A/HRC/58/60
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
24 February 2025
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fifty-eighth session
24 February–4 April 2025
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Digitalization of cultural heritage: preserving cultural rights
Report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights,
Alexandra Xanthaki*
Summary
In her report to the Human Rights Council, submitted in accordance with Council
resolution 55/5, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki,
focuses on the digitalization of cultural heritage and its impact on cultural rights. After
presenting an overview of her activities over the past year, she discusses the importance of
adopting a cultural rights approach to digitalization of cultural heritage in order to overcome
weaknesses that have not been addressed. A cultural rights approach to digitalization involves
asking questions regarding who decides which heritage will be digitalized, when, how and
in which form. A cultural rights approach places a priority on recognition of source
communities; non-discrimination in selecting, identifying and protecting cultural heritage;
equitable benefits; the real and meaningful participation of all, especially source and
guardian communities, to varying degrees; respect for cultural diversity in protecting and
preserving cultural heritage; and, finally, revisability and accountability with regard to
decision-making. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur asks States to take measures
to ensure that commercial interests do not limit cultural rights in digitalization processes and
to push international organizations to revise their documents, policies and standards so that
they are consistent with the cultural rights approach.
* The present report was submitted to the conference services for processing after the deadline so as to
include the most recent information.
GE.25-01705 (E)
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