Intangible cultural heritage within the laws and policies of South Pacific Small Island States in the climate crisis: Towards a more resilient and inclusive approach

‘Intangible Cultural Heritage within the Laws and Policies of South Pacific Small Island States in the Climate Crisis: Towards a More Resilient and Inclusive Approach’ is the first Special Edition of the Periscope Paper Series, an Occasional Analysis Paper/Brief series of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s (Foundation) Regional Programme Australia and the Pacific. This edition deals with the protection of intangible cultural heritage in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

This report examines whether the Pacific Islanders’ intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is safeguarded in relevant laws and policies more broadly, by considering human rights law, cultural heritage law, intellectual property (IP) law, environmental law, and climate change law. The report also considers whether safeguarding ICH can contribute towards a more resilient and inclusive climate change approach to foster stability and the rule of law and, if so, how.