©️photo : Crafts market Haiti
Port-au-Prince, March 26, 2026.- The Haitian State officially filed, this Thursday, March 26, the application file of the « Know-how of the Trace-Vèvè of Haiti » to UNESCO. The aim is to obtain the inclusion of this practice on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, according to a communiqué of the Ministry of Culture and Communication.
The file was submitted by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs, and the Permanent Delegation of Haiti to UNESCO, with the support of the National Cooperation Commission with the organization. The authorities indicate that this approach is intended to promote and promote international recognition of this ancestral cultural practice.
According to the communiqué signed by the Minister of Culture, Emmanuel Ménard, the Tracé-Vèvè constitutes a ritual graphic art transmitted from generation to generation, carrying knowledge and symbols and representative of the creativity and memory of the Haitian people.
This tradition is registered in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Haiti since October 21, 2019, with an inventory updated in 2025. His international candidacy is part of the 2003 Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The authorities believe that this initiative is part of Haiti's cultural diplomacy strategy and aims to enhance the international visibility of its cultural expressions. The Ministry of Culture affirms, for its part, that it continues its efforts to safeguard and enhance the national intangible cultural heritage. If successful, the Trace-Vèvè could join UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, offering this Haitian tradition increased international recognition and enhanced visibility on the world stage.
R.J.
