A/HRC/46/34 67. As previously established under the mandate, the normative content of the right to benefit from scientific progress and its applications includes: (a) access to the benefits of science by everyone, without discrimination; (b) opportunities for all to contribute to the scientific enterprise and freedom indispensable for scientific research; (c) participation in decision-making; and (d) an enabling environment fostering the conservation, development and diffusion of science and technology.145 68. The Sustainable Development Goals are key to the implementation of cultural rights and vice versa. Progress on human rights obligations and on the Goals are two sides of the same coin. Moreover, the safeguarding and promotion of culture contributes directly to the achievement of many of the Goals relating to safe and sustainable cities, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, the environment, the promotion of gender equality, and peaceful and inclusive societies, and those explicitly referencing culture. 146 69. The core human rights values of solidarity and international cooperation are critical to pandemic responses and recovery.147 This is a moment to emphasize provisions such as Articles 55 and 56 of the Charter of the United Nations, which emphasize the promotion of collective solutions of international economic, social, health and related problems international cultural and educational cooperation (Art. 55 (b)) and universal human rights. It is also a critical moment to creatively and vigorously implement article 15 (4) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognizes the benefits to be derived from the encouragement and development of international contacts and cooperation in the scientific and cultural fields. 70. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recently underscored the critical importance of article 15 (4) for the enjoyment of the right to science.148 In particular, international cooperation is needed to address global disparities in access to science and technology. 149 Moreover, the benefits and applications resulting from scientific progress should be shared, particularly with developing countries, communities living in poverty and groups with special needs and vulnerabilities.150 States have extraterritorial obligations with regard to the full realization of the right to science. 151 Combating pandemics effectively requires stronger commitment from States to scientific international cooperation, as national solutions are insufficient. Sharing the best scientific knowledge and its applications, especially in the medical field, becomes crucial to mitigate the impact of the disease. 152 71. The Secretary-General released a policy paper in April 2020, in which he called for approaches to the pandemic to be shaped by human rights. 153 In presenting the paper, he noted: “A human rights lens puts everyone in the picture and ensures that no one is left behind.”154 While cultural rights are not specifically discussed in the paper, the SecretaryGeneral noted in particular that the crisis posed “cultural threats to indigenous peoples”.155 The addition of cultural rights to the paper’s important emphasis on the role of economic and social rights in creating crisis resilience is essential. 72. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights does not contain an article on possible derogations from State obligations similar to article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.156 This means that even during a crisis 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 18 Ibid., para. 25. See General Assembly resolution 70/1, annex; see also Jyoti Hosagrahar, “Culture: at the heart of SDGs”, The UNESCO Courier, April–June 2017. See, for example, www.asil.org/insights/volume/24/issue/15/collapse-global-cooperation-under-whointernational-health-regulations. General comment No. 25 (2020), para. 77. Ibid., para. 79. Ibid., para. 80. Ibid., paras. 83–84. Ibid., para. 82. “We are all in this together: human rights and COVID-19 response and recovery”. Available at www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/un_policy_brief_on_human_rights_and_covid_23_april_2020.pdf. See www.unocha.org/story/covid-19-and-human-rights-un-says-%E2%80%98we-are-alltogether%E2%80%99. “We are all in this together”, p. 12. A/HRC/44/39, paras. 9–12.