Cultural heritage law: Traditional Culture & Knowledge

Find laws, treaties and regulations on the protection of traditional knowledge (TK), traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) and genetic resources (GRs).

Text and related material on official website maintained by UNESCO

Full text from official UNESCO website

Official website.

Official website. The online edition of the Atlas is complementary to the print edition It does not reproduce the regional and thematic chapters of the print version, but it offers additional information on the listed endangered languages. For print copy see O.UNESCO/2011(9)

Official website's search screen to find related documents and publications.

Official website.This IGC has mandate to undertake " text-based negotiations with the objective of reaching agreement on a text(s) of an international legal instrument(s), which will ensure the effective protection of traditional knowledge (TK), traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) and genetic resources (GRs)."

Key terms related to intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

Waitiangi Tribunal Report (2011) "The claim is about the place of Māori culture, identity and traditional knowledge in New Zealand's laws, and in government policies and practices. It concerns who controls Māori traditional knowledge, who controls artistic and cultural works such as haka and waiata, and who controls the environment that created Māori culture. It also concerns the place in contemporary New Zealand life of core Māori cultural values such as the obligation of iwi and hapū to act as kaitiaki (cultural guardians) towards taonga (treasured things) such as traditional knowledge, artistic and cultural works, important places, and flora and fauna that are significant to iwi or hapū identity."