In her upcoming report to the Human Rights Council, to be presented in March 2026, the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Ms. Alexandra Xanthaki, will consider the intersections between nature conservation and cultural rights.
The Special Rapporteur intends to explore synergies and challenges in ensuring both cultural rights and the conservation of nature at the same time. She intends to clarify how cultural rights – protecting identities, values and ways of life – are important to the field of nature conservation and vice versa. She will demonstrate that cultural rights are essential for a comprehensive understanding and plan of nature conservation, and vice versa. She will discuss how cultural rights amplify the implementation of the existing frameworks regarding nature conservation, and which types of situations and challenges demand particular attention to avoid infringing on cultural rights, which are universal human rights. She will also explore the issue of possible limitations to cultural rights in the name of nature conservation, and vice versa, under the conditions posed by international human rights law. The study will zoom in the sections of the population whose cultural rights are particularly affected by conservation practices; and will assess the work of the main stakeholders in this field.
The contributions received will inform the report of the Special Rapporteur. All contributions received will be posted on the OHCHR website.
