A/HRC/61/49/Add.2 for all and of setting out plans for the future. They are no longer non-dominant elements of the population that fall under the international legal protections for Indigenous Peoples. As such, they must take measures to ensure the protection of their identity, heritage, values and practices as peoples. The Special Rapporteur was of the view that this new role, and the corresponding obligations to drive the human rights discussions and deliver results, had not fully been asserted by the traditional and elected authorities. 31. In order to meet its international obligations, the national Government and its public bodies must learn from the state, local and traditional authorities about the obstacles in materializing cultural rights, identify with them avenues to address such obstacles and work together towards campaigns, legislation and measures to eradicate them. They must also find ways to orient, guide and support the implementation of cultural rights across all states. In their facilitating and coordination function, the federal authorities must furthermore ensure the states have the knowledge, tools and means necessary to implement cultural rights. For example, while respecting the states’ responsibilities towards the right to education, the federal authorities could produce guidance on international standards, request targeted progress reports from each State or support the dissemination of examples of successful measures, initiatives and practices and their impacts across the states. IV. Strengths in and obstacles to realizing cultural rights 32. The territory of the Federated States of Micronesia has been under the control of various foreign powers throughout its history, each of them impacting the cultural ecosystems of the islands. Although its structure was imposed by the Trust Administration, the Federated States of Micronesia was established as a conscious alliance between the various groups. This history explains in part its current struggle to define a common identity and national trajectory, while respecting the aspiration to maintain the diversity within. 33. Throughout her visit, the Special Rapporteur had the impression that human rights were sometimes perceived as a tool of colonialism. This could not be further from truth. Human rights, she insisted, support individuals and groups to develop and express themselves in dignity, empower them and protect them from arbitrary power, in the same way that cultural structures and communities should. In this context, she commended the decision of the Government to focus on cultural rights. Cultural rights protect the development and expression of cultural identities. At their core, they empower individuals and groups to express their humanity, world views and the meanings that they attribute to their existence and development through various forms of human expressions.2 This can include the arts, cultural heritage or languages, as well as sciences, knowledge, convictions, religions and beliefs, sports and games, rites and ceremonies, production methods, technology, institutions and livelihoods, connections with nature and the environment, food and dress. They also encompass the rights to access and participate in heritage and resources that facilitate these processes of identification and development. 34. A strategic focus on cultural rights could hence help the Government leverage the unique cultural assets of its peoples to guide the country in its development process. A. Strength of cultural ties 35. The Special Rapporteur was impressed with the strength of peoples’ cultural ecosystems. In a world where solidarity has failed and many States have weakened common values and understandings, Micronesians, despite their vast diversity, have maintained solidarity and the notion of the common good at the heart of their interactions. There is a remarkable and profound respect for and understanding of cultural diversity. On many occasions, the Special Rapporteur was reminded that Micronesians generally have the strongest sense of identity with their island, then with their state and, only after, with the nation. The richness of multiple identities, different and overlapping, are celebrated in the Federated States of Micronesia. Many responses to her questions highlighted that practices 2 GE.26-01464 See www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-cultural-rights. 7