I’m pleased to share that Wikimedia Community Ireland has signed the Open Heritage Statement launched by Creative Commons and the TAROCH Coalition.
The Open Heritage Statement, a global call to action launched by Creative Commons and the TAROCH Coalition (Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage) and now open for signature by governments, organisations, and institutions worldwide. You can view everyone who has signed up so far on the Signatories page.
What is the Open Heritage Statement?
The Open Heritage Statement is a global call to action developed by more than 60 organisations across 25 countries in the TAROCH Coalition. It crystallises years of dialogue, experimentation, and cross-border collaboration into a unified vision for equitable access to heritage in the public domain. The Statement highlights barriers that keep heritage locked away, affirms openness as a guiding principle, and invites governments, organisations, and institutions to sign the Statement to encourage a global framework that protects and opens heritage for creativity, learning, and sustainable futures.
It is designed to lay the groundwork for a global dialogue toward an international framework on open heritage and to support UNESCO’s ongoing work on cultural rights, digital transformation, and knowledge sharing for sustainable development.
How does it align with Wikimedia Community Ireland?
The Open Heritage Statement aligns closely with the values of Wikimedia Community Ireland by championing the free and open sharing of knowledge. We value accessibility, collaboration, and community empowerment in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. By advocating for open licences, transparency, and equitable access to historical and cultural resources, the Open Heritage Statement reflects Wikimedia’s mission to ensure that Ireland’s diverse heritage, linguistic, historical, artistic, and beyond, is freely available to all. We signed the statement because it supports a future where knowledge is shared openly, cultural narratives are inclusive, and communities play an active role in documenting and safeguarding their heritage.
Access to Heritage is a Fundamental Human Right
Access to heritage is integral to the fundamental right to participate in cultural life, essential to protect cultural and linguistic diversity, a key pillar of sustainable development, and necessary to sustain democratic societies. Yet much of our shared heritage remains inaccessible in the digital environment due to unnecessary barriers. Only about 1% of cultural heritage institutions currently share their collections openly; for most institutions, providing open, equitable access remains a challenge.
By signing the Open Heritage Statement, we’re joining Creative Commons, the TAROCH Coalition, and a growing number of global organisations that strive to ensure equitable access to heritage in the digital environment and unlock its potential to spark creativity, fuel education and research, uphold cultural rights and build sustainable futures.
