives of the four countries, and not just anyone. These are: Zohour Alaoui, Permanent Representative Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to UNESCO, President of the 39th UNESCO General Conference, Abdelkader Mesdoua, Ambassador of Algeria in France, Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ghazi Gherairi, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to UNESCO, and Mohemd Elbechir Ould El Hadj, First Counselor of the Mauritanian Delegation to UNESCO.

According to MAP: "The application file is the result of several months of work carried out by experts from the four countries who have managed to put together a ’solid file’ with a view to the inscription of this culinary specialty from the Maghreb on the UNESCO World Heritage List of Humanity".

Zohour Alaoui stressed: "This is the first time that four Maghreb countries have joined forces to file a joint application".

The coordinator of the file, Slimane Hachi, an Algerian, also spoke after declaring his pride that this work had come to fruition: "Today we have managed to achieve and realize this file that unites the Maghreb countries from Tripolitania to the Atlantic".