Special Rapporteur on cultural rights

Issues in focus

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Special Rapporteur on cultural rights

Issues in focus

About special procedures

2026

Participation of the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki in an event discussing “Science as a global public good”, organised by the Royal Society in London. The expert highlighted the importance of considering the human rights approach to the field and advocating for the right of all to participate in science, and not only to enjoy its applications, as a prerogative for science to be considered as a global public good, and to benefit from public protection.
16-17 March 2026

Statement of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights at the side event of the HRC on “The right to honour the dead: freedom of religion or belief in relation to death”, organised by MRG in follow up to the most recent report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of region or belief. 
4 March 2026

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Contribution to the side event on “The new Guiding Principles on Resettlement: framework for a human-rights based approach”, organised by the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. 
4 March 2026

Contribution by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights to the Launch of the Wales Future Generations Commission paper on cultural rights, exploring the options for protecting and promoting culture within public bodies across Wales. 
25 February 2026

Contribution by the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki to the online discussion on “When everyone can compete: inclusion and the power of sports”, organised during the winter Olympic games of Milano Cortina, as part of the programme of the Pride House Milan. The 2 hours-long discussion was attended by professional athletes, former athletes, spectators and fans. 
21 February 2026

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in an event at the Scottish Parliament on “Our right to a cultural life in Scottland”, in the context of the adoption of a new Scottish Human Rights Bill, which includes cultural rights. 
14 January 2026

2025

Video message by the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki opening the WIPO conference on traditional medicinal knowledge, organised in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. 
8 December 2025

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Contribution of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights to a European Union International forum on cultural policies: Culture and Creative Sectors' Future in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, organised by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in Krakow, Poland. 
4 December 2025

Participation of the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki in the first meeting of the Group of Friends on cultural rights of persons with disabilities, organised at the Palais des Nations. As a member of the group of friends, the Special Rapporteur recalled the universal nature of cultural rights, their agreed definition and the necessity to apply them in a transversal manner across all public policies that have an impact on the cultural life of all, including persons with disabilities. 
2 December 2025

Joint statement: UN experts stand up for Freedom on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
1 December 2025

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights in the XIVth international meeting on cultural rights, focusing on the “Role of parliaments in the development of cultural rights”, held in Rome, Italy. 
17 and 18 November 2025

Opening address by the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki to the 8th International Federation of Coalitions on Cultural Diversity Congress. 5 November 2025

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights opening the panel of the HRC Social Forum on the theme of “Education for cultural rights” through a video message. 30 October 2025

Contribution to a panel discussion on “Aligning the Culture Compass and the next MFF with community needs”, in the context of the European Heritage Hub Forum ‘Heritage matters for Europe's cities and citizens’. 14 October 2025

Participation of the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki in various events of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies for sustainable development- Mondiacult – 29 September to 1 October 2025

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki as a speaker in the Plenary session “Why We Need a Culture Goal Now”, in the framework of the UCLG 6th Culture summit. She later also contributed to the panel on “Key steps from 2025 to 2030”. 27 September 2025

Participation of Special Rapporteur Xanthaki in the opening of the Civic Agora, organised in Barcelona in the margin of Mondiacult, on “Cultural rights: the bridge between universality and diversity”. 26 September 2025.

Contribution to a panel discussion entitled “Free Expression in Sport: The Case of Manizha Talash”. The panel was organised by Avant-Guard Lawyers, as an online side-event in the framework of the World Conference on Cultural Policies for sustainable development- Mondiacult. 24 September 2025

Inaugural speech of the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki for ICCROM’s Intersectoral Conference on the potential of heritage collections and collections-based organizations for sustainable development, Collections 2030 and Beyond. 22 September 2025

  • See the website of the conference here.

Contribution to the panel discussion on “Cultural rights in the digital environment – A conversation about open solutions to connect with heritage”, organised by the International Federation of Libraries and Archives (IFLA), as a side-event of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies for Sustainable Development – Mondiacult. 17 September 2025

Opening keynote speech of the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki, delivered at the Swedish Arts Council regional cultural policy summit. 11 September 2025

Opening message from the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki, delivered to the participants of the 5th Argentinian National Conference on cultural rights. 10 September 2025

Joint statement on International Day to commemorate victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief
Urgent action required to end violence on the basis of religion or belief: UN experts
22 August 2025

Contribution as a panellist to a side event on “A new international paradigm: cultural rights and persons with disabilities”, organised by the Permanent Missions of Italy and Cyprus and the Heritage International Institute, in collaboration with the Permanent Missions of Iraq and Mexico, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 
20 June 2025

Participation in a side event to the Human Rights Council 59th session on “Attacks on education facilities, cultural and religious sites and their impact on self-determination for the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. The event was organised with the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT, to highlight the findings of their most recent report. 
19 June 2025

Participation of the Special Rapporteur Xanthaki in the 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture, organised in Seoul. 
27- 30 May 2025

Participation of the Special Rapporteur to the Eighth Meeting of States Parties to the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, exploring the links between the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property and the work of the Parties and cultural rights ad the work of the Special Rapporteur. 
19-20 May 2025.

Keynote speech from the Special Rapporteur Alexandra Xanthaki, delivered at the opening the side event organised by UNESCO on “Artistic Freedom and Creativity: Navigating the Age of AI in a Volatile World”, in the context of the 32nd World Press Freedom Day. Her speech was followed by 2 panel discussions, the first one focusing on the future of creatives in an AI-driven world, and the second focusing on safeguarding artistic freedoms. 
6 May 2025

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur to the conference on “Protecting heritage : from Crisis to peace”, organised by the ALIPH Foundation in Geneva, with the aim of positioning heritage as a key component of humanitarian action and development aid. 
6-8 May 2025.

Contribution to the regional consultation for Europe on a World of Sport Free from Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, organised by the OHCHR in Brussels, Belgium. 
14 March 2025.

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in a 2 days Human Rights Festival, organised at the Kingston University, UK, on “The Power of Cultural Rights: Art as a Form of Justice”. 
21 February 2025

Contribution to the half day of General discussion organised by the CEDAW, to inform its upcoming General Observation on gender stereotypes. 
17 February 2025

2024

Participation of the Special Rapporteur to the 19th meeting of the Committee for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, held in Paris. 
11-12 December 2024.

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in a side event of the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, focused on “Protection of Cultural Heritage: Research and best practice for cultural heritage restoration in conflict and disaster affected areas”, organised by the British Red Cross and the International Cultural Heritage Protection programme in Geneva. 
31 October 2024.

Online contribution of the Special Rapporteur in the Forum “Connecting Living Heritage, Cultural Rights, and Sustainable Development from Latin America”, organised by CRESPIAL in Lima, in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the signing of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 
17-18 October 2024.

The MED9 Declaration: an important commitment for cultural rights
30 September 2024

Contribution to the side event of HRC 57 on “Digital cultural heritage”, organised by the Permanent representation of Cyprus. 
12 September 2024.

Participation of the Special Rapporteur to the conference marking the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention: "Cultural Heritage and Peace: Celebrating 70 Years of the UNESCO Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict". The Special Rapporteur intervened as a panellist in the session on “Peacebuilding through cultural heritage and the importance of cultural diplomacy”. 
The Hague, 13-15 May 2024.

Public event “Spotlight on Sports and Human Rights”, chaired by the Special Rapporteur, organised at Brunel University, London, UK. The event benefited from the contributions of Ginous Alford, from the UNI Global Union of Athletes, Eniola Aluko, former UK football player, Hélène Ba, from Basket pour toutes, and Joanna Maranhão, from the Sports and Human Rights Alliance. 
18 April 2024

Publication, on World Art Day, of a comic on cultural rights and migration, a collaboration between the Migration Task Force of OHCHR and the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
11 April 2024

Podcast by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, as first episode of the British Council’s series on “Is culture the missing key to global progress?” 
11 April 2024

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur to the event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York entitled “Defending creative voices: protection of artists in times of emergencies”, organised by UNESCO and PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC). In addition to the Special Rapporteur, the event benefited from the contributions of Deeyah Khan, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Artistic Freedom and Creativity, and Dinaw Mengestu, novelist and writer, and the artistic performance of Alsarah, singer, songwriter and ethnomusicologist. 
9 April 2024

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the high-level panel on “Heritage Conservation Policy in the Context of the Climate Crisis”, during the Heritage Based Climate Action Conference.
25 March 2024

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur to a panel discussion on “Safeguarding language and cultural heritage in Tibet”, a side-event of the Human Rights Council organised by the government of Canada with Tibet Action Institute, the Global center for the Responsibility to Protect, and the International Service for Human Rights, and co-sponsored by several Permanent missions in Geneva.
13 March 2024

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the Human Rights table on “From code to conscience: ensuring right-compliant digitalisation”, organised by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in the context of its 4th edition of the Fundamental Rights Forum, entitled “Rights in motion: Embracing human rights for Europe’s future”.
12 March 2024

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in a roundtable of the Fundamental Rights Forum, organised in Vienna by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on “Rights in motion : Embracing human rights for Europe’s future”. 
11-12 March 2024

Video message by the Special Rapporteur delivered in the Ministerial Thematic session on “Equitable access to culture and arts education”, held on the first day of the UNESCO World conference on Culture and Arts Education, in Abu Dhabi 
13 February 2024

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the Freedom Vibes Academy, organised by Unchained Vibes Africa
24 January 2024

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the international expert workshop on “Recognizing and respecting Indigenous Peoples’ heritage values in World Heritage sites”, organised in Geneva by the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage (IIPFWH), in collaboration with the UNESCO World Heritage Center, the Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Convention (IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM), IWGIA, and other partners. 
17-19 January 2024

  • Consult the outcome document EN | FR | ES

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the international expert workshop on recognizing and respecting Indigenous Peoples' heritage values in World Heritage sites, organized in Geneva by the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage (IIPFWH) in collaboration with UNESCO, the Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Convention (IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM), IWGIA, and other partners.
17-18 January 2024

2023

Opening address to the event “Culture beyond borders: Empowering refugees through cultural rights for inclusion and resilience”, an event linked with the Global Refugee Forum and organised jointly by OHCHR, UNESCO and the Swiss Federation.
12 December 2023

Keynote presentation on cultural rights and their importance for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities, in the first day of the Art Lab for human rights and dialogue workshop organised in Rabat, Morocco. This Art-Lab Workshop was specifically targeted at the role of art and culture as leverage for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
18 December 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the intersessional workshop on “Cultural rights and the protection of cultural heritage”, organized in implementation of HRC resolution 49/7.
1 December 2023

Interview of the Special Rapporteur on the show “Off the ball”, about the rights of individuals to participate in sports
28 November 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the United Cities and Local Governments’ Committee on Culture World Culture Summit “Culture. Future. Goal. We Act to Bring Local Visions to Global Tables”, held in Dublin, Ireland.
28-30 November 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the session of the UNITAR series- Mainstream knowledge on ageing dedicated to “Access to cultural and leisure activities: Tackling Individual interests towards intergenerational social construction”
23 November 2023

  • Takeaway document

Interview of the Special Rapporteur on the Pat Kenny Show, news talk show of Ireland
21 November 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the Safe Havens conference, held in Athens, Greece
9 November 2023

Award ceremony for the winners of the International arts contest for minority artists on the theme of intersectionality, hosted by the Special Rapporteur and Ms. Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo, both members of the jury.
2 November 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the opening keynote panel of the Social Forum on “The contribution of science, technology and innovation to the promotion of human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic recovery”
2 November 2023

Expert consultations on the right to science and academic freedoms organised jointly by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, to inform their respective upcoming reports.
31 October- 1 November 2023

Joint policy position in relation to the protection of human rights in sport without discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, by a group of United Nations Special Procedures mandate holders
31 October 2023

Opening keynote speech at the International Cultural Relations Research Alliance (ICCRA) conference 2023, entitled “Towards more sustainable development – Multilateral organisations and cultural relations in the 2030 agenda and beyond”
30 October 2023

Joint policy position on the participation of LGBT persons in cultural life, from the Special rapporteur and the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
27 October 2023

Address by the Special Rapporteur in the opening panel of the 2023 AAAS Science, Technology and Human Rights Conference, dedicated to “The Human Right to Science: Pathways for Action.”
16 October 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the launch of the British Council’s new essay collection exploring a series of international perspectives on cultural heritage as a central piece of human development, the role of cultural relations as creating conditions in which human development can occur, and on human development as enabled by people-centred approaches and transparent, accountable and participatory governance, all of which make the case for Cultural Heritage and a Rights-based Approach to Development.
10 October 2023

Opening keynote by the Special Rapporteur for the debates organised by the European Alliance of Academies on the “Rights and Freedom of Culture in Time of Political Changes”, Krakow, Poland
21-22 September 2023

Participation in a workshop organised online by the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court, assessing the strategies for finalising individual reparations in the Al Faqi Al Mahdi case.
6 September 2023

Keynote opening address by the Special Rapporteur at the Middle East and Mediterranean 2023 Forum, organised in Lugano, Switzerland
26 August 2023

Closing remarks by the Special Rapporteur of the training workshop for African female military personnel on the protection of cultural property, organized in Kinshasa by UNESCO’s Secretariat of the 1954 Hague convention and its 2 protocols.
28 July 2023

Public lecture on “The power of cultural rights for migrants: thoughts and challenges” at the University of St-Joseph, Beirut, Lebanon.
26 July 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in a regional training on cultural rights, organised by Action for Hope
25 July 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in Kulturytringer, one of Norway’s main cultural event. Keynote address on freedom of artistic expression and creativity and discussion of the newly launched State of Artistic Freedom report, prepared by Freemuse.
19-21 June 2023

Joint Declaration on SDG Summit adopted by the 29th Annual Meeting of Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, and Chairpersons of the Working Groups of the Special procedures of the Human Rights Council
16 June 2023

Keynote address by Special Rapporteur on the cultural rights of migrants, in the Festival of Migration, organised by Art.27 Scotland Art for Dignity, Justice and Peace, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
16-18 June 2023

Remote contribution of the Special Rapporteur in the Council of Europe International Conference on the Nicosia Convention on Offences related to cultural Property, organised in Riga, Latvia.
15-16 June 2023

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur in a workshop on the Protection of artists and cultural actors, organised by Culture Resource in Amman, Jordan
9 June 2023

Statement by the Special Rapporteur in the informal stakeholder dialogue contributing to the Zero Draft Political Declaration of the 2023 SDG summit, organised online by the two co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of Ireland and of Qatar.
7 June 2023

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur in the Summer School on protecting and valuing heritage cultural diversity and creativity: a human rights based approach, organised by the Faculty of law of Université Laval (Quebec, Canada), together with its UNESCO Chair on the diversity of cultural expressions, the University of Fribourg UNESCO Chair on diversity and human rights (Switzerland), the Research Center on Culture – Arts-Societies (CELAT) and the Institute for cultural heritage (IPAC).
19 May 2023

Reply from the ICC Prosecutor regarding the Situation in the State of Palestine
12 May 2023

Questions and answers from the Special Rapporteur on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international sports competitions
4 May 2023

9th World Summit on Arts and Culture, organised by IFACCA and the Swedish Arts Council in Stockholm. The Special Rapporteur contributed to the opening plenary on Artistic Freedom in an Age of Complexity, and in the closing plenary on Pathways, Tools and Resources to advance Artistic Freedom.
2-5 May 2023

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur to the public audience on the participation of athletes of the Russian Federation and Belarus from participating in international competitions leading to the next Olympic games, organised by the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and the Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
25 April 2023

Reply from the ICC Prosecutor regarding the Situation in the State of Palestine
26 April 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the launch of the OHCHR training guide Towards a human rights based approach to migration
4 April 2023

Dialogue between the Special Rapporteur and the Committee on the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families on the cultural rights of migrants
4 April 2023

Participation in the 3rd OHCHR-UNESCO Geneva Dialogue for enhancing cooperation and effectiveness, dedicated to cultural rights. Co-organised by the Swiss Commission for UNESCO, the University of Geneva, UNESCO and OHCHR
3-4 April 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the Salzburg Global Seminar On the Front Line: Artists at Risk, Artists Who Risk
25-30 March 2023

Dialogue between the Special Rapporteur and the Global Athletes Commission on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee concerning the Russian and Belarusian athletes
24 March 2023

32 UN experts issue a joint letter to the ICC Prosecutor regarding the Situation in the State of Palestine and Annex
23 March 2023

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the first meeting of the human rights advisory board of the International Olympic Committee, discussing the participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports in sporting events.
16 March 2023

The Special Rapporteur opens the panel on “Resilience in the face of crises through the lens of women artists”, organised within the framework of the UNESCO-Aschberg programme for artists and cultural professionals.
8 March 2023

Launch of a paper on the Incorporation of The Right To Take Part in Cultural Life in Scottish law, with the participation of the Special Rapporteur.
6 March 2023

Launch of the second edition of the Minority Artists Award, focusing on intersectionality, to which the Special Rapporteur is a member of the jury panel. Applications can be submitted until 15 May!
1 March 2023

The Special Rapporteur takes part in the CESCR's day of general discussion on the upcoming General Comment on sustainable development. 
24 February 2023

The Special Rapporteur participates in the European Union Conference on Artistic Freedom and Cultural and Creative Industries, held in Umea (Sweden).
16-17 February 2023

2022

The Special Rapporteur speaks at the session of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, who then decides to work together with the Special Rapporteur to advance the observance of cultural rights in its mandate.
15-16 December 2022

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the first International days on cultural rights - Culturopolis, organised in Barcelona.
16-19 November 2022

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator 2022 Summit, in a session focusing on “Reviving the Human Right to Science”. In her intervention, the Special Rapporteur reminded of the importance of looking at all the human rights related to science, including access to knowledge, methodologies and benefits, access to scientific publications, participation in and direct contribution to scientific research, academic and scientific freedoms and the corresponding obligations of States and other duty bearers.
13 October 2022

Participation of the Special Rapporteur to the World conference on culture and sustainable development, Mondiacult, organised by UNESCO. During the 3 days of the conference, the expert participated in several side-events and a ministerial session advocating for 1) a stronger integration of a human rights approach, including cultural rights, to sustainable development, 2) more actions from all actors to ensure a transversal consideration of culture in all the SDGs, 3) stronger recognition and mechanisms to ensure inclusive participation of all, and in particular the most marginalized and 4) more involvement of cities and local governments in national and international sustainable development discussions, as a level of governance of particular relevance to ensure the inclusion and participation of all and the respect for cultural diversity
28 – 30 September 2022

Intervention by the Special Rapporteur opening the 2nd Argentinian Forum on cultural rights, organised by the academic working group.
13 September 2022

Intervention by the Special Rapporteur opening a cultural rights forum entitled “Experiences and challenges in the materialization of cultural rights for an inclusive society”, organised by the Colombian Ombudsman Office. The aim of the forum was to promote a space for dialogue and discussion between official representatives of Colombia and Ambassadors of various countries, to learn about the different international experiences to achieved full recognition of cultural rights
5 August 2022

Intervention by the Special Rapporteur in the opening panel of the Expert consultation on “violations and abuses of human rights rooted in harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks”, organised by the OHCHR, Geneva.
18-19 July 2022

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the second UNESCO and Human Rights: Geneva dialogues for enhancing cooperation and effectiveness, dedicated to the right to science.
25-26 April 2022

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the #Culture2030Goal campaign ResiliArt x Mondiacult event discussing a potential culture goal in the sustainable development agenda
28 February 2022

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the High Level opening of the International virtual conference Climate. Culture. Peace organised by ICCROM together with a consortium of 55 partner institutions, as a follow up to the COP26.
24 January 2022

2021

Side event Beyond symbolic reparations: Perceptions, expectations and challenges in the Al Mahdi case and in Mali, organized by the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court in the framework of the 20th session of the Assembly of States Parties.
10 December 2021

Online events celebrating artists from minorities, a virtual art and activism tour and a showcase of #Music4Faith4Rights, organised by the OHCHR and Freemuse.
16 and 25 November 2021

Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the Knowledge Sharing Workshop of the EU National Institutes for Culture on Artistic freedom and its place in international cultural relations, Paris.
22 November 2021

Launch of the Climate Heritage Network Race to Resilience Campaign, organized during COP26.
2 November 2021

Side event The Children of an "Infinity of Cultures*" A Human Rights Approach to Cultural Mixing, organised together with the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID).
26 October 2021

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur in the session on Dynamics of Security & Development in Africa at the Global Security Forum, Doha, Qatar.
14 October 2021

Opinion piece from the Special Rapporteur on Cultural mixing and mixed identities – How to protect cultural rights for all, published online by the Institute of development studies
8 October 2021

Side-Event to the HRC 48 session, Afghan Women Human Rights Defenders Demand Justice and Accountability
5 October 2021

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur in the Donia Human Rights Center Panel on Twenty Years after 9/11: Challenges to Human Rights Protection from Terrorism and Counter-terrorism, together with the Special Rapporteur on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights while Countering Terrorism, Ms. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin
14 September 2021

UCLG Culture Summit Culture: shaping the future, Izmir, Turkey
10 September 2021

Contribution on Preventing Cultural Catastrophe in the Pandemic: A Cultural Rights Approach, at the Fifth Annual Lecture of the Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
8 July 2021

Human Rights Council's Intersessional meeting on cultural rights and the protection of heritage, in the implementation of resolution 37/17
15 June 2021

Webinar on Speaking Truth to Power: Religious or Belief Minority Artists, Voice and Protest, organised by OHCHR and Freemuse.
26 May 2021

Contribution of the Special Rapporteur to the event of the European Alliance of Academies on Artistic Freedom in Europe – Mission (in)complete!?,9 May 2021

21 April 2021 – Contribution to the discussions on Far Right Extremism and Human Rights in the United States: Global Perspectives, organised at the UC Davis School of Law.

20 April 2021 – "Cities Are Listening' session on Upgrading Culture in Sustainable Development: The Time is Now, organised by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), UN Habitat and Metropolis.

19 April 2021 – Event on Resisting repression: How culture inspires the democratic movement in Belarus, organised by the Atlantic Council

30 March 2021 – Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the symbolic reparation ceremony for the victims of the destruction of Mausoleums in Timbuktu, organised by the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court.

9 March 2021 – Webinar: Preventing "cultural catastrophe" in the pandemic: a cultural rights approach, organised by Artists at Risk Connection.

4 March 2021 – Opening address by the Special Rapporteur for the second of a series of three online webinars organised by the French national consultative commission for human rights (CNCDH) on women’s rights in France, focusing on culture and education and the transmission of gender stereotypes.

2 March 2021 – Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the panel discussion organised by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with State Secretary Jens Frølich Holte on artistic freedom and expression, in the framework of the review of its international strategy on freedom of expression. With the participation of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for artistic freedom, Deeyah Khan, and other artists.

11 February 2021 - Webinar: Human rights, art and protest: voice and expression in U.S. minority communities in the time of the pandemic, organised jointly by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) and Freemuse.

3 February 2021, 10 am (EST) - Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the launch conference of a Safety Guide for artists, prepared by Artist at Risk Connection at Pen America.

2020

10 December 2020 – Intervention of the Special Rapporteur in "Celebration of life", event organised by Muslims for Progressive Values, in honour of Muslim human rights defenders.

8 December 2020 - keynote address of the Specila Rapporteur at the event: "Vandalism in the Name of God," analysing 2020 "war of the monuments" from a human rights perspective, organised by the Norwegian Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities.

3 December 2020 –Intervention and moderation by the Special Rapporteur of the round table 2, in the framework of the Safe Havens Global Stream, “Resource-givers and policy makers in fields pertinent to freedom of artistic expression and the protection and defense of at-risk artists”.

28 November 2020 – Keynote address by the Special Rapporteur in the webinar Les combats des femmes contre les obscurantismes : Instruments et actions, organized by Regards de Femmes.

25 November 2020 – Keynote address from the Special Rapporteur at the event In Our Own Words: Discrimination and Violence against Women of Religious Minority Backgrounds in Pakistan, organized by the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and the Center for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development.

November 2020 - Interview with the Special Rapporteur, “It’s difficult to imagine development without the arts and culture”, Christian Zeier, “One World” magazine, Dossier culture.

28-30 October 2020 – Closing remarks of the Special Rapporteur for the International Congress on Cultural and Creative Industries, organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the State of Jalisco (Haleesco), Mexico, on “Cultural rights in the face of the covid crisis”.

26 October 2020 – Opening by the Special Rapporeur of the Oslo World Festival 2020 conference programme Solidarity, artistic freedom and resistance.

22 October 2020 - Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the side-event “Safeguarding the rights to freedom of religion or belief and cultural rights at a time of crisis” during the UN General Assembly, from 12:00 -1:15 pm EDT (via Zoom).

21 October 2020 - Participation of the Special Rapporteur in the webinar “Climate change and cultural extinction: A Human Rights Crisis” organized with Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College during the UN General Assembly.

3 October 2020 – Intervention of the Special Rapporteur for the conclusions of the conference “The 2020 Rome Charter”,

13 August 2020 – Participation of the Special Rapporteur in IANGEL’s 7th Annual Virtual Gala.

10 July 2020 – Intervention by the Special Rapporteur “Culture is the heart of our response to COVID19”, in the panel session on “Accelerating transformation from the ground up in the post COVID19 era”, in the framework of the Local and regional governments’ day of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

22 April 2020 - Intervention by the Special Rapporteur in the round table "Imagine the tomorrow", thematic session on "The cultural mobilization in the COVID19 pandemic", organised in the framework of the Live Learning Experience: Beyond the Immediate Response to the Outbreak by UCLG, UN Habitat and metropolis

28 February 2020 - Conference by the Special Rapporteur "Defending the Right to Freedom of Artistic Expression", in the framework of the Art-at-Risk conference on "Creative work in challenging contexts", organised by artasfoundation, Zürich, Switzerland

2019

17 October 2019 - Keynote address by the Special Rapporteur "Why cultural rights matter?", for "The Hour of Freedom – Facts, Fictions and Freedom of Expression", organized in the framework of the Frankfurter Bookfair, Frankfurt, Germany

18 to 24 September 2019 - Official visit to Tuvalu

25 April 2019 – Video message of the Special Rapporteur, presented during the UNESCO International Conference on the 20th anniversary of the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention, Geneva, Switzerland

12 March 2019 – Opening keynote speech by the Special Rapporteur at the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture, organised by IFACCA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2018

6 December 2018 – Presentation of the Special Rapporteurreport on universality of human rights, cultural rights and cultural diversity, University of Malmö, Sweden.

5 December 2018 – Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the importance of article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Safe Havens conference, organized as part of the Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Malmö, Sweden.

4 December 2018 – Keynote speech by the Special Rapporteur on the cultural rights approach to the universality of human rights and the close interrelationship between universality and cultural diversity at the Annual Seminar of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities entitled "What Is at Stake When Religion and Culture Bypass Human Rights & Who Pays the Prize?", Oslo, Norway.

24 October 2018, Seminar on P.C. Chang and the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, New York, Colombia University

12- 13 September 2018 – Keynote address of the Special Rapporteur at the Climate Heritage Mobilization, on “A Human Rights Approach to the Intersection of Climate Change and Cultural Heritage”, San Francisco, USA.

24 May 2018 –24 May 2018 – Conference of the Special Rapporteur on “Les droits culturels: principaux enjeux actuels dans l’ensemble des droits humains” (in French), Freiburg, Switzerland.

23 May 2018 - Participation of the Special Rapporteur in a symposium on “Freedom of Religion or Belief, Cultural Rights and Women: promoting a Gendered Perspective on Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion”, together with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religions or belief, Geneva, Switzerland.

22 May 2018 - Statement by the Special Rapporteur in the first panel of the UNESCO event “Towards Access to Culture for All” (in English and French), celebrating the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, Paris, France.

9-11 May 2018 – Keynote address from the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights at the first Americas Culture Summit, organised by the Ministry of Culture of Argentina and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) hosted by the Canada Council for the Arts in Ottawa, Canada.

8 March 2018 - Keynote address by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights in the Symposium “Women in Culture and Science”, organised by the UNESCO Chair on Building Common Ground: Cultural Rights of the University of Copenhagen and the UNESCO division for gender equality, Paris, France.

22 March 2018 – Written contribution by the Special Rapporteur to the conference “Countering Violent Extremism: European Context and the Bangladeshi Diaspora”, organised by European Bangladesh Forum as a side-event to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva.

2017

1 December 2017 - "What are cultural rights?" An interview with the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, in the series of UNESCO podcasts “Talking about culture”, Paris

7 July 2017 - Keynote address from the Special Rapporteur Karima Bennoune opening the one-day intersessional seminar organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on "Cultural Rights and the Protection of Cultural Heritage", Geneva, Switzerland. * for more information on the event, consult the dedicated page here

13 May 2017 - Video address from the Special Rapporteur Karima Bennoune opening the Europa Nostra European Heritage Congress entitled "Sharing Heritage - Citizens Participation in Decision Making", Turku, Finnland.

10 May 2017 - Keynote address by the Special Rapporteur Karima Bennoune opening the work of the 2nd UCLG Culture Summit on "Commitments and Actions for Culture in Sustainable Cities", Jeju, Republic of Korea.

27 April 2017 - Expert contribution of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights to the International Criminal Court case "The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi".

2015

16 December 2015, participation of Mrs Karima Bennoune in the launch of UNESCOs first global report on tracking the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

13-14 November 2015, interview by Mrs. Farida Shaheed on the lessons of 6 years as mandate holder, international conference "Negotiating Cultural Rights", Copenhagen. http://pf.ku.dk/negotiating-cultural-rights/

22 May 2015, keynote speech by Ms. Farida Shaheed, International conference on the Human Right to Science: New Directions for Human Rights in Science, Bern, Switzerland

6 May 2015, Video conference by Ms. Farida Shaheed, Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium

18 March 2015, Keynote Address by Ms.Farida Shaheed, UCLG Culture Summit, Culture and Sustainable cities, Bilbao, Spain - Farida Shaheed, Reflections on culture, sustainable development and cultural rights

2014

November 2014, Mexico, Statement on the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

  • English | Spanish (unofficial translation to Spanish by NGO UNESCO Etxea) | Arabic (unofficial translation)

26 September 2014, Integrating Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Transitional Justice Processes: A Vehicle for Reform in the Middle East and North Africa? Tunis

5 May 2014, General Assembly special thematic debate, Culture and sustainable development in the post 2015 development agenda

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