Tuvalu: UN
expert to visit to assess cultural rights
GENEVA (16
September 2019) - The United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of
cultural rights, Karima Bennoune, will visit Tuvalu from 18 to 25 September
2019 to assess efforts to implement cultural rights for all.
“This is the
first visit by a UN Special Rapporteur to the country since 2012 and the first
visit of the cultural rights mandate to the Pacific,” said Bennoune, who is
tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with monitoring, reviewing and advising
on cultural rights in all countries.
“I look
forward to learning how the newly elected Government of Tuvalu understands
cultural rights and how it plans to implement them in ways that respect
universal human rights norms. I am also interested in how the new Government
aims to promote and respect cultural diversity and combat discrimination.”
“Given the
particular situation of Tuvalu, I will also assess policies designed to
mitigate the grave threat climate change poses to the culture and cultural
heritage of Tuvalu, and how culture is and can be used to respond to the
existential challenges resulting from climate change.”
The expert
hopes to visit a number of islands and meet central and local authorities, as
well as a range of people working in the field of culture, including academics,
artists, human rights advocates and women human rights defenders, and relevant
institutions. She will hold talks with civil society organisations and
representatives of UN agencies, enabling them to share their experiences,
discuss good practices and identify challenges in the enjoyment of cultural
rights.
At the end of
her mission, the Special Rapporteur will share her preliminary observations at
a news conference at 13:30 local time on Wednesday, 25 September. Access to the
news conference will be strictly limited to journalists.
Bennoune will
present a comprehensive report on her visit, including recommendations to the
Government and the international community, to a future session of the UN Human
Rights Council.
ENDS
Ms Karima
Bennoune was appointed as Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights by
the United Nations Human Rights Council in October 2015. Ms Bennoune 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. Her research
and writing, including on cultural rights issues, has been widely published in
leading journals and periodicals. Her mandate covers all countries and has most
recently been renewed by Human Rights Council resolution 37/12.
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 that address either specific country
situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures
experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a
salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization
and serve in their individual capacity.
UN Human
Rights country page: Tuvalu
For more
information and media requests please contact:
Ms Johanne
Bouchard (+41 22 917 96 30 before the mission/ +41 079-444-5515 during the
mission) or write to srculturalrights@ohchr.org
For media
inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact: Mr. Jeremy
Laurence (+41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)
Follow news
related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.
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