To:
Audrey Azoulay
Director-General, UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP, France
[email protected] / [email protected]
Subject: Request for Recognition of Naturism and Nudism as Intangible Cultural Heritage
and Review of the NICP Act
Dear Director-General Azoulay and the Intangible Heritage Division,
I am writing on behalf of NaturismRE (Naturism Resurgence) — a global initiative dedicated to protecting and promoting naturism and nudism as expressions of cultural
integrity, personal dignity, peace, and ecological consciousness.
Naturism and nudism are non-sexual, peaceful, and community-based ways of life rooted in harmony with nature, body acceptance, and mutual respect. These practices are followed
by millions across the world and represent a form of intangible cultural heritage under threat.
Despite their positive social and environmental contributions, both naturism and nudism remain misrepresented, suppressed, and excluded from formal cultural protections.
� Why UNESCO?
UNESCO’s mission to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, promote diversity, and protect freedom of expression makes it the appropriate and necessary body to address this
oversight.
Naturism and nudism are not recent trends — they are intergenerational, living philosophies that predate industrial norms. Their transmission occurs through family,
community, and experiential knowledge. They are shaped by landscapes, local histories, and spiritual connections to the earth.
Yet this peaceful culture is increasingly at risk — not through disuse, but through institutional and media-driven erasure, distortion, and legal misclassification.
Cultural Erasure & Misrepresentation
Naturist and nudist communities around the world face:
• Criminalisation in law despite peaceful intent
• Sexualisation in media and industry
• Loss of intergenerational transmission due to fear and censorship
• Stigma leading to isolation, misinformation, and miseducation
This has contributed to the marginalisation of an entire cultural community, despite its deep alignment with UNESCO’s vision of cultural diversity, tolerance, and peace.
The NICP Act – A Cultural Protection Framework
NaturismRE has authored the Naturist Integrity & Cultural Protection Act (NICP Act
2025), currently under review in Australia. This model bill:
• Formally defines both naturism and nudism as non-sexual, lawful lifestyles
• Criminalises their misrepresentation in fetish, pornographic, or exploitative contexts
• Protects peaceful naturist and nudist spaces, individuals, and organisations from discrimination
• Provides a replicable framework for legal cultural recognition and safeguarding The NICP Act is not about clothing. It is about truth, protection, and cultural freedom.
Our Request to UNESCO
We respectfully request that UNESCO:
1. Recognise naturism and nudism as intangible cultural practices worthy of protection under the 2003 Convention.
2. Engage with NaturismRE to explore the historical, social, and spiritual dimensions of these practices across nations and cultures.
3. Review the NICP Act as a reference model for cultural preservation, rights-based policy, and anti-discrimination law.
4. Include naturist and nudist communities in cultural and diversity initiatives, especially those promoting eco-culture, minimalism, and post-materialist heritage.
A Way of Life, Not a Threat
Naturism and nudism represent not rebellion, but reverence — for nature, for humanity, and for simplicity. They are lived expressions of the right to be free, to be natural, and to be
unashamed in one’s own body.
UNESCO has long defended vulnerable traditions from political distortion, commercial cooptation, and cultural decay. We call on you to include this global, peaceful, and long
practiced culture in your mission.
We would be honoured to provide documentation, testimonials, and a copy of the NICP Act
for your review.
In cultural solidarity and peace,
Vincent Marty
Founder – NaturismRE (Naturism Resurgence)
Sydney, Australia
www.naturismre.com