A/73/227 11. This is a key moment to explore these important connections. We must find effective ways of making clear that: (a) cultural rights are not a justification for violations of human rights or attacks on universality, nor are they tantamount to cultural relativism; and (b) respect for cultural rights and cultural diversity, without discrimination and in accordance with international standards and as interpreted by human rights bodies, is a core aspect of implementing universality. These are, in fact, conjoined tasks. Moreover, the defence of cultural rights in accordance with international standards is, actually, a defence of universality and vice versa. 12. The celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2018 and of the tenth anniversary of the creation of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights in 2019 represent opportunities to further explore these important connections, take stock of the manner in which the development of cultural rights has changed the debate on the relationship between universality and cultural diversity and highlight how we may best defend and promote a universality that is both principled and inclusive, rock solid and thoughtful, pluralist and global, and grounded in the struggle against all forms of discrimination, and that takes into consideration the human rights of all, including those who have historically been marginalized. II. Legal standards and frameworks on universality and diversity 13. Cultural rights are an expression of and a prerequisite for human dignity. They protect the rights of each person, individually and with others, as well as groups of people, to develop and express their humanity, their world view and the meanings they assign to human existence and development through, inter alia, values, beliefs, convictions, languages, knowledge and the arts, institutions and ways of life. They also protect access to cultural heritage and resources that allow such identification and development processes to take place. Thus, they are strong vectors for both universality and cultural diversity. 14. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights was tasked from its creation with studying the relationship between cultural rights and cultural diversity (Human Rights Council resolution 10/23, para. 9 (d)). 4 As the Special Rapporteur has reiterated, cultural rights are not tantamount to cultural relativism. They are not an excuse for violations of other human rights. They do not justify discrimination or violence. They are not a licence to impose identities or practices on others or to exclude them from either in violation of international law. They are firmly embedded in the universal human rights framework. As such, limitations on the right of everyone to take part in cultural life in certain circumstances have been acknowledged and defined by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its general comment No. 21 (2009) on the right of everyone to take part in cultural life (para. 19), in particular in the case of negative practices, including those attributed to customs and traditions, that infringe upon other human rights. This is reminiscent of article 30 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stipulates that “nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein ”. 5 Hence, the implementation of human rights must take into consideration respect for cultural __________________ 4 5 6/26 See also Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, statement by the first mandate holder to the fourteenth session of the Human Rights Council, Gene va, 31 May 2010. See also General Assembly resolution 47/135, annex (Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minoriti es), art. 8 (2). 18-12312