COMMUNIA has signed the Open Heritage Statement — a global call to advance equitable access to Public Domain heritage in the digital environment and to help inform international policy.
As a founding member of the TAROCH Coalition (Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage), a global community effort steered by our member Creative Commons, COMMUNIA has contributed to the development of this joint statement, created through the collaboration of over 60 organizations from 25 countries.
The goal of the initiative
The Open Heritage Statement articulates shared values, identifies structural and legal barriers to access, and sets action-oriented priorities to remove them. It also supports ongoing international conversations about a potential UNESCO standard-setting instrument on open heritage.
A UNESCO Recommendation, or other standard-setting instrument, on open heritage in the Public Domain could establish shared principles for access, guide cultural heritage institutions, give Member States common standards, and enable cross-border collaboration to enable everyone to tell the stories of our shared humanity.
COMMUNIA is built on the belief that what is in the Public Domain should be truly accessible — freely and without obstacles. A healthy and thriving Public Domain is one of the prerequisites for ensuring that everyone can freely participate in cultural life, enjoy the arts, receive quality education, and share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
How to support
The Open Heritage Statement is open to signatures from institutions and organisations. Individuals may express their support. Interested parties are also invited to join the the Open Heritage Statement Launch Webinar on 14 October at 16:00 CEST. The event will feature COMMUNIA Legal Director Teresa Nobre who acted as the co-chair of the drafting workspace.
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