A/HRC/25/49 58. In numerous instances, new inscriptions keep being added to the same memorial, interposing layers of stories and complexity. C. “Illegal” memorials 59. Various groups, including families of victims, often create their own memorials, especially in the absence of initiatives by State authorities. Quicker to establish their memorials, these groups may act outside the law. In response, other communities may then create alternative memorials with other narratives. For example, communities in Northern Ireland use murals to express divergent perspectives of the Troubles. Such situations can be seen as fuelling tensions between communities, or as the medium for people to express their voices through non-violent means, raising the question of how this can be regulated. 60. In some instances, unauthorized monuments are tolerated by the authorities and society, either because the initiative is seen as a positive step or because removing a memorial may exacerbate tensions between communities. The risk is that such memorials may become cultural and political symbols that, rather than help reconciliation, intensify divisions which are sometimes imposed on local inhabitants in their own neighbourhoods, including inside or in front of schools. Furthermore, such processes tend to use symbols and memory to depict or refer to communities as monoliths.32 D. Monuments and sites of past oppressive regimes 61. Authoritarian and totalitarian regimes control memory not only for propaganda purposes but also as a tool to homogenize society in all aspects of life: this provides a strong argument for considering people’s access to a pluralistic memory as a human right. 62. The question is how to manage an architectural legacy with strong symbolic connotations when oppressive regimes collapse. Should a new democratic Government destroy, conserve or transform these legacies? Answers vary from situation to situation, frequently giving rise to intense controversy, including amongst victims. Striking examples include debates in Spain over the memorial in Valle de los caidos (the Valley of the Fallen) where Franco is buried, in Bulgaria over the mausoleum of former communist leader Georgy Dimitrov, which was finally destroyed, and in Germany over Hitler’s bunker, now located beneath a parking lot in the centre of Berlin, marked only by a small sign. 63. The choice to conserve, transform or destroy always carries meaning and so needs to be discussed, framed and interpreted. For example, the destruction and transformation of such monuments may be interpreted as a willingness to erase one part of history or a specific narrative. E. Promoting critical thinking and civic engagement 64. As part of the symbolic-cultural landscape, memorials impact on people’s perspectives and understanding of past events but equally of contemporary issues. Hence, they must be critically assessed. This is particularly important when people, including children, live under the shadow of numerous, repetitive images and symbols, such as murals and statues. Developing partnerships with artists may be particularly beneficial, as 32 Beatrice White, “The significance of murals in the Northern Ireland conflict”, in Walking the Tightrope: Europe between Europeanisation and Globalisation, Janny de Jong, Ine Megens and Margriet van der Waal, eds. (Groningen, Netherlands, University of Groningen, 2011), p. 307. 13