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As a powerful force that bridges across differences, culture brings people together, and thus underpins social cohesion, peace and security. Notwithstanding this unifying function, the past 20 years have witnessed a growing instrumentalization of culture for divisive purposes. This negative exploitation of culture has not only contributed to more protracted crises and relapses into conflict, but also the denial of human rights, including cultural rights. Culture is integral to who we are and where we come from. From heritage to creative expression, culture contributes to identity, belonging and meaning. As a resource for community vitality, well-being and expression, it shapes peaceful societies through the recognition of and respect for the diversity of cultures and freedom of expression.

However, by virtue of its significance and deep-rooted connection to people, culture has increasingly been brought to the frontlines of conflict as a tool for division. Across the globe, contemporary armed conflicts are increasingly complex and taking place within national borders. These clashes are stoked by a multitude of drivers, involving more non-State actors and groups, some of which connect to criminal and extremist networks. Moreover, conflicts are increasingly fueled by ethnic and belief differences, grievances and identity misinterpretation. The increased movement of peoples through migration has brought cultures into closer proximity, increasing the points of interaction and friction that can give rise to identity-related tensions. Growing rifts among communities of different cultural backgrounds, religions and beliefs have often been accompanied by incitement to violence that, at times, have seized culture as its justification. Often rooted in a fear of “the other,” these acts are governed by exclusion and a rejection of diversity. Attacks on heritage and people based on their cultural, ethnic or religious affiliation are tragic illustrations of the depths to which fear and exclusion can take root. Instances of disinformation and hate speech have surged, while increasing reports of attacks on artists – both online and offline – contribute to this alarming scenario. Media have also been used for recruitment, manipulation and coordination by non-State armed groups, and to facilitate illicit trafficking of cultural property. The protection of culture is not only a cultural issue; it has become a security imperative.

During the past two decades, culture has increasingly been instrumentalized to stir division. Attacks on cultural heritage bear witness to how heritage can be used – and abused – by non-State armed groups in attempts to obliterate cultural diversity or to impose their own symbols and identities linked to a specific community. Attacks on cultural heritage often target significant areas of rich cultural diversity, where communities of different cultural and religious backgrounds have coexisted and forged unique cultural expressions. These attacks on culture can also be part of broader and Following the war in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the reconstruction of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mostar Bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina was, therefore, highly symbolic. It was not only about rebuilding the heritage to its former glory, but also about re-establishing identity and solidarity as part of the post-conflict healing process. The Dayton Accords peace agreement, which brought the war to a close, included in its provisions human rights, the return of refugees and displaced persons, as well as cultural heritage protection. This process was a particular turning point as – for the first time in modern conflict resolution policy – cultural heritage was recognized as a fundamental component for sustainable peace.

Attempts to destroy culture is a bid to wipe out people’s past, present and future. Poverty, lack of education and unemployment are key underlying factors driving attacks on culture. Twenty years ago when the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan were destroyed, the event was broadcast around the world as part of a tactic to spread an ideology of terror and exclusion. This also led to the adoption of the in 2003 by UNESCO’s Member States. A decade on, when a non-State armed group attacked Timbuktu in Mali, intentionally destroying its mausoleums, the group’s first strategy was to destroy the sacred gate of the mosque of Sidi Yahia, a religious and cultural landmark, and to halt all cultural practices and religious ceremonies. UNESCO's work in the reconstruction of the mausoleums and the conservation of ancient manuscripts in Timbuktu demonstrates the successful integration of culture into peacebuilding and reconciliation strategies. Backed by the European Union and Switzerland, the Organization mobilized cooperation to reconstruct and safeguard the cultural property in close partnership with the Malian authorities, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and local communities. Attempts to ban or expunge the cultural life of societies by depriving them of music, heritage or rituals are an affront to freedom and critical thinking. As a response for the recovery of the city of Mosul in Iraq, UNESCO launched in 2018 the Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative to revitalize cultural and intellectual life in the city by empowering local communities in rebuilding their historic landmarks and neighbourhoods to build hope and resilience. Like many of Iraq’s archaeological sites, Babylon has endured years of looting and economic crises during which precious artifacts have been sold off. Two years ago the city was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, signaling hope for its recovery and future. In the Syrian Arab Republic, the 12th Century Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers has been left exposed to damage and was a strategic stronghold for armed groups for some periods of the conflict. When bombs were dropped on the Yemeni capital Sana’a it resulted in loss of lives and damage to one of the treasured urban jewels of the Islamic world, leaving the city vulnerable to ongoing conflict, food shortages and weather shocks. These attempts to attack UNESCO World Heritage sites and to undermine and destroy cultural diversity cut to the heart of communities and draw on media to spread ideological propaganda.

Lack of education and unemployment can also lead young people to enroll in armed groups as a way of making a living. Historic settlements and archaeological sites, both as targets or as collateral damage of armed conflict, can be left vulnerable to looting and illicit trafficking of cultural objects. This can sometimes inflict irreversible damage to a country’s collective memory and social cohesion, thus hindering its capacity to recover. This issue has been highlighted in statutory meetings of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Article 9 of the Convention lays down the conditions for the prevention of irremediable injury to cultural heritage endangered by the pillaging of archaeological or ethnological materials.

This upsurge in conflicts and increasing threats on culture have contributed to a global setback on cultural rights, notably by curtailing the right to practice cultural activities and access to culture, but also by jeopardizing cultural diversity itself. A growing number of alerts formulated by the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations over the past years made reference to cultural rights infringements in situations of violence with regard to attacks on cultural heritage and cultural minorities. Echoing this concern, reiterates economic, social and cultural rights as essential building blocks for staying on track towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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91�鶹������Ʒ���� taken a leading advocacy role in addressing attacks on culture, and crimes against culture. The magnitude of destruction and long-lasting impacts on communities have acted as a wake-up call to combat the instrumentalization of culture. It has raised awareness among the international community about the need for future generations to know about their identity and where they come from through heritage. Intense advocacy efforts have advanced the concepts of heritage and why it is important for countries to ratify international conventions on culture. The lack of awareness of the value of heritage and the lack of opportunities to engage in preserving and safeguarding heritage in the public sphere puts heritage at risk of being irremediably lost. It also impoverishes young generations’ sense of identity and belonging, thereby limiting their ability to engage and contribute meaningfully to society at large, while also weakening the foundations of peace and security. This is why UNESCO carries out a comprehensive programme for heritage education that facilitates the engagement of youth in the promotion, protection and transmission of heritage in all its forms. On a broader level, education plays a critical role in equipping young people with the skills and cultural literacy they need to understand their environment and make informed choices. The UNESCO-led #Unite4Heritage global campaign launched in 2015 reached millions of people around the world to mobilize against deliberate attacks on cultural heritage during conflict. Civil society and decision-makers alike contributed to the campaign to counter propaganda, sectarian agendas and extreme violence, as well as promote cultural diversity as a positive unifying force. The deliberate destruction of heritage was pronounced by UNESCO as a war crime and a tactic of war in a strategy of cultural cleansing. These efforts made several breakthroughs in the adoption of UN Security Council resolutions for the protection of heritage, and the first International Criminal Court (ICC) ruling on cultural heritage as a war crime. In doing so, it has also contributed to bringing culture to the core of the international security agenda.

The Organization’s active commitment has contributed to strengthening the position of culture in humanitarian, security and peacebuilding work. This enlarged cooperation is promoted in adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in 2015 to prevent, mitigate and recover the loss of cultural heritage and diversity resulting from conflict. A core idea of this strategy is to engage partners outside the “culture box”, and to work closely with local communities. In this respect, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� strengthened and broadened cooperation in the area of cultural heritage with other UN entities and key IGOs and NGOs, including the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL, World Customs Organization (WCO), International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), International Council of Museums (ICOM), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the Blue Shield, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN Security Council. Human rights education in schools on the importance of respecting one's culture and those of others has further anchored these efforts.

Bamiyan (Afghanistan)

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Setting a historical precedent, in 2016 an international trial regarding the destruction of the mausoleums in Timbuktu in Mali resulted in the first war crimes charge by the ICC for the destruction of cultural heritage. Such deliberate destruction of heritage was defined a war crime under Article 8 of the International Criminal Court’s statute. The perpetrator was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment and, in 2017, was ruled to pay €2.7 million in individual and collective reparations. The decision was instrumental in strengthening international justice and re-establishing hope in Timbuktu. A symbolic was held in March 2021 in Bamako, organized by the Trust Fund for Victims and the ICC in collaboration with the Malian Government, to commemorate the destruction of the cultural heritage of Timbuktu. During the ceremony, the Malian authorities and UNESCO were given a symbolic euro in recognition of the harm caused by the destruction to the Malian people and to all humanity.

The adoption of UN Security Council resolutions for the protection of heritage has given new impetus to multilateral cooperation in cultural heritage protection in situations of armed conflict. The adoption of resolution in 2015 underlined the link between looting and smuggling of cultural heritage items and financing terrorism activities, as well as introduced legally-binding measures to combat the illicit trafficking of antiquities and cultural objects from Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic. The recognition of the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage as a war crime was reaffirmed in resolution , unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council in 2017, and marked the first time the UN Security Council adopted a resolution devoted to the protection and recovery of cultural heritage.

This achievement was further underpinned by the policy instruments developed within UNESCO Culture Conventions to prevent and mitigate the impact of conflicts on culture. Over the past 70 years, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� refined its conceptual frameworks and provided legal provisions to defend culture through its Culture Conventions. The protection of cultural heritage is part of international humanitarian law under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols, which forbids the targeting of cultural property and the use of its immediate surroundings for military purposes. In addition, calling for extreme vigilance to the possible export of illicit property through the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, is part of UNESCO’s work to protect and safeguard our world’s culture and its diversity.

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In addition to shaping a legal framework for culture to be safeguarded, UNESCO’s normative instruments have also helped to safeguard cultural diversity and advance cultural rights through various angles, providing an enabling environment for conflict prevention. The protection of cultural rights is central to sustaining peaceful and inclusive societies, and a critical condition for cultural diversity to flourish. The right of access to, participation in and enjoyment of culture – enshrined in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and further reiterated in the – is fundamental to peacebuilding efforts. The Declaration brings to the fore the importance of pluralism in societies and that cultural diversity “is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature”. These core principles of cultural access and participation have been put into practice through the UNESCO Culture Conventions. For example, by promoting inclusive, participatory management of World Heritage sites, the 1972 World Heritage Convention places individuals and communities at the centre of conservation efforts, while also ensuring that they can access and benefit from their cultural heritage. The 1970 Convention promotes peaceful societies by stating that communities should not be deprived of their cultural heritage. Likewise, the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage ensures – through its Operational Guidelines – that local communities, including indigenous peoples, have access to and can participate in the identification, inventorying, safeguarding and transmission of their cultural heritage. By providing a normative framework and policy instruments, the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist support countries in protecting, defending and monitoring fundamental freedoms, including the right to freedom of expression and creativity, while also recognizing the importance of intellectual property rights. The concepts and, to some extent, legal provisions provided by the Culture Conventions across different cultural domains have therefore supported Member States’ efforts in strengthening national cultural policy frameworks with a view to better protecting cultural rights.

More recently, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� expanded its scope of work to protect . This is understood as a bundle of rights protected under international law encompassing the right to create without censorship or intimidation, the right to freedom of association, the right to protection of social and economic rights, the right to participate in cultural life, the right to have artistic work supported, distributed and remunerated, and the right to freedom of movement. The rights of artists to express themselves freely are under threat worldwide, especially where artistic expressions contest or critique political ideologies, religious beliefs and cultural and social preferences. These threats range from censorship - by corporations, political, religious or other groups - to imprisonment, physical threats, and even killings. In 2020, there were reports of . 74% of all documented imprisonments of artists concerned criticizing government policies and practices.

Other global platforms and policy mechanisms developed over the past two decades have been instrumental in highlighting the importance of cultural rights, notably of indigenous peoples. In a global landscape marked by the urgency of climate change, countries and communities are urged to recognize their interdependence and the critical importance of protecting cultural rights, notably for indigenous peoples. Echoing this recognition, culture is one of six mandated areas of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and integral to indigenous peoples’ identity, traditional knowledge, and connection with the natural environment. The Permanent Forum increasingly reflects, in its , the importance of cultural rights. UNESCO’s cross-cutting takes a rights-based approach to ensure that the Organization’s work upholds the 2006 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) – including in relation to cultural heritage, environmental conservation, knowledge, expressions, languages and intellectual property rights. In this respect, Member States are increasingly confronted with issues of cultural appropriation, which is further amplified by accelerated digital transformation. Recent cases linked to, for example, the use of traditional medicines by pharmaceutical companies, or the appropriation of traditional cultural expressions by the fashion industry without appropriate remuneration or economic benefits for custodian communities, testify to this growing trend. This aspiration is also increasingly underlined by regional organizations, including the African Union, which emphasizes cultural memory in its Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, as well as fostering a common heritage in its strategic framework Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.

Building on these conceptual and normative advances, further work is needed in the coming years to codify cultural rights. Cultural rights remain a rather “underdeveloped” category of human rights, therefore, more efforts will be needed to define their scope, legal content and enforceability. This deficit was recognized by the Human Rights Council, which in 2009 created the mandate of Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. Since then, the Special Rapporteur has produced 21 thematic reports on issues related to cultural rights. The accelerated digital transformation makes these efforts even more critical, as it has deeply reshaped the exercise of cultural rights relating to diversity of cultural contents, intellectual property rights and multilingualism in cyberspace, as well as challenges related to the remuneration of artists. Against this backdrop, wider policy dialogue and concerted action will be required, building on existing frameworks, notably the guidelines developed by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to support Member States in monitoring cultural rights. Although constructing universal frameworks may raise specific challenges, the respect of cultural diversity remains a global commitment, enshrined in all UNESCO Culture Conventions, to frame the scope of cultural rights.

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In a globalized world, migration, urbanization and digital transformation are bringing cultures together into closer proximity. To a growing extent, cultural and religious diversity is an intrinsic component of societies in all parts of the world. This increased diversity, particularly in urban settings, has generated fresh opportunities for exchange, learning and ideas, but it has also brewed tensions. Record numbers of people who are forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, can face persistent barriers in enjoying their cultural rights. Migrants, in general, come up against significant challenges in host communities in terms of stigma, exclusion and xenophobia. Migrations are also fueled by protracted economic crises, youth unemployment and, to an increasing extent, climate change and related disasters.

The digital transformation has introduced new forms of innovation and possibilities for dialogue and creative expression, while also raising new challenges, notably related to hate speech. UNESCO’s work with UNITAR/UNOSAT in the use of post-conflict satellite imagery, for instance, has been a gamechanger for damage assessments of built heritage in inaccessible areas, such as in Syrian Arab Republic, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. Media, while being an effective advocacy tool that can mobilize the international community around an issue, can also provide spaces for inciting violence and polarization, and channels to spread discrimination and hate. Social media has been used to facilitate illicit trafficking of cultural property, and for recruitment, manipulation and coordination by non-State armed groups. Artists and cultural workers have been turning to the Internet and social media to promote their work and access new audiences, which has introduced . Countering the growing spread and use of hate speech globally underpins the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech launched in 2019. The Strategy and Plan of Action contains 13 commitments to address the root causes and drivers of hate speech and its impact on societies, while upholding the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

In this regard, engaging youth in culture and boosting their livelihoods are particularly critical to combatting hate speech and nurturing social cohesion. The cultural exclusion and marginalization of youth can indeed generate broader repercussions for social cohesion and peace - stemming from grievances, political distrust, isolation and a sense of hopelessness. Within the UN-wide system, UNESCO leads on the implementation of the United Nations Secretary General's Plan of Action for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) adopted in 2016. This leverages “soft power” in preventing hatred and ignorance through tools and trainings to tackle disinformation, hate speech and violent extremism on social media, and build learners’ resilience to violent extremism. Since the start of the conflict in Yemen, UNESCO World Heritage properties have been severely impacted while the vibrancy of cultural life has been suspended. In some parts of the country, this has given way to radical sectarian narratives that erode the pluralist social fabric needed to unify and stabilize societies. Commentators observe that the cultural void caused by the war has produced despair and disillusionment among young people, which incurs secondary political risks, such as an increased likelihood of youth involvement in violent extremism. The UNESCO/EU project “Cash for Work: Improving livelihood opportunities of urban youth in Yemen” recognizes the important value of cultural heritage preservation, but also youth participation and access to culture as confidence-building measures for peace. Through cash-based urban rehabilitation works, the project is currently employing over 1,300 skilled and unskilled youth under 35.

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Culture should be a force of unity, not division. Numerous experiences demonstrate how culture can provide a crucial entry point for international cooperation to unite people across borders in the protection of shared cultural heritage or cultural exchange. Cultural diplomacy is at the heart of the UNESCO Silk Roads programme, which for more than 30 years has engaged several countries in building links between people from different communities along these routes. Culture was also the catalyst for reopening dialogue to overcome the contentious frontier between Thailand and Cambodia through the safeguarding of the Temple of Preah Vihear. The 2018 joint inscription of Traditional Korean wrestling (Ssirum/Ssireum) on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity brought together the two Koreas in a sign of solidarity and rapprochement. In the Lake Chad Basin region, the UNESCO project (BIOPALT) has taken a multidisciplinary approach to strengthen national capacities in shared natural resource management across five countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Niger, Nigeria and Chad). In Nigeria, for instance, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� conducted training in management of transboundary water resources using a “Potential Conflict to Potential Cooperation (PCCP)” approach, thereby strengthening water diplomacy and collaborative natural resource management for peace and sustainable development. Likewise, in Ivory Coast, UNESCO joined United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Culture last October to roll out a series of dialogue and peacebuilding mechanisms to promote inter-ethnic alliances between local communities, including youth. These efforts were followed up in January as part of World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture with the launch of an awareness caravan that provides content on the history of ethnic alliances in order to support peacebuilding. To date, 400 young community relays for peace have been trained, who act as peace mediators for the consolidation of inter-ethnic values throughout Ivory Coast.

When the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace in 1999, it became the universal blueprint for the international community to promote a culture of peace and non-violence. This was carried forward across the UN with thesubsequent International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010), the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2010) and the Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. A culture of peace promotes the values, attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies through a range of human rights-based actions, including education, culture and media. The increased recognition of the value of intercultural dialogue resulted in the UN International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013 – 2022), which is led by UNESCO.

Within the UN-wide system, the shift towards sustaining peace and conflict prevention has placed greater emphasis on the role of culture in peacebuilding frameworks. When UN Member States adopted the (SDGs) in 2015, the reciprocal links between peace and sustainable development were brought to the fore in building “peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence”. Sustaining peace and conflict prevention are articulated in SDG 16 that focuses on achieving peaceful and inclusive societies and to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related deaths everywhere. In the following year, the UN twin resolutions on sustaining peace and  addressing the root causes of conflict defined prevention as the avoidance of “the outbreak, escalation, recurrence, or continuation of conflict”. Peace is more than the absence of war, it is a dynamic process, that requires tools, resources and political will. This task is explored in UNESCO’s 2018 publication , which compiles the experiences of 32 UN bodies and highlights the dynamic reconfiguration of UN peacebuilding from a post-conflict context to a framework of sustaining peace. Responding to crisis rather than investing in prevention generates untenably high human and financial costs. This therefore gives impetus for policymakers at all levels – from local to global – to focus on preventing violent conflict more effectively through culture.

As a critical tool in conflict prevention, education nurtures values of understanding, tolerance and respect. Multicultural and interfaith approaches to education are fundamental, particularly in situations of growing ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity. In the long-term, such approaches help build inclusive societies that are resilient in the face of crisis. Based on principles of solidarity, dialogue and respect for diversity, UNESCO’s Global Citizenship Education programme empowers learners with the skills, values, attitudes and behaviors to shape more peaceful and sustainable societies. Similarly, UNESCO’s intercultural competencies tool “Story Circles” has been piloted in five countries (Thailand, Costa Rica, Zimbabwe, Austria and Tunisia), where it has demonstrated positive results in the inclusion of migrants and dialogue among indigenous peoples.

Likewise, UNESCO is committed to tackling prejudice, racial discrimination and social injustices that have been left in the aftermath of slavery and have long-lasting repercussions on peoples’ identities, inclusion and opportunities. The Slave Route Project, launched in 1994, examines the foundations and consequences of this painful legacy in different regions of the world. Through research, pedagogical materials, conservation of archives, oral traditions and sites of memory, it aims to contribute to a better understanding of the continued impact of this history. The International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) also promotes the fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of people of African descent and a greater knowledge of their contribution to humankind.

Lake Chad,

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Intercultural dialogue is increasingly recognized for its role in preventing conflict. Based on a 2017 UNESCO survey amongst Member States, some have policy frameworks in place on intercultural dialogue. However, gaps remain in how intercultural dialogue can be better supported to tackle culture or identity-based grievances that may be reported as triggers of community tension and conflict and - in the worst case - violence and genocide. UNESCO is working with the Institute for Economics and Peace to to better understand the structures, processes and skills needed to render dialogue effective towards these peace-related outcomes.

In addition to supporting intercultural dialogue, the arts can also provide learners with an open environment to exchange experiences and personal worldviews. In times of crisis, the arts can be a significant source of solace and healing to help cope with trauma and loss. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, interactive theatre has been used as part of human rights-based approaches to in schools to fight against hate speech and prejudice. The integration of cultural diversity into curricula has also demonstrated benefits in nurturing intercultural understanding and tolerance. UNESCO’s Art Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue highlights the power of art for memory, rehabilitation and reconciliation. Launched in 2018 in collaboration with the National Theatre of Chaillot (Paris, France), the programme works to mainstream arts to strengthen human rights across development and humanitarian programmes. Last December, Art Lab put forward recommendations for boosting the arts for inclusion and justice.

Inherently connected to the understanding of community, intangible cultural heritage is a vehicle that enables social cohesion, inclusion and a sense of belonging. It helps intergenerational and inter-ethnic communication, fosters respect for the linkage between intangible and material values, and promotes a balanced approach to the use of renewable natural resources, thus strengthening sustainable development. Intangible cultural heritage can also be a basis for resilience, reconciliation and peace. For example, in the village of Conejo in Colombia’s Guajira Department, a led by the Fundación Universidad del Norte from 2018 to 2020 made a difference to the lives of former combatants through their reintegration into civil life and the revitalization of the social fabric, while building on living heritage as a tool for dialogue and reconciliation in this territory affected by the armed conflict. Social agreements for coexistence were established between the two communities (former combatants and the inhabitants of Conejo), which resulted in joint practices, such as a community-based entrepreneurship initiative on rural tourism, and the creation of a community museum.

Indigenous knowledge, in particular, plays a crucial role in establishing dialogue to address conflict and ensure climate and food security. The was the outcome of the high-level closing event of the International Year of indigenous Languages (IYIL2019) held last February in Mexico. The Declaration underscores the value of indigenous languages in peacebuilding processes and in creating better futures for peace, development, justice and reconciliation. 91�鶹������Ʒ���� been working in conjunction with indigenous pastoralists in Africa to promote peace-building in the context of climate stress and adaptation in the Sahel and East Africa, under the umbrella of the Organization’s programme. Pastoralists have emphasized that resource conflicts can be eased through understanding indigenous knowledge of weather and climate. Through dialogue with scientists, policy-makers and neighbouring communities there is greater awareness of climate sensitive adaptation.Building on a process that began in 2016, the stresses the importance of taking a human rights-based approach to the repatriation of indigenous peoples’ ceremonial objects, human remains and cultural heritage, in recognition of their rights to self-determination, culture, property, spirituality, religion, language and traditional knowledge.

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In a world marked by fracture and tensions, both within and between countries, culture should be harnessed as a crucial component of conflict prevention, building on its “soft power” to address their root causes. At the outset, this entails addressing the appropriation of the memory of the past, and the lingering impacts of colonialism and the Slave Route. Teaching about culture and heritage is also crucial to counter stereotypes and help prevent violent extremism. Moreover, inclusion must remain the touchstone of actions to ensure the participation of all segments of society, including through intergenerational dialogue.

Culture – with its unifying quality and capacity to bring people together – should be integral to peacebuilding efforts. This perspective supports the UN Secretary-General’s reform of the UN system and peacebuilding architecture and the focus shift to conflict prevention and sustaining peace. It also echoes the vision and rationale of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The benefits of culture to conflict prevention and resolution processes can be seen in practices ranging from the arts, education and media, to mediation and traditional conflict resolution mechanisms. This approach should be more firmly enshrined in global policy discussions on culture, such as the upcoming Ministerial Conference on Culture to be held under the Italian Presidency of the G20 in July 2021, which is slated to raise this issue.

When conflicts do happen, culture also contributes to easing tensions and supporting reconciliation and trust. As seen in numerous cases, from the Mostar Bridge in Bosnia Herzegovina to Timbuktu in Mali, or currently in Mosul in Iraq, culture represents a unifying force. In doing so, culture-based actions lay down the groundwork to strengthen national unity and reconstruction, and support inclusive, locally-led actions where communities can shape their future societies. For that reason, culture is increasingly taken into account within cultural diplomacy and intercultural dialogue efforts deployed at national, regional or interregional levels, in particular by Member States or regional intergovernmental organizations, both in terms of regional integration and external action, thus signaling that the issue is gaining ground.

Mosul (Iraq)

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Acknowledging and ensuring the respect of cultural diversity must be central to these peacebuilding efforts. Against a backdrop of broader global trends – such as mobility, urbanization, digitalization and trade flows – cultural diversity should not be viewed as a threat or instrumentalized for divisive purposes. Rather it should be understood and promoted as an asset and as an element of cohesion and stability, and defended as such by countries. Leading up to the 20-year anniversary of the adoption of the 2001 UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity its message still resonates : “respect for the diversity of cultures, tolerance, dialogue and cooperation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding are among the best guarantees of international peace and security”. In this regard, States have a key role to play in promoting cultural diversity, as guarantors of fundamental rights but also from an educational standpoint.

As a critical condition for cultural diversity to flourish, the protection of cultural rights is central to sustaining peaceful and inclusive societies. The right of access to, participation in and enjoyment of culture is fundamental to peacebuilding efforts. The disturbing escalation of violence ranging from attacks on cultural heritage and cultural minorities to artists and cultural professionals, increasingly call to attention the need to develop and uphold cultural rights as a condition for peace, stability and security. The concepts and, to some extent, the legal provisions provided by the Culture Conventions across different cultural domains can support Member States’ efforts in strengthening national cultural policy frameworks with a view to better protecting cultural rights.

Looking forward, building on the progress made in upholding individual rights, the subject of collective rights – which has garnered increased attention – also requires further policy engagement. The magnitude and urgency of the climate crisis compels a rethinking of policy action based on a stronger recognition of the relationship between people and their environment, and the intrinsic link between cultural and biological diversity. This is not only critical for shaping more sustainable forms of development, but also peace and social cohesion. Protecting cultural rights, including for indigenous peoples, will be critical in this context to foster climate adaptation and mitigation. Expanding policy discussions on cultural rights, including individual and collective rights, and strengthening related policy and legislation options, will therefore be an important area of policy discussion in the coming years and a critical foundation for harnessing the power of culture for peacebuilding and stability.

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