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Freedom of Artistic Expression Through the Lens of the Sustainable Development Goals

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Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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UNESCO defines artistic freedom as the freedom to imagine, create, or share cultural expressions unhindered by censorship, pressure, or other kinds of interference from both state and non-state actors, as well as the right to have access to such expressions (UNESCO 2019, p. 2). The terms artistic freedom and freedom of artistic expression are regularly used as synonyms. The definitions of cultural expression and cultural diversity are also broad and encompassing. The 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions defines cultural diversity as the diverse modes by which artistic expression is created, shared, and enjoyed, regardless of the means of doing so (UNESCO 2005, p. 13). Cultural expressions, meanwhile, are the expressions that arise from cultural content and creativity of individuals, communities, or societies (UNESCO 2005, p. 13).

An artist is defined as a person who creates or recreates such expressions, who...

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Gabriel Fine for his help in drafting this article and Veronika Pfeilschifter for carrying out the research.

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Sadovskaya, P., Trébault, J. (2021). Freedom of Artistic Expression Through the Lens of the Sustainable Development Goals. In: Leal Filho, W., Marisa Azul, A., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Özuyar, P.G., Wall, T. (eds) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95960-3_115

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