The United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Ms. Karima Bennoune, is inviting all relevant stakeholders to contribute to a consultation on the intentional destruction of cultural heritage as a violation of human rights, in particular cultural rights.
In her first report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/31/59) and building on the report of devoted to the right to enjoy and access cultural heritage (A/HRC/17/38), the Special Rapporteur presented her initial observations about the intentional destruction of cultural heritage and indicated her intention to study this issue more in depth for her upcoming report to the General Assembly. This decision was welcomed by a cross-regional statement made to the Council in March 2016 by an unprecedented coalition of 145 States. The statement condemned intentional destruction of cultural heritage and called for identification of best practices for its prevention, and for “raising awareness on the mutually reinforcing relation between the protection of cultural heritage and human rights and on the risks faced by defenders of cultural heritage.”
The consultation aims to assess the intentional destruction of cultural heritage as a violation of human rights and its impact on the exercise of the rights to enjoy and access cultural heritage, to access, contribute to and enjoy the arts and to participate in cultural life. To this purpose, all States, United Nations agencies, academics and civil society organizations are invited to send their contributions.
Contributions would particularly be appreciated on the following issues:
- What is the impact of the intentional destruction of cultural heritage on the enjoyment of human rights, and particularly, on cultural rights? What is the impact of destruction of tangible cultural heritage on intangible cultural heritage, on cultural practices and beliefs, and on the right of concerned persons to participate in cultural life?
- What are examples of different situations illustrating the above (situations of armed / non armed conflict or international / internal conflict; destructions by States / Non-States actors; geographical or other diversity, etc.)?
- What are examples of good practices, especially with regard to prevention and protection against destruction, as well as repatriation and reconstruction measures of cultural heritage, including through human and cultural rights education and awareness?
- What strategies are in place to protect cultural heritage defenders at risk? Under which circumstances can they be considered as cultural rights defenders?
Please send submissions electronically no later than 10 June 2016 to srculturalrights@ohchr.org, using the email title: “Submission to study on intentional destruction of cultural heritage”. Kindly limit your responses to 2,500 words and attach annexes where necessary. Please also indicate if you have any objections with regard to your reply being posted on the OHCHR website.
Questions or requirement for clarifications concerning this request can be address to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (srculturalrights@ohchr.org).
Exchange with Civil Society Actors
Wednesday, 8 June 2016, 15.00 to 18.00
Civil society organisations are kindly requested to confirm their participation by e-mail to Ann Seth (aseth@ohchr.org, tel. +41 22 917 9987) and Maria Carmen Marin (mmarin@ohchr.org, tel. +41 22 917 9424) by 27 May 2016.
They are also invited to submit any information or points for consideration by the Special Procedures by 30 May 2016, which will serve to inform the discussions.
More about Special Procedures: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Welcomepage.aspx
Opening borders and welcoming those who flee war and misery, searching for a better future is an answer to the terror and fear sown by terrorists’ bombs.
Instead, many Nations in the North of the planet, along with the mass media, feed into this terror and fear, transforming migrants and refugees into the enemy from whom we must protect ourselves, and then sealing and militarizing their borders even more.
Opening borders is an answer that could foster the creation of true solidarity between those who were born in a particular land and those who arrived there from elsewhere; solidarity based on the affirmation of a society in which there are rights for all persons.
The final assembly of the 2010 World Social Forum on Migration called for a Global Day of Action. Our aim is to continue to give visibility to all initiatives taking place throughout the world that demonstrate against racism and promote human and civil rights for migrants, refugees, and displaced people.
Because asserting their rights means asserting the rights of all men and women!
Defending Women Defending Rights is an international campaign launched in 2004 for the recognition and protection of women human rights defenders who are activists advocating for the realization of all human rights for all people.
The campaign asserts that women fighting for human rights and all activists defending women’s rights face specific violations as a result of their advocacy or their gender. November 29th is a day of recognition for women human rights defenders, and it is a day to commemorate activism, advocacy and courageous acts of resistance. The campaign focuses on defense of rights and the impact of abuses by state and non-state actors (including family and community members), the rise in militarism and fundamentalisms, and the many ways defenders are targeted because of sexuality, including the perception of being lesbian or gay.
For more information, check the women human rights defender campaign website athttp://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org/ for videos, action alerts, reports, and other materials you can use to celebrate International Women Human Rights Defenders Day in your community.
The Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion forms part of the campaign activities undertaken by the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion, that aims to build an international movement to promote universal access to safe, legal abortion as a women’s health and human rights issue.
As part of the International Campaign, WGNRR engages in September 28 annual campaigning activities, conducted by Campaign and WGNRR members, as well as allies around the world.
September 28 has been a regional campaign for decriminalisation of abortion in Latin America and Caribbean for nearly twenty years before being taken on by SRHR activists all over the world as a Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion in 2011.
A Day Devoted to Strengthening the Ideals of Peace
International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by resolution 36/37, the United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. Furthering the Day’s mission, the General Assembly voted unanimously in 2001 to adopt resolution 55/282 establishing 21 September as an annual day of non-violence and cease- fire.
In 2010, the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) called all their organisations to celebrate, on each September 4th, World Sexual Health Day in an effort to promote a greater social awareness on sexual health across the globe.
The first World Sexual Health Day was celebrated with the slogan “Let’s talk about it!” to start breaking fears and taboos surrounding sexuality.
August 9 – 14, 2016
The goal of the WSF 2016 is to gather tens of thousands of people from groups in civil society, organizations and social movements who want to build a sustainable and inclusive world, where every person and every people has its place and can make its voice heard.
The 71st Regular Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 71) will convene at UN Headquarters on Tuesday, 13 September 2016.
The General Debate will open on Tuesday, 20 September 2016.
The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.
According to General Assembly resolutionA/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
