A public version of a strategic document commissioned by the ARJ (Arts Human Rights, Social Justice Working Group) of the Access to Culture Platform, Access to Culture - A fundamental right to all citizens: Arts and Human Rights is now available online.

The Working Group on Arts, Human Rights and Social Justice (ARJ) was created in November 2011 as a Working Group of the civil society dialogue platform, “Access to Culture”. The Working Group is represented by 16 key organisations from around the globe, including the Arterial Network (Africa) , The European Music Council, International Cities of Refuge Network, Art for Social Transformation (Latin America), and On the Move.

ARJ strives to promote participation in the arts, and freedom of artistic expression as an individual human right and a collective cultural right which is frequently denied or repressed, in the EU or in countries with which the EU has special relations.

Since its inception in 2008/9, the "Access to Culture" Platform’s mandate has evolved to encompass the connecting of European policies with actions at grassroots level, as well as  highlighting innovative approaches and persisting problems to national and European policymakers.

The Platform is one of three existing in the Cultural Sector of the European Commission. Documents elaborated by these civil society platforms can be found here, including the platform's policy guidelines. An executive summary of this document is available here.

The report, researched and drafted by Laurence Cuny with the support of Richard Polácek, can be downloaded at this link.

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/documents/report-arts-and-human-rights.pdf