On behalf of civil society organisations Freemuse Executive Director Srirak Plipat spoke to the 12th Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 11 December 2018.  See above also the film that UNESCO published, based on interviews made in Norway, Senegal and Indonesia, which was presented during a public debate on artistic freedom during the IGC meeting.

Srirat called on the IGC to:

1. Prioritise the safety of artists and audiences, as attacks on artists and artistic freedom continue to rise.
2. Urge state parties to use legal and policy measures to protect women, LGBTI and minority artists from attacks and violations of artistic freedom.
3. Publicly recognise artists as human rights defenders and coordinate protection with existing international protection mechanisms.

Source: Freemuse