A/HRC/25/49 I. Introduction 1. This report is the second of two consecutive studies by the Special Rapporteur on historical and memorial narratives in divided and post-conflict societies. The first report, dealing with the issue of the writing and teaching of history, with a particular focus on history textbooks was submitted to the General Assembly in 2013 (A/68/296) and sought to identify the circumstances in which historical narratives promoted by States in schools may become problematic from a human rights perspective. This second report addresses memorialization processes, with a specific focus on memorials and museums, and tackles the wider processes of collective memorialization undertaken by various actors, both governmental and non-governmental. 2. Cultural rights have an important role to play in transitional justice and reconciliation strategies: “To be successful, criminal and restorative justice must be integrated into a larger process”, including in particular cultural rights1 that can help to transform institutions and stimulate changes in both cultural practices and individual outlooks.2 Collective reparations for mass or grave violations of human rights can take the form of legal but also non-legal measures, the latter entering the field of symbolism and memory, which is too often overlooked. The ways in which narratives are memorialized have consequences far beyond the sole issue of reparations. Entire cultural and symbolic landscapes are designed through memorials and museums reflecting, but also shaping negatively or positively, social interactions and people’s self-identities, as well as their perception of other social groups. Sometimes, the past defines people rather than informs them. 3. The present report tries to elucidate the responsibilities of States and other stakeholders in the field of memorialization, in view of the fact that memory, like history, is never immune from political influence and debate. The rising trend of memorialization processes today makes discussing these issues both urgent and necessary. 4. In 2013, the Special Rapporteur convened two meetings on these issues. The first was held from 1 to 3 July 2013 in Derry/Londonderry, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (see A/68/296, paragraph 8, and annex). A second expert meeting was organized on 7 and 8 October 2013 in Geneva, in cooperation with the research team PIMPA (Politics of Memory and Art Practices) of the Geneva University of Art and Design. On 5 July 2013, the Special Rapporteur convened open consultations in Geneva in order to offer an opportunity to States, national human rights institutions and nongovernmental organizations to present their views. The Special Rapporteur thanks all participants for their valuable contributions. II. Processes of memorialization: goals and challenges 5. For the purpose of this report, the Special Rapporteur refers to memorials, understood as physical representation or commemorative activities, located in public spaces, that concern specific events regardless of the period of occurrence (wars and 1 2 Pierre Hazan, “Ten years after the birth of the International Criminal Court, the challenges of complementarity”, Politorbis vol. 54, No. 2 (2012), page 9. Pablo de Greiff, “On making the invisible visible: the role of cultural interventions in transitional justice processes”, in Transitional Justice, Culture and Society: Beyond Outreach, Clara RamírezBarat ed. (New York, Social Science Research Council, forthcoming, 2014). 3