Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights

A/HRC/RES/19/6No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 3Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2012.

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 topics

Cultural Pluralism Human Rights Right to Culture Special Rapporteurs

What does this mandate say?

18 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms that cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible, interrelated and interdependent;

Recognizes the right of everyone to take part in cultural life and to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications;

Reaffirms that, while the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Recalls, as expressed in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, that no one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit their scope;

Reaffirms that States have the responsibility to promote and protect cultural rights;

Recognizes that respect for the cultural diversity and cultural rights of all enhances cultural pluralism, contributing to a wider exchange of knowledge and understanding of cultural background, advancing the application and enjoyment of human rights throughout the world and fostering stable, friendly relations among peoples and nations worldwide;

Welcomes the work and contributions of the Independent Expert in the field of cultural rights;

Decides to extend, for a period of three years, the mandate of the current mandate holder as a special rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, as set out in the relevant United Nations human rights instruments, with the following mandate:

To identify best practices in the promotion and protection of cultural rights at the local, national, regional and international levels;

To identify possible obstacles to the promotion and protection of cultural rights, and to submit proposals and/or recommendations to the Human Rights Council on possible actions in that regard;

To work in cooperation with States in order to foster the adoption of measures at the local, national, regional and international levels aimed at the promotion and protection of cultural rights through concrete proposals enhancing subregional, regional and international cooperation in that regard;

To study the relationship between cultural rights and cultural diversity, in close collaboration with States and other relevant actors, including in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, with the aim of further promoting cultural rights;

To integrate a gender and disabilities perspective into his or her work;

To work in close coordination, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, other special procedures of the Human Rights Council, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as with other relevant actors representing the broadest possible range of interests and experiences, within their respective mandates, including by attending and following up on relevant international conferences and events;

Calls upon all Governments to cooperate with and assist the Special Rapporteur in the discharge of his or her mandate, to provide him or her with all the necessary information requested by him or her and to give serious consideration to responding favourably to his or her requests to visit their countries in order to enable him or her to fulfil his or her duties effectively;

Requests the High Commissioner to provide all the necessary human and financial resources for the effective fulfilment of the mandate by the Special Rapporteur;

Requests the Special Rapporteur to report regularly to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in accordance with their respective programmes of work;

Decides to continue its consideration of this matter under the same agenda item in accordance with its programme of work.

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Who created this mandate?

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What does this mandate say?

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