The listing was made during the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, an annual gathering of hundreds of participants including state representatives, NGOs and cultural institutions.

Tais weavers thanked UNESCO for its decision.

"It is a message from UNESCO to us, the weavers, that our hard work of maintaining the tradition was not in vain," said  Joana Guterres, an expert weaver from Venilale,  Baucau. 

Marta da Costa, a Tais weaver from Oe-cusse, said she feels confident now to continue transmitting her knowledge to her daughters and grand-daughters.

Tais is the traditional handwoven textile of Timor-Leste. Used for decoration and to create traditional clothing for ceremonies and festivals, it also expresses cultural identity and social class since the colours and motifs vary according to ethnic groups, the listing said.

Tais is made from cotton dyed with natural plants, and the complex process is traditionally reserved for women, who pass on the skills to the next generation in their communities.

UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as “the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces, associated therewith – that communities, groups, and in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage”.

The Representative List was first launched in 2008. In its 2003 convention, UNESCO defines the list’s purpose as “to ensure greater visibility” and to “increase awareness” of the significance of nominated elements as representatives of intangible cultural heritage. Some of the well-known elements on the list include Palestinian embroidery, Chinese Shadow Puppetry, French Gastronomic Meals and South Korean Kimchi.

Alongside the inscription, Timor-Leste also obtained financial support under the International Assistance to implement a safeguarding plan.