Cultural heritage – right, identity and dignity
Abstract
In international human rights law established after World War Two, one of cultural rights that has been traditionally most neglected out of five categories of human rights (civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights), is the right to participation in cultural life, while its segment, by the nature of things, is also the right of access to and enjoyment of cultural heritage. Although international human rights law thus establishes the basis for treating the right of access to and enjoyment of cultural heritage as a human right, international acts dealing with the matters of cultural heritage protection have had a long-prevailing approach in which cultural goods were protected because of their inherent value. It was only recently, with the emerging needs and interests in respect of the safeguarding of cultural diversity and protection of intangible cultural heritage, that the emphasis began to be placed on the relationship, including the legal one, between cultural heritage and human communities, groups and individuals with a special subjective attitude towards it. That is how the human-rights based system of cultural heritage protection was gradually established and the segment of international law dealing with human rights was brought closer to the segment dealing with cultural heritage. In order to consider a right as a human right, apart from the will of law-makers to be like that, it also requires the existence of certain values which constitute the basis for it and which should be safeguarded through the protection of that human right. An understanding deriving from a series of international legal acts and being widespread in theory is that, when it comes to cultural rights, including the right of access to and enjoyment of cultural heritage, such basis is constituted by identity, first of all cultural identity, and human dignity. Therefore, although the foundation is laid for the right of access to and enjoyment of cultural heritage to be treated as a human right, it is necessary to clarify and elaborate, at the legal level, a number of questions which should ensure effective enjoyment of this right. The task is in the hands of states, either as participants in the adoption of international law acts or as national law-makers, so the question remains open as to the nature of their attitude to further development of the human-rights based system of cultural heritage protection.
References
Beitz, C. R. (2013). Human Dignity in the Theory of Human Rights: Nothing But a Phrase? Philosophy & Public Affairs, Vol. 41, No. 3, 259–290.
Blake, J. (2015). International Cultural Heritage Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Donders, Y. (2020). Cultural Heritage and Human Rights. In F. Francioni & A. F. Vrdoljak (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of International Cultural Heritage Law (379–406). Oxford: Oxford University Press
Ekern, S., Logan, W., Sauge, B. and Sinding-Larsen, A. (2012). Human rights and World Heritage: preserving our common dignity through rights-based approaches to site management, International Journal of Heritage Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3, May 2012, 213–225.
Gordon, J.S. (2015). Human Rights and Cultural Identity. Baltic Journal of Law & Politics Volume 8, Number 2, 112–135. DOI: 10.1515/bjlp-2015-0021
Leuprecht, P. (2006). The Difficult Acceptance of Diversity. Vermont Law Review, Volume 30, Book 3, 551–564.
Logan, W. S. (2012). Cultural diversity, cultural heritage and human rights: towards heritage management as human rights-based cultural practice. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 18 (3), 231-244. DOI:10.1080/13527258.2011.637573
Logan, W. S. (2007). Closing Pandora’s Box: Human Rights Conundrums in Cultural Heritage Protection. In H. Silverman and D. Fairchild Ruggles (eds.), Cultural Heritage and Human Rights (33–52). New York: Springer
Marković, S., Protić, E. (2012). Construction of a hydroelectric power plant on Moravica in the light of archival material. Izvornik - građa Međuopštinskog istorijskog arhiva Čačak, no. 27. [In Serbian]
McCrudden,C. (2008). Human Dignity and Judicial Interpretation of Human Rights. The European Journal of International Law, Vol. 19 no. 4, 655–724.
Shelton, D. (2016). Preface: On Identity. The George Washington International Law Review, Volume 49, Number 1, 1–18.
Silverman, H. and Fairchild Ruggles, D. (2007). Cultural Heritage and Human Rights. In H. Silverman and D. Fairchild Ruggles (eds.), Cultural Heritage and Human Rights (3–22). New York: Springer
Steinmann, R. (2016). The Core Meaning of Human Dignity. PER / PELJ (19), 1–32. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2016/v19i0a1244.
Yupsanis, A. (2010). The Concept and Categories of Cultural Rights in International Law - their Broad Sense and the Relevant Clauses of the International Human Rights Treaties, Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, Vol. 37, Spring, 207-266. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328409887_The_Concept_and_Categories_of_Cultural_Rights_in_International_Law
Valentini, L. (2017). Dignity and Human Rights: A Reconceptualisation. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 37, No. 4, 862–885. doi:10.1093/ojls/gqx011
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981). Available at: https://au.int/en/treaties/african-charter-human-and-peoples-rights
ASEAN Declaration on Cultural Heritage (2000). Available at http://arc-agreement.asean.org/file/doc/2015/02/asean-declaration-on-cultural-heritage.pdf
Charter for African Cultural Renaissance (2006). Available at: https://au.int/en/treaties/charter-african-cultural-renaissance
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2009). General comment No. 21 – Right of everyone to take part in cultural life (art. 15, para. 1 (a), of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), Document E/C.12/GC/21, adopted at the Forty-third session held on 2–20 November 2009. Available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4ed35bae2.html
Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (2005). Available at https://rm.coe.int/1680083746
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 34/180 of 18 December 1979 entry into force 3 September 1981, in accordance with article 27(1). Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/documents/professionalinterest/cedaw.pdf
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989 entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with article 49. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006). Available at: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-personswith-disabilities.html
Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting in Paris from 17 October to 21 November 1972, at its seventeenth session. Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/conventiontext/
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003). Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17716&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Final Act of the The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, adopted in Helsinki on 1 August 1975. Available at: https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/5/c/39501.pdf
Human Rights Council (HRC, 2011, March 21st). Report of the independent expert in the field of cultural rights Farida Shaheed, A/HRC/17/38. Available at: https://www.rightdocs.org/doc/a-hrc-17-38/
Human Rights Council (HRC, 2010, March 22nd). Report of the independent expert in the field of cultural rights, Ms. Farida Shaheed, A/HRC/14/36. Available at: https://caselaw.ihrda.org/doc/a-hrc-14–36/
Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Karima Bennoune (3 February 2016), A/HRC/31/59. Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/831612
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 49. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966). Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry into force 3 January 1976, in accordance with article 27. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/cescr.aspx
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), adopted and opened for signature and ratification by General Assembly resolution 2106 (XX) of 21 December 1965 entry into force 4 January 1969, in accordance with Article 19. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/cerd.aspx
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990), adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/158 of 18 December 1990. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/cmw.aspx
Pacific Forum (2002). Model Law for the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture. Available at https://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/spc/spc002en.pdf
Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore (1989). Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13141&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
The European Court of Human Rights, Judgment of 29 April 2002, in case Pretty v. United Kingdom, application no. 2346/02
UN General Assembly Resolution 41/120, “Setting International Standard in the Field of Human Rights“ (4 December 1986). Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/126473
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14–25 June 1993, UN Doc A/CONF 157/24. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/A_CONF.157_24.pdf
UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005), adopted in Paris, 20 October 2005, at The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting held in Paris from 3 to 21 October 2005 at its 33rd session. Available at: https://en.unesco.org/creativity/sites/creativity/files/passeport-convention2005-web2.pdf
UNESCO Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage (2003). Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17718&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
UNESCO Declaration of Principles of International Cultural Co-operation (1966), adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting in Paris at its fourteenth session, on 4 November 1966. Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13147&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001). Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 33/20 on cultural rights and the protection of cultural heritage (30th September 2016). A/HRC/RES/33/20. Available at: https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/RES/33/20
United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 37/30 on cultural rights and the protection of cultural heritage (22nd March 2018). A/HRC/RES/37/17. Available at: https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/RES/37/17
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December - General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). Available at https://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf
World Heritage Committee (January 2008). Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, WHC. 08/01 Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/archive/opguide08-en.pdf
World Heritage Committee, Thirty first Session (2007). Proposal for a ‘Fifth C’ to be added to the Strategic Objectives, WHC-07/31.COM/13B. Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2007/whc07-31com-13be.pdf