A/HRC/37/55 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 4 January 2018 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-seventh session 26 February–23 March 2018 Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Note by the Secretariat The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Karima Bennoune, pursuant to Council resolution 19/6. In her report, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights addresses how actions in the field of arts and culture can make significant contributions towards creating, developing and maintaining societies in which all human rights are increasingly realized. By engaging people and encouraging their interaction through artistic and cultural expression, actions in the field of culture can open a space in which individuals and groups can reflect upon their society, confront and modify their perception of one another, express their fears and grievances in a non-violent manner, develop resilience after violent or traumatic experiences, including human rights violations, and imagine the future they want for themselves and how to better realize human rights in the society they live in. The increased social interactions, mutual understanding and trust that can be built or rebuilt through these initiatives are essential to achieve a range of human rights goals and to respect cultural diversity. The Special Rapporteur considers how cultural rights, and other human rights, are exercised through and affected by these actions in the cultural field; the specific challenges artists and cultural workers face when engaging in initiatives that question the representation of society and seek to address its contemporary challenges of discrimination, exclusion and violence; the specific contribution these initiatives make to society; and the responsibilities of State and non-State actors in creating and maintaining the conditions for actions in the field of culture that contribute to achieving societies more respectful of human rights. GE.17-23493(E) 