Cultural Rights and Public Spaces: IFLA Response to the Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights

Abstract

Libraries do not just help communities through their services, but also through the spaces they provide. IFLA’s submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights provides an overview of how they contribute, and the issues encountered. Cultural rights, in short, refer to the right to participate in the cultural life of the community. In part, this is about being able to access culture, for example books to read, films, music or visual arts. But it also implies the freedom to create yourself. Libraries are increasingly using the potential of the spaces they offer – often the only freely accessible non-commercial indoor space in their communities – to help ensure this, for all. IFLA’s contribution to the [2019] report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights underlines this point, sharing examples.