Promotion of the Enjoyment of the Cultural Rights of Everyone and Respect for Cultural Diversity

A/HRC/RES/20/11No 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 other versions does this mandate have?

14 versions · 2008–2026

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/61/12

2026A/HRC/RES/61/12Promotion of the enjoyment of the cultural rights of everyone and respect for cultural diversityLatestCompare with previous version
2025A/HRC/RES/58/11Promotion of the enjoyment of the cultural rights of everyone and respect for cultural diversityCompare with previous version
2023A/HRC/RES/52/18Promotion of the enjoyment of the cultural rights of everyone and respect for cultural diversityCompare with previous version
2022A/HRC/RES/49/16Promotion of the enjoyment of the cultural rights of everyone and respect for cultural diversityCompare with previous version
2020A/HRC/RES/43/9Promotion of the enjoyment of the cultural rights of everyone and respect for cultural diversityCompare with previous version

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What subjects does this mandate have?

5 topics

Cultural Pluralism Cultural Values 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 the State, regardless of its political, economic and cultural system, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Recalls that, as expressed in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, 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 and that these rights should be guaranteed for all, without discrimination;

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

Also recognizes that respect for cultural rights is essential for development, peace and the eradication of poverty, building social cohesion and the promotion of mutual respect, tolerance and understanding between individuals and groups, in all their diversity;

Emphasizes that the universal promotion and protection of human rights, including cultural rights, and respect for cultural diversity should reinforce each other;

Takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, in which she focused on the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications;

Also takes note of the work conducted by the Special Rapporteur, including the questionnaire on the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, as well as of the holding, in Geneva, of an experts’ meeting on the issue, on 5 and 6 December 2011, and of a public consultation, on 7 December 2011;

Recognizes that further work and discussions on the issue are needed and, in that regard, requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene, in 2013, a seminar of two working days on the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications in order to further clarify the content and scope of this right and its relationship with other human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right of everyone to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he or she is the author;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner:

To invite States, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and other relevant stakeholders, including academic experts and civil society organizations, as well as relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and other international organizations, to participate actively in the above-mentioned seminar;

To submit to the Human Rights Council, at its twenty-sixth session, a report, in the form of a summary, on the seminar;

Requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner to provide all the human and technical assistance necessary for the effective and timely realization of the above-mentioned seminar;

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

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

Requests the Special Rapporteur to present her next report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-third session, and decides to consider the report under the same agenda item in accordance with its programme of work.

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