Principles CIOFF supports the activities of its members and those of other non governmental organizations as well as any other organization working in the field of folklore and traditional culture.

Definition CIOFF adoptes the following definition of "folklore" according to UNESCO's Recommendation on the safeguarding of traditional and popular culture.

"Folklore (or traditional and popular culture) is the totality of tradition-based creations of a cultural community, expressed by a group or individuals and recognized as reflecting the expectations of a community in so far as they reflect its cultural and social identity; its standards and values are transmitted orally, by imitation or by other means."

In the following document folklore will have the meaning of folklore and traditional culture.

General objectives of CIOFF Enhance folklore and traditional culture in such forms of expression as:

First objective of CIOFF will be:

a) diffusion of folklore by:

• incouraging the organization of national, regional and international events on folklore;
• incouraging a larger broadcast of informations concerning folklore in magazines, books, television, radio and other medias on a national and regional level;
• incouraging the expertise of folklorists and other persons with specific skills in the field of folklore, towards local authorities, associations and other institutions;
• supporting existing institutions publishing educational material by providing the appropriate informations concerning folklore through such means as Internet;
• supporting meetings and exchanges between individuals, groups and institutions concerned by folklore on a national and international level.

b) international co-operation through:

• promotion of dialog and networking between CIOFF members;
• collaboration with international and regional associations, as well as groups and institutions concerned by folklore;
• synergies in the field of knowledge, diffusion and protection of folklore;
• implementation of an open international network for information.

As a complement, CIOFF will promote and support co-operation in the following aspects:

1. identification of folklore by supporting the development of an repertory of institutions concerned by folklore and by incouraging these institutions in collecting the regional and general institutions, communities and individuals concerned by folklore;
2. preservation of folklore with a priority on means presenting the traditional cultures enhancing their actual and passed aspects.
3. safeguarding of folklore:

• by incouraging and assisting projects introducing educational issues concerning folklore at school and out of school;
• by protecting the access for the different cultural communities to their own culture and by incouraging the practice of their traditions;
• by promoting on an interdisciplinary basis any folklore organization or by being a coordination body where several lobbies would be represented;
• by giving moral and financial support to individuals and institutions studying, promoting, practicing or safeguarding certain aspects of folklore;
• by participating in scientific research concerning the preservation of folklore.

To accomplish its duty, CIOFF:

1. has transformed its Study and Documentation Commission created in 1982 into a Cultural Commission during the General Assembly of Dublin in 1993;

2. has adopted founding texts for the Cultural Commission during the General Assembly of Porto Rico in 1996;
3. has allocated an initial budget for the Cultural Commission;
4. will give financial or logistic support on a project basis;
5. has created an international fund for folklore;
6. will insure the implementation of its cultural policy through its National Sections;
7. has taken the internal organizational measures necessary.