Indonesia Enhances Community Role in Zapin UNESCO Nomination

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia boosts coordination among Zapin communities in four Southeast Asian countries to support the nomination of Zapin for inscription on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, said the nomination is based on communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore, while governments serve primarily as facilitators and provide support.

The Minister said Zapin communities in the four countries need to work together in preparing the nomination. He added that each country has been assigned specific responsibilities, ranging from documentation and dissemination to communication with Zapin or Japin communities in their respective areas.

“This has to be a community-to-community effort involving communities from the four countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore,” Fadli said during a media briefing on the proposed nomination of Zapin as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jakarta on Tuesday September 29, 2026. He added that the nomination is essentially community-based in each country, while governments play a facilitating role.

Fadli explained that Indonesia is contributing by reaching out to various communities and gathering support for the different Zapin variants found across the country. He said Indonesia is also among the countries taking a leading role in the joint nomination together with Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore.

According to Fadli, an important part of the nomination process is preparing a dossier that explains Zapin as a living heritage that continues to be practiced within communities. The dossier also needs to reflect the diverse expressions of Zapin in each country while highlighting the cultural connections that form the basis of the joint nomination.

Fadli said each country has its own distinctive characteristics in expressing Zapin, making this diversity an important part of the multinational nomination. He noted that a similar approach has also been applied to other cultural heritage nominations jointly submitted by several countries.

The Indonesian government and communities are expected to continue safeguarding the continuity of Zapin by passing on its knowledge and cultural practices to future generations. Cross-border cooperation among communities is also expected to strengthen cultural cooperation among Southeast Asian countries.

In addition to the Zapin nomination, Fadli conveyed Indonesia has also submitted tempeh culture and Mak Yong for consideration as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. He expressed hope that the upcoming UNESCO session in November will result in the two cultural traditions being inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.