At the 20th session of the UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in New Delhi, on 11 December 2025, a decision was made to include Turkmenistan's nomination ‘The art of breeding Turkmen alabay’ in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was supported by all 24 members of the Committee, according to TDH.

The nomination dossier was prepared by the Secretariat of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO and the International Association ‘Turkmen Alabay’. Masters and families of dog breeders, researchers and breed specialists participated in the work. Their broad participation was noted as an example of proper preparation of the application and emphasising the role of women in preserving the tradition.

The Committee highly appreciated the measures taken by the state to preserve the element — joint work with local administrations, public organisations and tradition bearers. This helps to maintain the sustainability of ancient practices and pass on knowledge to new generations.

The session is considering 66 national and multinational applications: 54 for inclusion in the Representative List, 11 in the List of Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, and 1 in the List of Best Practices. The Committee's work will continue until 13 December.