Preventing “Cultural Catastrophe” in the pandemic: A Cultural Rights Approach
CULTURAL ONLINE EVENT
Recently, I attended an online event that tackled the topic of cultural rights across the world affected by a pandemic that has brought on a “cultural catastrophe”. According to the UN special rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, “Cultural rights are fundamental for the respect of human dignity, in the diversity of its expressions” which is the stated purpose of the UN mandate. The current UN-appointed mandate holder, Karima Bennoune, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights since 2015, shared her hard work and addressed the need for greater recognition of and support for cultural rights defenders. Her forthcoming report for the council in 2021 focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cultural rights.