PROGRESS FOR SINGAPORE'S HAWKER CULTURE UNESCO BID
Channel: A Singaporean
Date: 18/11/2020

PROGRESS FOR SINGAPORE'S HAWKER CULTURE UNESCO BID

What is UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or UNESCO for short, was established to further international peace through education such as the promotion of heritage.

Singapore's application to UNESCO was jointly submitted by the National Heritage Board (NHB), The National Environmental Agency (NEA), and the Federation of Merchants' Associations, with the goal of having Singapore's hawker culture joining the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

The list was created by UNESCO to give added prestige to "living heritage" like performing arts, festive events, rituals and oral traditions.

Why is this important?

Hawker culture is a microcosm of our multicultural society, with hawker centres serving as important community spaces.

Should the nomination to the list prove successful, Singapore would have to report to UNESCO about its efforts to safeguard hawker culture. This would ensure that hawker culture is given necessary protections, securing its longevity.

What has changed?

UNESCO's expert panel report on 16 November 2020 recommended that Singapore's hawker culture should be added to the list, having fufilled all of the qualifying criteria.

This was in light of the mass participation of Singaporeans in the application process, with over 850 thousand people demonstrating their support by producing materials involved in the application process.

The expert panel report is an integral part of the submission process, and most applications that are recommended by them tend to be approved by the intergovernment commitee (IGC) making the final decision.

Basically, this means that Singapore "stands a good chance" to get hawker culture added to the list. This would allow us to share this unique aspect of our society with the rest of the world.

What is the impact on hawker culture?

Hawker culture is central to Singapore's food security, as it provides affordable meals for locals of all ages. The survival of hawker culture is directly linked to the well-being of citizens.

If hawker culture is added to the list, more youngsters will join the industry, bringing in fresh blood into the scene. This is crucial as the median age for hawkers is 59 and has continued to rise over the years.

However, some hawkers still point out that prices set by suppliers have persistently increased, decreasing the incentive to join the industry. While they appreciate the effort and also wish for the application to succeed, some still are worried that it may not be enough to save the declining trade.