A/68/296 Report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Summary In the present report, the Special Rapporteur considers the issue of the writing and teaching of history, with a particular focus on history textbooks. The importance of historical narratives as cultural heritage and collective identity has been evident in all country visits undertaken by the Special Rapporteur, with people striving to retrieve, validate, make known and have acknowledged by others their own history on the one hand and contesting interpretations on the other. Other aspects relating to history have also been stressed, including that of certain groups being excluded from or portrayed negatively in history teaching. The Special Rapporteur therefore seeks to identify the circumstances under which the official historical narrative promoted by the State in schools becomes problematic from the perspective of human rights and peace, in addition to proposing a set of recommendations to ensure a multiperspective approach in history teaching. 2/27 13-42291