联合国教科文组织在“非遗”保护领域常用的工作术语是
tradition bearers and practitioners，详见：
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00259
几次参加教科文的会议，各国专家常用的表述有traditional bearers, tradition-bearers, traditional practitioners, bearers of ICH...
《公约》中涉及到的非遗主体有三个层面：社区、群体和个体（如适用），比如：
•
article 2.1 requiring the recognition of the ICH by the communities, groups, and when appropriate, individuals;
•
article 11 requiring their participation in identifying and defining their ICH;
•
article 12 linking the identification and the inventorying of ICH;
•
article 13 encouraging States Parties to ensure access to ICH while respecting customary practices;
•
article 15 calling upon States Parties to ensure the widest possible participation of communities, groups and, when appropriate, individuals in safeguarding their intangible cultural heritage.
在《公约》的《操作指南》中有几处提到 "practitioners and bearers"，见：
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00026
此外，经韩国提议，联合国教科文组织也曾使用过日本的“人间国宝”概念，径直译为“Living Human Treasures”，相关定义说明为：
Living Human Treasures are persons who possess to a high degree the knowledge and skills required for performing or re-creating specific elements of the intangible cultural heritage.
相关指南见：
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/src/00031-EN.pdf
这些年教科文开展过相关的推广活动：
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00061&lg=EN
在我国，“Living Human Treasures”的本土化可以理解为“代表性传承人”。
其他相关文件可以访问联合国教科文组织的官方网站，尤其是今年出版的“非遗”保护“工具包”系列文件：
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00018
