WMAU has signed the Open Heritage Statement, supporting fair, open access to cultural heritage, with respect for Indigenous knowledge.

31 October 2025, Elliott Bledsoe. Keywords: TAROCH, OHS, Creative Commons

Wikimedia Australia (WMAU) has proudly signed the Open Heritage Statement (OHS), joining organisations around the world in calling for equitable access to public domain cultural heritage in the digital environment.

The Open Heritage Statement was developed by the Towards a Recommendation on Open Culture and Heritage (TAROCH) coalition, convened by Creative Commons. Through the OHS, TAROCH seeks to encourage dialogue and global support for the development of a UNESCO framework for open access to cultural heritage – similar to UNESCO’s Recommendations on Open Science and Open Educational Resources.

By signing this statement, WMAU reinforces its commitment to open access and to the free exchange of knowledge. This includes supporting initiatives that allow people to engage with, build upon and benefit from our shared cultural record.

Open and accessible cultural heritage strengthens learning, creativity and community connection. WMAU aligns with these goals through its projects, partnerships and advocacy for open knowledge, and encourages other organisations and institutions that hold or are custodians of heritage to do so.

In signing, WMAU notes that the OHS does not explicitly use the terms Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov). However it is encouraging that the Statement acknowledges and calls for respect of community rights, protocols, practices, customs and traditions related to cultural heritage. It also encourages consultation with free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) from communities of origin. Articles 16 and 17 of the OHS, are exemplified in StoryFrame 13 and address these principles. WMAU is confident that, in an Australian context, this extends to recognising, respecting and protecting ICIP.

WMAU strongly advocates that open access to cultural heritage must be balanced with respect for and ethical use of cultural heritage, including where material includes ICIP. That also calls for recognition of communities’ IDSov. We are actively working towards organisational approaches that respect and protect the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities to manage and share their cultural knowledge on their own terms. We encourage all cultural heritage organisations – in Australia and around the world – to do the same.

Read the full statement and learn more about how you can support this global initiative at openheritagestatement.org.

Elliott Bledsoe, President of Wikimedia Australia

Belinda Spry, Executive Officer of Wikimedia Australia

Useful links

• Open Heritage Statement
• UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science
• UNESCO Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Wikimedia Australia joins the TAROCH Coalition Nov 2024

Image attribution: “Watering Place at Marley” by Alfred Sisley, 1875, CC0, Art Institute of Chicago, remixed with “TAROCH balloon” by Creative Commons/Dee Harris, 2025, CC0