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Report

Call for input on the right to access and take part in scientific progress

Issued by

Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights

Published

21 February 2024

presented to

Human Rights Council Fifty-fifth session

Report

Issued by Special Procedures

Subject

Cultural rights

Symbol Number

A/HRC/55/44

Summary

In her report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, emphasizes the importance of an inclusive approach to the right to science. She recalls the evolution of the meaning of science, which now encompasses all scientific approaches. The Special Rapporteur stresses that the right to participate in science through varied modalities must be guaranteed for all and she advocates for multiple and wide-ranging science-policy interfaces and special measures to remove obstacles to the exercise of that right. Scientific freedom must be guaranteed and a human rights approach to science must be implemented at all levels by all actors.

Background

Today, particularly in the post-Covid and climate change context, many ongoing conversations focus on the important contribution of science to the realization of human rights and the sustainable development goals. The Special Rapporteur believes that this discussion must be placed in a human rights framework. It is important to reiterate the human rights dimension of science, and to understand access to and participation in science as crucial human rights issues.

In her forthcoming report to the Human Rights Council, she intends to address the right to access and take part in scientific progress. In order to identify relevant experiences and challenges, she prepared a questionnaire (below), which she sent to States, United Nations agencies, national human rights institutions, academics, scientists, cultural workers and practitioners, as well as civil society organizations for their consideration.

The forthcoming report will build on the previous work of the mandate (Report on the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, A/HRC/20/26, 2012), and of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (General Comment 25 on Science and Economic, Social and Cultural rights, 2020).

Objectives

The Special Rapporteur intends to take stock of setbacks and progress both under international human rights law and in practice regarding access to scientific knowledge and its applications. She plans to focus more on the rather unexplored issue of participation in scientific life, as part of cultural life. Central questions include what participation means, what are possible limits to it, and how to ensure it in ways that complements scientific expertise, in the context of societies that are challenged by misinformation and disinformation. She would also like to reflect more broadly on the definition of science, scientific expertise and exclusionary processes such definitions may entail; on the notion of scientific diversity; on challenges and obstacles to participation; on conditions and best ways to ensure it; as well as on the intrinsic relationship between access and participation. 

Cultural rights protect the rights for each person, individually and in community with others as well as groups of people, to develop and express their humanity, their world view and the meanings they give to their existence and their development through, inter alia, values, beliefs, convictions, languages, knowledge and the arts, institutions and ways of life. They are also considered as protecting access to cultural heritage and resources that allow such identification and development processes to take place.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

Please select and answer the questions most relevant for your organization / entity. Kindly limit your responses to 3,000 words and attach annexes where necessary.

To facilitate their consideration, please send responses in a Word document, and in English, French or Spanish.

Please clearly specify the entity making the contribution on the document itself and add paragraph numbers.

All submissions will be posted on the OHCHR website.

Inputs Received
Inputs Received
States

Chile: note verbale | input

Ecuador: note verbale | input

Guatemala: note verbale | input

Honduras: note verbale | input

Hungary: note verbale | input

Malaysia

Mexico: note verbale | input

Qatar

Russian Federation

Spain: note verbale | input

Togo

NHRIs

Defensor del Pueblo de la Nación, República Argentina

CSOs

Association of Reintegration of Crimea

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

Center for Reproductive Rights

Coming Out LGBTQ+ group

ENTIDAD TERRITORIAL INDÍGENA ATUN WASI IUAI DEL PUEBLO INGA DE COLOMBIA – AWAI / University of Essex / ETH Zurich (English | Español)

Humanists international

International Federation of Libraires and Archives (IFLA )

Ipas and Expensive medical abortion access project (EMAA) (joint)

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights Association

Minority Rights Group (MRG)

One Ocean Hub

The Royal Golden Cocoon of Java: Cricula Trifenestrata (Indonesia)

Treatment Action Group

Academia

Antoon de Baets

Axana Soltan

Eric Tannier

Grupo de Estudios en Derechos Culturales de Argentina

Michela Massimi

Monika Plozza

Observatorio de Derechos Humanos Universidad de las Andes - Venezuela

Patrice Meyer-Bisch, Observatoire de la diversité et des droits culturels

Individuals

Henry McGhie, Curating Tomorrow

Lutz Möller, German Commission for UNESCO

Vongani Lawrence Mashava: input | annex-1 | annex-2 | annex-3 | annex-4

Participants to the expert consultations
  • Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
  • Samantha Besson, Professor of Public international Law and European Law, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Mylène Bidault, OHCHR, Special Procedures Branch
  • Caitlin Bishop, Privacy International
  • Roberto Bissio, Social Watch, Uruguay
  • Andrea Boggio, Professor of Legal Studies, Bryant University, USA
  • Johanne Bouchard, OHCHR, Special Procedures Branch
  • Romana Cacchioli, PEN International
  • Joshua Castellino, Minority Rights Group
  • Gisa Dang, Treatment Action Group
  • Brian Daniels, PEN Heritage Center, University of Pennsylvania
  • Paul Olivier Dehaye, hestia.ai, Switzerland
  • Lena Yanina Estrada Añokazi, member of the Indigenous Uitoto Minɨka, Politologue, University national of Colombia
  • Moira Faul, Network for International Policies and Cooperation in Education and Training (NORRAG), Senior Lecturer at the Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland
  • Mike Frick, Treatment Action Group
  • Liza Gilbert, UNESCO
  • Faye Goddard, OHCHR, Special Procedures Branch
  • Naomie Hellman, Minority Rights Group
  • Fei Jiao, Traditional Knowledge Division, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • Habib Khazdaghli, Professor of Contemporary History, University of Manouba, Tunisia
  • Dietlind Lerner, PEN America
  • Michela Massimi, Professor, Chair of Philosophy of Science, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  • Milica Momčilović, President, World Federation of Science Journalists
  • Elizabeth O’Casey, Humanists International
  • Helle Porsdam, Professor of History and Cultural Rights, UNESCO Chair in cultural rights, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Denise Roche, Scholars at Risk Europe
  • David Robinson, Education International
  • Polina Sadovskaya, PEN International
  • Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education
  • Maria Smirnova, OHCHR, Special Procedures Branch
  • Maria Rosario Soraide Duran, UNESCO
  • Vivi Stavrou, International Science Council, Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science (CFRS)
  • Konstantinos Tararas, Inclusion, Rights and Intercultural Dialogue Section, UNESCO
  • Julie Trébault, Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), PEN America
  • Daniel Uribe, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Program, South Centre
  • Diego Valadares, OHCHR, Right to development section
  • Ricardo Villalobos, lawyer; Research and International Advocacy Department of Aula Abierta, Venezuela
  • Herlambang Wiratraman, Associate professor, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

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