Abu Dhabi: An Argentinian official said tango has been declared part of world's cultural heritage by the United Nations.

Hernan Lombardi, the minister of culture of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, said he is "very proud" that the elegant music and sensual dance are now among Unesco's traditions worth safeguarding for humanity.

Lombardi was speaking on the phone on Wednesday from Abu Dhabi after 24 members of Unesco's Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Heritage decided to grant tango dance and music the protected cultural status.

Tango emerged as a dance style in the late 1800s in Buenos Aires.

India's Vedic chanting and Japan's Kabuki theater are among dozens of UN protected traditions.