The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) explicitly articulates the cultural rights of Indigenous peoples through several key provisions that recognise culture as a collective, living, and self-determined process.

Article 11 affirms that “Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs”, including “the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.” Article 13 further provides that “Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures,” and obliges States to take effective measures to ensure this right is protected. Finally, Article 31 states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.”

as well as the intellectual property associated with them. Taken together, these provisions establish a robust legal and normative framework that recognises Indigenous cultures as inseparable from identity, knowledge systems, and self-determination, and impose clear responsibilities on States to prevent misappropriation, erosion, and denial of Indigenous cultural rights.