Indonesia has made a proud achievement in the international crafts world with the election of Baby Jurmawati as Vice President of the World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR) South-East Asia for the period 2025–2028. This appointment was announced at the 39th General Assembly of the WCC-APR which took place in Jaipur, India, on 16–18 December 2024.
The assembly was attended by representatives from six sub-regions of the Asia Pacific, namely Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, South Pacific, and West Asia. With the theme “Talking Sustainability – Learning from Each Other”, the session highlighted the importance of collaboration to preserve traditional crafts sustainably.
In this session, Jude van der Merwe from Australia was elected as the new President of WCC-APR, replacing Aziz Murtazaev. Meanwhile, Baby Jurmawati, who is also the Vice Chair II of ASEPHI (Association of Indonesian Handicraft Exporters and Producers), is trusted to lead the Southeast Asia region.
Vice President of WCC-APR South-East Asia, Baby Jurmawati, emphasized her commitment to bringing Indonesian crafts to the international stage. One of the main programs that will be carried out is Craft City, which aims to make cities in Southeast Asia the center of superior crafts.
“Indonesia will propose Bukittinggi as Craft City. This city is not only rich in history and natural scenery, but also has high-value artistic crafts such as embroidery designs,” said Baby.
She revealed that initial discussions with the West Sumatra Provincial Government had been carried out to support this initiative.
The inaugural WCC-APR South-East Asia Meeting will be held in conjunction with the INACRAFT Trade Fair in Jakarta in February 2025. This event is expected to be a momentum to introduce Southeast Asian crafts to the world and build networks between craftsmen in the region.
The World Crafts Council (WCC), a non-governmental organization founded in 1964, aims to preserve cultural diversity, support sustainable development, and empower craftsmen. One of its flagship programs is World Craft City, which creates a network of craft cities to promote cultural and economic development.
In the Asia Pacific region, WCC-APR plays an active role in supporting traditional crafts through seminars, workshops, and awards such as the WCC-Award of Excellence for Handicrafts. With its status as an official organization under UNESCO, WCC-APR continues to encourage international collaboration for the sustainability of the craft industry.
Serving until 2028, Baby is faced with a major challenge to boost the competitiveness of local crafts in the global market, while ensuring the sustainability of cultural traditions. However, with the support of ASEPHI and cross-country collaboration, Indonesia is believed to be able to strengthen its position as one of the world’s craft centers.
“This is an important momentum for Indonesia to showcase our rich arts and culture at the global level,” concluded Baby.
