Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights, Karima Bennoune
46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Geneva, March 3, 2021
As Delivered by Phillip Riblett
Thank you, Special Rapporteur Bennoune, for your report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cultures and cultural rights.
We appreciate the report’s recognition of the importance of applying science and public health expertise to policymaking. To ensure a strong, global recovery from the pandemic, it is vital that governments utilize science-driven, evidence-based approaches in decision making while taking active measures to respect and ensure the protection of human rights. The United States has committed to creating policies grounded in facts and evidence and will take definitive steps to defend human rights at home and abroad in the process.
Cultural expression and human rights are inherently intertwined, and global efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic must work to promote cultural expression and safeguard human rights.
We look forward to engaging further in discussions on these important issues.
Question: How can governments promote cultural expression in their response to COVID-19?