A UN human rights expert today called for greater recognition of human rights-respecting ‘cultural mixing’, and increased respect for mixed and multiple cultural identities, while recognizing that cultures do not always mix from a position of equality.

Este mes, Karima Bennoune concluye su mandato como Relatora Especial de las Naciones Unidas en el ámbito de los derechos culturales y el 26 de octubre intervendrá en un seminario web para la presentación del informe final de la Relatora Especial a la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas.

This month, Ms Karima Bennoune concludes her term as United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and on 26 October she will speak at a webinar for the launch of the Special Rapporteur’s final report to the United Nations General Assembly. We celebrate Ms Bennoune’s achievements and leadership in the field of cultural rights and thank her for her inspiring work and manifold collaborations with IFACCA during her mandate. We also take the opportunity to congratulate Ms Alexandra Xanthaki, who has been appointed the new United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and look forward to supporting her mandate.

In her final report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur calls for greater recognition of human rights-respecting cultural mixing and syncretism and increased respect for mixed cultural identities, all of which is necessary for the implementation of cultural rights.

There have been notable human rights developments in the Pacific during the past four years since the joint United Nations Human Rights-Pacific Community (SPC) report on the human rights situation in the region was last published: Achievements have included increased protection of human rights through changes in domestic law such as family protection legislation in Cook Islands, Nauru and Papua New Guinea; and new human rights initiatives such as social citizenship education in Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.

This paper uses the successful COVID-19 health messaging in an Indigenous language as a lever to explore the ways in which communication rights for Indigenous people is more linguistically and culturally accessible. The Northern Territory is the most linguistically rich state or territory in Australia, with 70% of Aboriginal residents speaking an Aboriginal language.