The TAROCH Coalition is a global collaboration that is a groundbreaking effort to engage UNESCO in a way that has never been attempted before.
Wikimedia Community Ireland is proud to announce our membership in the Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage (TAROCH) Coalition, a global initiative led by Creative Commons to advance open access to cultural heritage in the public domain.
Cultural treasures connect us across time and place, but many remain inaccessible due to outdated policies and resource barriers. TAROCH is working to change that, advocating for equitable and sustainable access to out-of-copyright heritage materials.
With the support of organisations and institutions worldwide, TAROCH is engaging UNESCO Member States to champion policies that remove barriers, foster collaboration, and unlock cultural heritage for all. This effort aligns with UNESCO’s mission to promote the free flow of knowledge and preserve our shared history.
Through global dialogue and collective action, TAROCH is laying the groundwork for meaningful policy frameworks. By integrating diverse global perspectives and advancing forward-thinking solutions, the coalition is helping navigate the complexities of opening public domain collections with careful attention to ethical, legal, and cultural considerations.
By joining TAROCH, we stand alongside leading organisations and institutions in shaping a future where open access empowers communities, supports cultural diversity, and inspires new generations.
Learn more and get involved: bit.ly/tarochcoalition
Why Is Promoting Open Access to Cultural Heritage Important?
We believe that culture, including cultural heritage, is the foundation of humanity and that open access can contribute to helping people around the world to:
- Exercise their fundamental rights to participate in cultural life and enjoy the arts, as enshrined in Article 27(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 15 of the United Nations (UN) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966).
- Preserve and access documentary heritage, including in digital form, as enshrined in the 2015 UNESCO Recommendation.
- Benefit from a more prosperous, inclusive, and resilient world by advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no one behind, including the recognition of culture as a Sustainable Development Goal in and of itself.Honour, promote, and preserve cultural and linguistic diversity and cultural heritage as per the 2024 UN Pact for the Future.
- Activate the 2022 Mondiacult Declaration and enjoy culture, including cultural heritage, as well as the digital commons (in keeping with the Global Digital Compact) as global public goods.
What are TAROCH’s Key Deliverables?
By May 2026 the coalition aims to:
- Develop and adopt a Statement on Open Access to Cultural Heritage for signature by civil society organizations and institutions.
- Widely implement an advocacy strategy and disseminate advocacy tools and materials to promote the wider recognition of open access to cultural heritage.
- The delivery of these two milestones will set the stage for on-the-ground advocacy efforts by a network of local ambassadors encouraging UNESCO member states to develop and adopt a UNESCO standard-setting instrument by 2029.
Who Drives TAROCH?
Creative Commons (CC) is the organization steering and funding TAROCH. The Coalition is led by representatives of a global, diverse community of organizations and institutions involved in cultural heritage and with an interest in open cultural heritage. While our individual missions differ, we all believe in the transformative power of open solutions and share a vision of fair and equitable access to cultural heritage.
