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Report on the right to freedom of artistic expression and creation

Summary

"Nadia Plesner's drawing Simple Living(2007) was inspired by the artist's reaction to mass media prioritizing between world matters and celebrity gossip. Sued by Louis Vuitton, Nadia Plesner fought to include references to status symbols in her art works, and was declared by a court in the Hague to be free to exhibit the drawing." With the courtesy of the artist.

The Special Rapporteur addresses the multi-faceted ways in which the right to the freedom indispensable for artistic expression and creativity may be curtailed. She reflects upon the growing worldwide concern that artistic voices have been or are being silenced by various means and in different ways.

This report addresses laws and regulations restricting artistic freedoms, as well as economic and financial issues significantly impacting on such freedoms. The underlying motivations are most often political, religious, cultural or moral, or lie in economic interests, or are a combination of those.

Recommendations

The Special Rapporteur encourages States to critically review their legislation and practices imposing restrictions on the right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity. States should take into consideration their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil this right. The Special Rapporteur notes that more discussion is urgently needed on this issue.

Learn more about the rights related to artistic freedom and creativity

Methodology

In order to assess achievements and challenges related to the right to artistic freedom, the Special Rapporteur prepared a questionnaire and sent it to States, United Nations agencies, academics and civil society organizations.

Read the note verbale and questionnaire

Inputs received

Member States of the United Nations

• Argentina
• Azerbaijan
• Bulgaria
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Fiji
• Georgia 1-2
• Germany 1-2-3
• Ireland
• Japan
• Lebanon
• Mauritania
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Norway
• Romania
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Slovenia 1-2
• Spain 1-2
• Syria
• Ukraine 1-2
• United States of America

National human rights institutions

• Austrian Ombudsman Board
• CNDP Rwanda
• Defensoria del Pueblo de la Republicana Bolivariana de Venezuela 1-2-3

Individuals and civil society organisations

• Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)
• Amis des étrangers au Togo
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)
• Canada Council for the Arts
• Céline Romainville, Universités de Louvain et de Saint Louis, Belgique
• Coalition béninoise pour la diversité culturelle
• Collectif Alger-Culture
• Council of Danish Artists
• Czech Actors Association
• Equity, United Kingdom
• Japan Actors Union and Japan Arts Council
• Jordi Baltà, Fundación Interarts, Spain
• Mark Vladimirovich Shugurov, Russian Federation
• Meta Atauea, Cultural producer, Kiribati
• National Association for the Visual Arts, Australia
• Observatoire de la diversité et des droits culturels, Switzerland
• Organización de Sindicatos de Artistas del Estato Espanol (OSAAEE)
• Portuguese Coalition for Cultural Diversity
• Romania Independent Society of Human Rights
• Syndicat français des artistes interprètes

Other contribution

• UNESCO