UN rights expert calls to stop intentional destruction of
cultural heritage
NEW YORK (26 October 2016) – The United Nations Special
Rapporteur on cultural rights, Karima Bennoune, has today issued an urgent call
to step up international action against the destruction of cultural heritage.
The human rights expert told the UN General Assembly
there were numerous current examples of the deliberate destruction of cultural
heritage having a grave impact on people. She presented a report* setting out
the challenges and possible solutions, stressing the need to see cultural
destruction as a human rights issue.
“Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali and Syria are all in our
minds today, but many more countries are to be added to this list, where acts
of intentional destruction harm all, target free thinkers and
disproportionately affect people belonging to minorities,” Bennoune said.
Conflict-related destruction in Yemen was currently causing particular concern,
she added.
Ms. Bennoune stressed that the challenge of protecting
cultural heritage – precious monuments, sites and sacred places – could not be
met without first understanding the need to protect people and their human
rights.
“We must understand that when cultural heritage is under
attack, it is also the people and their fundamental human rights that are under
attack,” she said.
“Destruction is often accompanied by other grave assaults
on human dignity and human rights. We must care not only about the destruction
of heritage, but also about the destruction of the lives of human beings. They
are interrelated.”
The Special Rapporteur highlighted root causes including
armed conflict, indiscriminate attacks which failed to distinguish between
military targets and civilian infrastructure, deliberate targeting, and acts
based on an inappropriately broad definition of military necessity.
She stressed that the destruction undermined the right to
freedom from discrimination and numerous other human rights, including the
right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; the right to freedom of
artistic expression and creativity; and the rights to take part in cultural
life, and to access and enjoy cultural heritage.
Ms. Bennoune urged solutions based on holistic strategies
which promoted human rights and peace-building.
She highlighted cultural cleansing and cultural warfare as elements
which clearly demonstrated the need for a human rights-based approach to the
issue.
“Adopting a new human rights approach links the
connections that people have to cultural heritage and the ways in which it
allows them to enjoy their human rights,” she said. “In particular, it means
consulting the people who have particular connections with heritage when
seeking to determine whether they wish to rebuild or reconstruct such heritage
and if so, how and when.”
She strongly recommended that States should tackle - in
accordance with international standards - extremist and fundamentalist
ideologies, sectarianism and discriminatory attitudes, while maintaining
critical strategies such as humanist education, respect for human rights and
the promotion of tolerance and pluralism.
The Special Rapporteur also paid particular tribute to
all those who had laid down their lives to preserve humanity’s cultural
heritage.
“In many cases we must consider cultural heritage
professionals on the frontlines of the struggle against destruction as human
rights defenders,” Ms. Bennoune said.
“We must ensure their safety and security, provide them with the
conditions necessary to complete their work, and grant them asylum when necessary.”
(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s full report:https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N16/254/44/PDF/N1625444.pdf?OpenElement
ENDS
Ms. Karima Bennoune (United States of America) was
appointed UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights in October
2015. She grew up in Algeria and the United States. She is Professor of Law and
Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall Research Scholar at the University of
California-Davis School of Law where she teaches courses on human rights and
international law. Ms. Bennoune has worked in the field of human rights for
more than 20 years. Learn more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/CulturalRights/Pages/SRCulturalRightsIndex.aspx
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special
Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by
the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or
thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are
independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual
capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
For more information and media requests please contact in
New York Ms. Mylène Bidault (+ 41 79 444 37 07 / +41 22 917 9254 /
mbidault@ohchr.org), or write to srculturalrights@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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