A/71/317 destruction go unnoticed. 3 Given that destruction of cultural heritage is most often irreversible, even in this digital age, we must come together to prevent and stop, as a matter of priority, such deliberate attacks on cultural rights and the culture of humanity. II. The human rights meaning of “cultural heritage” 6. Cultural heritage is significant in the present, both as a message from the past and as a pathway to the future. Viewed from a human rights perspective, it is important not only in itself, but also in relation to its human dimension, in particular its significance for individuals and communities and their identity and development processes (see A/HRC/17/38 and Corr.1, para. 77). Cultural heritage is to be understood as encompassing the resources enabling the cultural identification and development processes of individuals and groups, which they, implicitly or explicitly, wish to transmit to future generations (ibid., paras. 4-5). It is critical to emphasize the connections between culture more broadly and cultural heritage, and to recognize cultural heritage as living and in an organic relationship with human beings. This encourages its preservation and discourages its destruction. The Special Rapporteur notes the holistic approach to examining the interconnections between tangible and intangible cultural heritage taken by many experts. Attacks on one form of heritage are often accompanied by assaults on the other. She intends to illustrate those interconnections in this report, while noting the particular logistical aspects of the destruction and preservation of tangible cultural heritage due to its physical manifestations and the particular legal standards that pertain thereto. 7. As argued in many submissions received by the Special Rapporteur, including those of a number of States, because the tangible and intangible dimensions of cultural heritage are closely interconnected, destructio n of the tangible is linked to destruction of the intangible, such as religious and cultural practices related to cultural sites and objects. This impedes its transmission to future generations. 4 For example, ancient languages and religious practices tied to sacred spaces and structures and cultural landscapes of northern Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic are being lost as populations are displaced and objects, texts and historic structures are destroyed. Combined attacks on cultural heritage and people and their cultural rights spread terror, fear and despair. 5 8. While specific aspects of heritage may have particular resonance for and connections to particular human groups (see A/HRC/17/38 and Corr.1, para. 62), damage to any cultural property damages the cultural heritage of all humankind, since each people makes its contribution to the culture of the world. For example, “the destruction of tombs of ancient Muslim saints in Timbuktu, a common heritage of humanity, is a loss for us all, but for the local population it also means the denial of their identity, their beliefs, their history and their dignity”. 6 As Judge Cançado __________________ 3 4 5 6 4/24 See the submission of Cultural Survival which asserts “daily” occurrence of such violations. See, inter alia, the submissions of the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, the Philippines, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Maider Maraña. Submission of Patrice Meyer-Bisch. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “‘A very dark future for the local populations in Northern Mali’, warn UN experts”, 10 July 2012. See also the submissions of Belgium and Mauritius. 16-13742