UCPH Talking About - Negotiating Cultural Rights

International conference on cultural rights

Organized by the research project The Past’s Future, headed by Helle Porsdam, Saxo Institute.

In 2009, the UN appointed Farida Shaheed as Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. The Special Rapporteur has since published various reports on cultural rights which together provide a new standard on this new and exciting area of human rights.

Farida Shaheed will be present at this conference during which international experts will comment on each of her reports. The UN reports will subsequently be published, together with the comments, in an edited volume. One underlying question for the conference is whether, with due care and attention, cultural rights could become a prime mover – an enabler and driver for development by providing a much-needed cultural legitimacy for human rights.

Increasing importance

During the last few decades, cultural rights have become increasingly relevant in the context of globalization and the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights. Furthermore, cultural rights are seen as key to the realization of the UN Millenium Development Goals. It is generally accepted that cultural rights are of equal importance to all human beings and impose upon nation states the obligation to respect, protect and fulfill these rights.

This is particularly interesting as international legal instruments such as the International Bill of Human Rights are comparatively silent on cultural rights.