The Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP) oversees intergovernmental work in the field of culture, heritage and landscape. It advises the Committee of Ministers and provides standards, policies and good practices to sustainably manage cultural, cultural heritage and landscape resources, as a basis for democratic and inclusive societies in a digitally evolving environment, impacted by environmental degradation.

Focus 2024-2027

Capacity to address the global crisis; impact of the latest technological developments; integrated culture/cultural heritage/nature approach; freedom of artistic expression; prevention of offences relating to cultural property; contribution to democratic participation and non-discrimination; youth involvement in a digital world; heritage days; sustainable heritage.

Civil society involvement 

• Participants: Conference of INGOs (CINGO) of the Council of Europe
• Observers: see page 4 of the Terms of reference of the CDCPP 2024/2027
• Consultation with civil society, either through direct participation in meetings, or through dedicated hearings or written consultations

The Faro Convention on the value of cultural heritage for society stresses important aspects of heritage as they relate to human rights and democracy. It promotes a wider understanding of heritage and its relationship to communities and society. By involving everyone in society in the ongoing process of defining and managing cultural heritage, it emphasises the active role civil society can play.

The Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property (Nicosia, 2017) aims to prevent and combat damage, destruction and the illicit trafficking of cultural property as cultural property crimes are a danger to the preservation, legacy and sustainability of human culture. Each year, these crimes destroy thousands of artefacts, archaeological sites and monuments; they also cause irreparable damage to museums, galleries, public and private collections, as well as to religious buildings, thereby impoverishing humanity as a whole.

The European heritage strategy for the 21st century aims to promote a unifying approach to cultural heritage as a resource for democracy. It pursues an interdisciplinary and participatory approach through three components of the strategy – (1) social; (2) territorial and economic; (3) knowledge and education. The social component of the strategy is dedicated to the promotion of social participation and good governance and highlights the important role of civil society. It focuses on the relationship between heritage and societies, citizenship and the sharing of democratic values through participatory governance.

The European Heritage Days – a Council of Europe/European Union joint action since 1999 – are the most widely celebrated participatory annual cultural events in Europe, reaching out and mobilising millions of people under the motto “Europe, a common heritage”. NGOs operating in the field of culture and heritage actively participate in celebrations, encourage people to become active in local heritage and to share cultural experiences at both local and European levels. Civil society can join initiatives, such as the Call for European Heritage Days Stories which is a competitive grant award procedure and Young European Heritage Makers which aims to give a voice to children and young people to interpret their local heritage and share their stories.

Artistic Freedom of Expression 

Artistic freedom remains a part of the cultural rights anchored firmly in the principles of the European Cultural Convention and is a human right that requires protection.Following the launch of the Manifesto on the Freedom of Expression of Arts and Culture in the Digital Era in November 2020, the Council of Europe has been conducting the Free to Create activity which examines and addresses the challenges that European artists and cultural workers face in the practice of their right to freedom of artistic expression.

In 2023, the Council of Europe published its first expert report on the Artistic Freedom in Europe which presented an overview of the state of artistic freedom in Europe and its challenges. In preparing such reports, the Council of Europe is actively working with an artistic community through its own established network of experts and artists who make direct contributions to reports by sharing their experiences and perspectives. The report provides recommendations on what can be done to protect artistic freedom, by international institutions and by the cultural sector and artists themselves.

The Council of Europe also put in place a digital #exhibition featuring works of art from member States to promote the importance of freedom of artistic expression. It was set up in consultation with the Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP) to mark the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).