A/HRC/46/34 Religious services and non-religious gatherings were offered virtually, such as the innovative digital iftars held during Ramadan by Muslims for Progressive Values. New intangible musical heritage is shifting to the digital music education system in ways that can help, for example, maintain the heritage of indigenous peoples. What will be essential going forward is to preserve and learn from what has been positive, while effectively addressing the negative aspects. 30. Digital cultural opportunities are undercut by the digital divide, which has been previously documented by other United Nations experts.70 Over 4 billion of the 7.8 billion people in the world do not have regular access to the Internet; 90 per cent of those live in developing countries.71 Moreover, there may be stark divides in Internet access, including in wealthy nations, that affect poor, rural and minority populations and indigenous peoples in particular. 72 Such stark inequities in Internet access translate to disparate enjoyment of cultural rights during the pandemic. Digital opportunities may also be limited based on disabilities73 or linguistic abilities, with persons with hearing or visual impairments and those who do not speak dominant languages or who speak indigenous languages less likely to be included. Inclusion must be emphasized, and there must be regular inclusion and accessibility audits of cultural adaptations, as well as programmes for making the Internet available for free or affordably.74 Moreover, where digital cultural offerings have been free during the pandemic, which is positive in terms of public access, this also raises questions about insuring the payment of artists in the future.75 31. Additionally, online harassment is on the increase, targeting in particular lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, women and minorities. Censorship and repression have also been increasing online.76 It is essential to hold States accountable for upholding human rights in cyberspace.77 Human rights guarantees continue to apply online, subject to the same regime of limitations recognized in international human rights law. 78 In order to fulfil their human rights obligations, including on cultural rights in the context of the pandemic, public powers need to ensure access to and participation in cyberspace for all. 79 III. Roles of culture and cultural rights in responding to the pandemic 32. During the pandemic, culture and the exercise of cultural rights have been vital as means of building resilience, delivering public health messages, promoting solidarity and supporting mental health and well-being, including for health-care workers and human rights defenders. They have also been vital for overcoming isolation, stimulating the mind and senses of those staying at home, and defending human rights and imagining better, more just futures.80 Artists, cultural professionals and the entire cultural sector have a fundamental role in promoting well-being and resilience, guaranteeing access to information, encouraging awareness and tolerance and building the capacities to imagine the societies of the future, 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 10 See, e.g., A/HRC/44/39, paras. 32–44. See also contribution from Panama and the National Consultative Commission for Human Rights of France. A/HRC/44/49, para. 29. See contribution from Panama. See, e.g., contribution from Finland. See, e.g., contribution from Chile. See http://rorelsernasmuseum.se/media6.mustasch-labs.com/public_html/2020/11/Safe-Havens-ShortReport-24-Nov-2020.pdf, p. 8. See, e.g., A/HRC/44/49, paras. 24–29. See www.canva.com/design/DAEC614MC3s/K1Ctor2tw9DKi7vNqV9pvw/view?website#2:digitaltoolkit. See Human Rights Council resolution 20/8. A/74/255, para. 70. See, e.g., contributions from Chile, Ecuador and the Imagining Together Platform for Arts, Culture and Conflict Transformation, and www.uclg.org/sites/default/files/decalogue_for_the_post_covid19_era.pdf. On the contributions of artistic expression to human rights generally, see A/HRC/23/34 and A/HRC/37/55.