Ethical Principles for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage: How to Protect Intangible Cultural Heritage of Minority Ethnic Groups in China

Abstract

The “Ethical Principles for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage” (Ethical Principles) is a set of non-binding, encouraging general principles. As a supplement to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Convention) and its Operational Directives, it provides excellent practices that can directly or indirectly influence the intangible cultural heritage for governments, organizations, and individuals. Considering the specific circumstances of the protection of minority intangible cultural heritage in China, the Ethical Principles serve as a necessary supplement to the national legislative framework. The Ethical Principles emphasize the role and status of communities, individuals, and organizations in protecting and inheriting intangible cultural heritage, and advocate for gender equality, youth participation, and respect for ethnic characteristics and cultural diversity, among other international consensuses. These principles can be used as a valuable reference for promoting and improving the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage of minority ethnic groups in China.