Balinese dances and two other Indonesian cultural features have been proposed as UNESCO's Best Practices in Indigenous Knowledge 2011 after Batik for that category in 2010.

The proposal of Balinese dances, Papua's Noken and the Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII) for inclusion in UNESCO's Best Practices on Indigenous Knowledge 2011 was announced by TMII Director of Operation Ade Meliala  during the Pesona Budaya Indonesia 2011 at TMII, East Jakarta, on Sunday (April 17).
The Pesona Budaya Indonesia (Indonesian Fascinating Culture) 2011 was attended by Badung Regent Anak Agung Gde Agung, Badung Regency Secretary Kompyang R. Swandika and some other officials and members of Badung Regional Legislative Assembly (DPRD).
Some Indonesian representatives of UNCESO also attended the cultural event which highlighted some Balinese dances, such as Sekar Jepun, Oleg Tamulilingan and opera-like dance Jayantaka Pratidnya.
Meliala said that the Indonesian cultural features, notably Balinese dances, deserve the appreciation from global communities for their excellence as indigenous cultural heritages. "Let the world know how TMII has been functioning as an institution to preserve the Indonesian culture," she said.
Anak Agung Gde Agung, who represented the Bali governor in the event, welcomed the initiative of the Indonesian government to propose Balinese dances to UNESCO for the status of the world body's Best Practices on Indigenous Knowledge 2011.
Balinese dances deserve the status because of their exquisite and unique artistic values, said Anak Agung Gde Agung. He hoped that UNESCO would grant the status of Best Practice on Indigenous Knowledge.
Located in East Jakarta, the 250-hectare TMII is a culture-based recreational park and is a synopsis of Indonesian culture, with virtually all aspects of daily life in Indonesia's 34 provinces encapsulated in separate pavilions with the collection of architecture, clothing, dances and traditions.
Noken is a very versatile bag in a form of nets made from tree skin and used by Papuans to keep their belongings when they go out  hunting, gardening or shopping

Situated in the Pacific some 1,000 km from the South American continent, these islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique 'living museum and showcase of evolution'. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a 'melting pot' of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflect the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many species of finch that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution following his visit in 1835.
The site is situated on the Galápagos Submarine Platform, and consists of about 120 islands. The larger islands are Isabela, Santa Cruz, Fernandina, Santiago and San Cristobal. The islands were formed by volcanic processes and most represent the summit of a volcano, some of which rise over 3,000 m from the Pacific floor. The western part of the archipelago experiences intense volcanic and seismic activity. The larger islands typically comprise one or more gently sloping shield volcano, culminating in collapsed craters or calderas. Long stretches of shoreline are only slightly eroded, but in many places faulting and marine erosion have produced steep cliffs and lava, coral or shell sand beaches. Other noteworthy landscape features include crater lakes, fumaroles, lava tubes, sulphur fields and a great variety of lava and other ejects such as pumice, ash and tuff.
The marine environments are highly varied and are associated with water temperature regimes reflecting differences in nutrient and light levels. These range from warm temperate conditions brought on by vigorous upwelling (Equatorial Undercurrent) and a moderately cool, warm temperate-subtropical influence (Peru Flow).
There is considerable variation in altitude, area and orientation between the islands which when combined with their physical separation, has contributed towards the species diversity and endemism on particular islands. Coastal vegetation occurs along beaches, salt-water lagoons and low, broken, boulder-strewn shores. Protected coves and lagoons are dominated by mangrove swamps. The arid zone is found immediately inland from the coastal zone, and is the most widespread formation in the islands. The humid zone emerges above the arid zone through a transition belt in which elements of the two are combined. It is a very damp zone maintained in the dry season by thick, garua fogs which accumulate through most of the night and last well into each day. A fern-grass-sedge zone covers the summit areas of the larger islands where moisture is retained in temporary pools.
The endemic fauna includes invertebrate, reptile and bird species. There are a few indigenous mammals. All the reptiles, except for two marine tortoises, are endemic. These include the Galápagos giant tortoise, with 11 subspecies on different islands, all of which are endangered, terrestrial iguanas, marine iguana, three racer species, numerous lizards of the genus and geckos. The native avifauna includes 57 residents, of which 26 (46%) are endemic and 31 are regular migrants. Endemic taxa include 13 species of Darwin's finches, including Floreana tree finch and mangrove finch. Other noteworthy species include dark-rumped petrel, Galápagos flightless cormorant, Galápagos penguin, lava gull, Floreana mockingbird, Galápagos hawk, lava heron, nocturnal swallow-tailed gull, Galápagos rail, thick-billed flycatcher, Galápagos martin and Galápagos dove. The native mammalian fauna includes six species: Galápagos fur seal, Galápagos sea lion, two species of rice rat, bat and hoary bat. Marine fauna includes several species of sharks, rays and Cetaceans. Green turtle and hawksbill turtle are common in surrounding waters, with the former nesting on sandy beaches.