Advocacy

Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage (TAROCH)

A hot-air balloon travels over part of Paris by Jules Arnout. Wellcome Images via Wikimedia Commons is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Launched in 2024 by Creative Commons (CC), the Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage (TAROCH) Coalition unites institutions and organizations worldwide who share a belief in the transformative potential of open solutions. With the vision for equitable and sustainable access, TAROCH aims to inspire UNESCO Member States to champion and adopt a Recommendation on open cultural heritage. Backed by members who have signed the Statement of Commitment, TAROCH is driving a global movement to shape the future of cultural heritage in the public domain. Join us in propelling this important initiative forward.

Background

The world’s cultural heritage holds the power to connect people across time and space, fostering mutual understanding, creativity, and sustainable development. Yet, many cultural treasures remain inaccessible, locked behind barriers of outdated policies, resource limitations, and logistical challenges. 

Cultural Heritage Institutions (CHIs) like museums, archives, and galleries face immense struggles to digitize their collections, preserve fragile artifacts, and make them available to the public. These challenges often result in critical pieces of our shared history remaining out of reach for the communities they represent and for global audiences eager to engage with them.

At CC, we help cultural heritage institutions make the digital objects in their collection openly accessible through the use of CC licenses and public domain tools, which prioritize accessibility, shareability, and reusability while respecting ethical, legal, and cultural considerations.

Leading institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Rijksmuseum have adopted open access policies and practices that benefit from the CC licenses to communicate how digital cultural heritage objects can be shared and reused, showcasing the transformative potential of openly sharing cultural heritage resources.

Accessing and enjoying cultural heritage is a human right, as recognized by UNESCO, and is essential for fostering peace, mutual understanding, and sustainable development. It allows individuals and communities to express their identities, safeguard traditions, and actively participate in cultural life, which are fundamental to human dignity and social cohesion. Without openness to cultural heritage, we risk the erosion of cultural diversity, the weakening of dialogue, and the loss of shared narratives that connect us to our past and inspire our future.

Introducing the TAROCH Coalition

To address systemic barriers and promote equitable access to cultural heritage, CC formed the TAROCH Coalition. This initiative seeks to collaborate with UNESCO and its Member States to explore the development of a Recommendation—or another standard-setting instrument— that advances open access to out-of-copyright cultural heritage. TAROCH is generously supported by Arcadia, a family charitable foundation.

The Coalition facilitates global dialogue and proposes solutions to reduce unnecessary barriers to accessing cultural heritage. It aims to encourage discussions among UNESCO Member States about adopting policy that promotes open solutions. These solutions may include developing tools, global standards, practices, and systems to make cultural heritage more accessible to all. This vision aligns with UNESCO’s mission to foster the free flow of information and preservation of heritage, contributing to addressing global challenges. 

TAROCH’s goal is that its foundational work, alongside the efforts of supportive stakeholders, will not only address access issues in the digital age but also spark deeper conversations and foster collaborative efforts that ultimately provide a shared framework for policymakers. By cultivating understanding, building consensus, and championing the profound impact of a global policy, TAROCH aims to establish a unified standard for cultural heritage institutions, empowering them to unlock the full potential of their collections for the benefit of society.

Join the TAROCH Coalition

Be part of a global movement that is helping shape the future of open cultural heritage. By joining TAROCH, your organization will:

If your organization or institution supports the Statement of Commitment, submit your application for membership today. Questions? Contact us at info@creativecommons.org.

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TAROCH Members