A/HRC/37/55 1. Respect for human rights 70. For such initiatives to be possible, the right of each person to freedom of artistic expression and creativity must be respected and ensured, in accordance with international standards. Accordingly, right-respecting public policies and vibrant institutions that support cultural engagement and political participation in accordance with international norms are essential. These are necessary preconditions for nurturing best practice in the field. Violation of the human rights, including cultural rights, of those working in the fields of arts and culture, including because of their socially engaged work, are intolerable and must be ended as a matter of urgency. The Special Rapporteur echoes the “call to action” on the issue of attacks on artists recently issued by new Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, who noted the rise in the number of such attacks from a documented 90 in 2014 to 340 in 2015 to 430 in 2016.46 71. Initiatives such as the Artists at Risk Connection, a collaborative project led by PEN America to increase resources available to at-risk or persecuted writers and artists, heighten awareness about their situation and build networks, should be supported and multiplied. 47 The Special Rapporteur likewise endorses the suggestion made by Freemuse that international donors should establish specific support programmes for artists and cultural industries victimized by terrorism. 48 72. With regard to infrastructure, public and outdoor spaces have to be made or kept accessible so that a variety of artistic and cultural initiatives can become part of the ordinary flow of people’s lives. This contributes to artistic and cultural education and fosters the development of a range of capacities for expression and building bridges across divisive lines in society. States have a specific role in ensuring that both institutional and public spaces are made available for a plurality of cultural initiatives, including those that may express critical views, and that increased opportunities exist for people from a diversity of backgrounds to engage with each other through these spaces. Promoting the notion that public space “has to be inclusive, egalitarian, and guided by issues that revolve around the common good” helps to ensure that a democratic debate takes place among citizens.49 73. Increasingly, stakeholders in the field recognize the extent to which effectiveness depends on collaboration and an “ecosystem” of interdependent actors with complementary approaches. Funding schemes that instigate competitive rather than cooperative relationships among local players seeking access to the same pools of money are detrimental. The need for adequate funding in this area is critical, as engaged artists report that funders sometimes shy away from them. 2. Recognition of the importance of participation and contextualization 74. While an international figure with star appeal can attract more attention and funding in the short term, commitment to local forms of expression and artistic production fosters a more sustainable process and sources of resilience, and helps strengthen local means of expression. 75. Participation is a key factor in any human rights approach and is particularly critical to ensure ownership of any cultural processes seeking to address societal challenges of discrimination, human rights violations, exclusion and violence. The forms and levels of participation in artistic and cultural initiatives can vary greatly. For many of these initiatives, the impact does not stop at the end of the performance: people continue to internalize, reflect and feel emotions that may change their perception. Being part of the 46 47 48 49 The call to action was on Twitter, on the @unescoNOW page on 14 December 2017, citing Re|Shaping Cultural Policies: Advancing Creativity for Development 2018 (Paris, UNESCO, 2017), p. 29. See https://artistsatriskconnection.org/. See also www.icorn.org for another laudable example and links to similar networks. Statement by Freemuse at the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, held during the thirty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council, 3 March 2017. See A/HRC/25/49, para. 72. 15