Cultural Rights Protection in the United Nations System: A Study from the Perspective of UNESCO

ZONG Huawei*

Abstract: Cultural rights are important human rights established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). However, they have not received due attention within the United Nations human rights system and related academic research. As a specialized agency within the United Nations system primarily responsible for cultural affairs, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has played a significant role in promoting the recognition and advocacy of cultural rights in the international community, mainly by expanding and deepening the normative connotations of cultural rights, strengthening the integration of culture and cultural rights with the United Nations’ development agenda, and creating cultural heritage rights and other specific examples of protection practices. Under its leadership, the United Nations system is exploring a new agenda of collective actions to promote cultural rights, which shows a trend of emphasizing cross-sectoral collaboration between culture and science, as well as culture and education. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, China should further leverage the advantages of UNESCO as a global cultural governance platform to share its concepts and experience in protecting and realizing cultural rights with the international community. Through the Global Civilization Initiative, China can lead and shape the emerging international agenda on cultural rights and promote the progress of international human rights and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Keywords: cultural rights · United Nations system · UNESCO·global civilization initiative