cultural

Residents of Timbuktu pass by Djingareyber Mosque, one of the historical architectural structures along with Sankore Mosque, Sidi Yahia Mosque and sixteen mausoleums and holy public places which together earned Timbuktu the designation of World Heritage Site by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
UN Photo/Marco Dorm

Protecting cultural heritage from combatants promotes human rights and universal values – Ban

22 September 2016
Safeguarding cultural property that combatants aim to damage encompasses part of larger endeavours to defend human rights and universal values, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on the international community to intensify efforts to protect such treasures and end their illicit trafficking.
Chapelle notre-Dame du Haut, View from the outside altar Copyright: © FLC/ADAGP

UN cultural agency inscribes 12 new sites on World Heritage List

17 July 2016
From a national park to a fossil site and a naval dockyard, the United Nations cultural agency today inscribed 12 new sites of special cultural or physical significance on its World Heritage List.
Residents of Timbuktu pass by Djingareyber Mosque, one of the historical architectural structures along with Sankore Mosque, Sidi Yahia Mosque and sixteen mausoleums and holy public places which together earned Timbuktu the designation of World Heritage Site by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
UN Photo/Marco Dorm

UNESCO and ICC join forces to end impunity for destruction of cultural heritage

14 June 2016
The United Nations cultural agency and International Criminal Court (ICC) are working together in the fight against impunity for deliberate destruction of cultural heritage, which could constitute a war crime.
Community meeting in Hunga island, Tonga. (Screen grab from IFAD Video)

Tongan women break cultural norms to take decision-making role

23 May 2016
General News

Women on a remote Pacific island are breaking cultural barriers by taking on roles which will decide the future of their communities.

Audio -
The rehabilitation of the cultural heritage of Timbuktu is crucial for the people of Mali, for the city’s residents and for the world.
UNESCO/F. Bandarin

Mali begins rebuilding mausoleums from Timbuktu's 'golden age', UN agency

14 March 2014
Local masons in Timbuktu today started to lay down the first earthen bricks to reconstruct World Heritage mausoleums damaged when radical Islamists occupied the northern part of the country in 2012.
Special Rapporteur on cultural rights, Farida Shaheed.
UN Multimedia

UN rights expert calls on Viet Nam to ensure pluralistic cultural expression

29 November 2013
Now that Viet Nam has made great strides in economic development, it is time to increase opportunities for public debate and better protect ethnic, artistic and academic freedom of expression, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today.
Child IDPs in al-Jawf, Yemen, pay the price for lack of access for aid workers to reach them with food aid.
Adel Yahya/IRIN

UN lauds new tool enabling individual complaints on economic, social and cultural rights

6 February 2013
The United Nations has applauded the upcoming availability of a new human rights instrument which, for the first time, will allow victims to file complaints at the international level about violations of their economic, social and cultural rights, placing those rights on equal footing with all other human rights.
Return of the Aksum obelisk to Ethiopia in April 2005

Return of cultural treasures discussed at UN-backed conference

17 March 2008
The return of the Stone Birds of Great Zimbabwe, the Axum Obelisk of Ethiopia and a ceremonial mask of the Kwakwaka'wakw people of Canada are among recent examples of successful restitution of cultural property to be discussed at a United Nations-backed conference opening today.

General Assembly marks end of UN Year for Cultural Heritage

4 December 2002
The United Nations General Assembly today marked the end of a yearlong observance of the value of the world's cultural heritage, stressing the need for global support and financial assistance in helping countries to protect their national relics.

UN body to review States' efforts to protect economic, social, cultural rights

10 August 2001
A United Nations committee of experts will begin a two-week meeting in Geneva on Monday to examine the measures taken by seven countries - Senegal, Syria, Panama, Ukraine, Japan, Nepal and Germany - to protect economic, social and cultural rights on their territories.