As a confirmation of its institutional commitment to the promotion of human rights, and in view of its upcoming membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term, Italy today launched at the United Nations in Geneva the Group of Friends on the Cultural Rights of Persons with Disabilities, co-chaired by our Country together with Cyprus, Iraq, Mexico, and Montenegro. “The objective of the Group is to promote and uphold the cultural rights of persons with disabilities worldwide and in all circumstances, including the right to participate in cultural life, to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, and to promote one’s cultural and linguistic identity. I invite the entire international community to join this initiative in support of the full inclusion in social and cultural life of persons with disabilities,” stated the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in Geneva, Amb. Vincenzo Grassi.
The establishment of the Group represents the culmination of a process led by Italy since last June, when a dedicated side-event was organised on the margins of the 59th session of the Human Rights Council, followed by the Joint Declaration on the Cultural Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Declaration, released in September, received a record number of endorsements, with as many as 144 supporting States, including all EU Member States, the African Group, the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Among the Group’s planned activities is the digitalisation of cultural heritage in several countries worldwide, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented through the “Virtual Museum on Cultural Heritage” project, designed according to inclusive criteria to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities. The Group also foresees the development of the first international Guidelines on the Cultural Rights of Persons with Intellectual and Psychosocial Disabilities, based on a project promoted by Italy, Cyprus, Iraq, Mexico and Montenegro and coordinated by the “Heritage International Institute”. The project involves one thousand persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in each participating country, with the aim of improving accessibility and modalities of engagement with cultural heritage, including through dedicated visits to museums and cultural sites.
