A/HRC/17/38/Add.1 expert proposes recommendations to strengthen the promotion and protection of cultural rights for all in Brazil. II. General background A. Cultural diversity in Brazil 7. Brazil is the largest and most populated country in the Latin American region, with a population of 185,712,713 in 20101 comprising a mixture of five major groups: indigenous peoples, persons of African, European, Asian and Middle East descent; and immigrants. More than 50 per cent of the population identifies as Afro-Brazilians.2 Brazil has 225 ethnic groups that speak more than 180 different languages, a number of which are in danger of disappearing.3 8. A correlation between ethnicity, social exclusion and discrimination in Brazil has been largely documented. This has also been highlighted by the Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality (SEPPIR), which stressed the detrimental impact that this has on cultural minorities that are yet to gain adequate visibility and appreciation in public policies, and in the country. 9. Brazil is a multi-religious society. According to the 2007 census, the majority of the population are adherents of Catholicism (73.8 per cent). Other religions professed include Protestantism (15.4 per cent); Spiritualism (1.3 per cent) and Afro-Brazilian religions (0.3 per cent). The census indicates that 1.8 per cent of the population adhere to other religions and belief systems and 7.4 per cent do not profess any religion. Some of the religions of African origin, introduced in Brazil by African slaves, include Candomblé, Umbanda, Batuque, Drum Mines (tambor de minas) and Quimbanda. These religions have enabled persons of African descent to preserve and continue their traditions, languages, knowledge and values. B. The place of culture in the Governmental agenda 10. Cultural rights are recognised in the 1988 Federal Constitution, with the national Government tasked with guaranteeing such rights. Among a number of robust measures, the National Plan of Culture (NPC), developed through broad consultative processes, was adopted in December 2010.4 Several policies, plans and programmes implemented in the field of culture are interlinked through the National System of Culture, created by the NPC. For example, the Territories of Identity programme implemented, inter alia, in the states of Bahia and São Paulo, takes into consideration socio-cultural and economic variations in planning, programming and budgeting. 11. Three major dimensions of culture – symbolic, civic and economic – were identified in the participatory processes to formulate the NPC. These dimensions, introduced with the launching of the Living Culture programme in 2004, have now permeated public policies, plans and programmes related to culture. 1 2 3 4 Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e estatística (IBGE). Information provided by the Secretariat of Policies for the Promotion of Racial Equality (SEPPIR) and the Palmares Foundation. See also section III-C of this report. Information provided by the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI). Law 12.343 of 2 December 2010. 5