A/HRC/34/56/Add.1
the future and to conduct public awareness-raising campaigns to promote tolerance
and respect for diversity.
C.
Recommendations to the Turkish Cypriot authorities
107. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Turkish Cypriot authorities
revise existing restrictions on the accessibility of religious sites and cemeteries in the
north and the holding of religious services to ensure their strict compliance with
international standards protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief and the
right to enjoy and access cultural heritage, as previously recommended by the Special
Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in his report of 2012
(A/HRC/22/51/Add/1).
108.
The Turkish Cypriot authorities should also:
(a)
Speedily and fairly process requests for the holding of collective religious
ceremonies and inform applicants of the reasons for any rejection of their requests.
Minimizing the logistical procedures for holding ceremonies would constitute an
important step towards the implementation of the rights to freedom of religion or
belief and to enjoy and access cultural heritage in dignity;
(b)
Ensure that the local police do not intimidate those accessing sites, in
particular through filming and videotaping;
(c)
Diligently investigate allegations of vandalism of religious sites and
cemeteries, and develop strategies to protect cultural heritage sites, in particular
Christian sites, from further deterioration, in consultation with the population
concerned;
(d)
Ensure that people with a particular connection to a cultural heritage
site are consulted on the restoration work to be undertaken, the meaning of the site in
question and their wishes for future use. Requests made by people to access such sites
so as to clean, maintain or restore them, or simply to assess needs, should be handled
in a fair and transparent manner;
(e)
Develop programmes to improve and facilitate, where relevant, good
relationships between Turkish Cypriots and people travelling from the south to access
and enjoy cultural heritage sites;
(f)
Facilitate an open and inclusive public debate about the impact on
cultural rights of efforts perceived by some as constituting attempts to Islamize
Turkish Cypriot society in a manner not in keeping with local practices and human
rights, and take effective steps to address concerns identified in the debate.
D.
Recommendations to the international community
109. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the international community and
international organizations:
(a)
Adopt a human rights approach to cultural heritage issues when
supporting projects. That implies in particular adequately consulting people and
adopting strategies to ensure that cultural heritage is considered as living heritage,
with proper plans for the future use, destination and maintenance of sites;
(b)
Consider the impact of financial cuts on human rights, in particular
cultural rights, in all of its decision-making related to the economy of Cyprus;
(c)
Pay more attention to the impact of looting of cultural assets on the
human rights of people, in particular their right to freedom of religion or belief and
their right to enjoy and access cultural heritage, and increase assistance to the
Government of the Republic of Cyprus in their efforts to repatriate trafficked objects.
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