ACTIONS
- Protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage
- Learning and educational opportunities
- Cultural participation/social inclusion
- Sustainable tourism
- Support research
- Employment (recruiting, training, safety)
- Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions
- Waste management and reduction
- Transport (forms of, energy use)
- Commercial activities including copyright and IP
- Governance and management
- Security, disaster preparedness, risk reduction
- External partnerships and collaborations
- Toolkit/framework/roadmap
Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association: Ten Principles for the Proper Management of Public Assemblies

Intended Audience
Anyone working with freedom of assembly and sustainable development.
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, United Nations, OHCHR
“About this Checklist The ability to assemble and act collectively is vital to democratic, economic, social and personal development, to the expression of ideas and to fostering engaged citizenry. Yet despite the increasingly prominent role that assemblies play in today’s world, there is sometimes a lack of clear understanding of the applicable international human rights law and standards.
To provide more clarity, in 2014 the Human Rights Council requested that the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, to prepare a joint report on the proper management of assemblies. That report (A/HRC/31/66) was published in March 2016, and compiled a series of practical recommendations - based on consultations with over 100 experts and more than 50 UN Member States - for the management of assemblies.
This checklist is a companion publication to that report, designed as an easy-to-use tool to: (1) determine which practical recommendations contained in the report are already in place at the domestic level, and (2) help assess how well domestic and local authorities manage assemblies. This is an important preliminary step for actors wishing to promote the operationalization of these recommendations. A second companion document, Using the Compilation of Practical Recommendations on the Proper Management of Assembly (A/HRC/31/66): A Guide for Civil Society (forthcoming), offers suggestions, tools and methods for gathering relevant evidence, and achieving change in State policy and practice.” (p.2)
Avaiable in
- English
- Arabic
- Chinese
- French
- Russian
- Spanish
SDGs LINKAGES
The resource supports a wide range of SDGs relating to human rights and public participation, including 1.4 (access to public services), 4.4 (staff training), 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development), 4.A (effective learning environments), 5.C (gender-friendly policies), 6.B (community involvement in water management), 8.8 (safety at work and labour rights), 9.1 (inclusive infrastructure), 10.2 (universal inclusion), 10.3 (reducing inequality of outcomes), 10.4 (social protection, including access to public services), 11.3 (inclusive urban development), 11.4 (protecting cultural and natural heritage), 11.7 (safe and welcoming green and public spaces), 11.B (integrated planning), 12.8 (information for lifestyles in harmony with nature), 13.3 (climate action, including access to information and participation), 16.1 (end all forms of violence), 16.3 (Rule of Law), 16.6 (effective, accountable, transparent institutions), 16.7 (inclusive decision making), 16.10 (protect the right to information and other freedoms), 16.B (adopt laws and policies for sustainable development), 17.14 (policy coherence), 17.16 and 17.17 (global and more local partnerships, respectively).
Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers and proportions of people from particular groups using collections in comparison with demographics in broader society.
- Numbers of people accessing collections.
- Number of targeted programmes that aim to enhance access to collections by disadvantaged groups.
- Sustainable tourism that enhances local communities’ access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property (including cultural and natural heritage), as well as to technology and markets.
- Involvement of people from disadvantaged groups in decision-making activities and processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of young people and adults in skills-development activities and programmes drawing on collections, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
- Increase in number of young people and adults in such programmes.
- Number and proportion of staff who have received training in the last year, to better support their contribution to the SDGs.
- Programs and processes in place to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people in each type of programme drawing on collections from different demographic groups.
- Increases in numbers of people in each type of programme from different demographic groups.
- Proportion of people involved in such programmes in relation to overall audience size.
- Evidence that learners have acquired knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive.
- Proportion of education facilities that provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
- Number and type of initiatives to improve effectiveness of learning environments.
- Support given to other education facilities to make them more inclusive and effective.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of policies relating to collections and collections-based institutions that incorporate gender perspectives to promote gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development to support sustainable water management and sanitation for all.
- Number of programmes for local communities directed towards water quality improvement and sanitation management.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportions of staff working with collections in safe and secure working environments.
- Number of accidents and other health and safety incidents reported.
- Training and support provided for staff to ensure their wellbeing, health and safety.
- Education, awareness-raising and partnership programmes drawing on collections that address labour rights, notably those of migrant workers and others in precarious employment.
- Reduction of numbers and proportions of staff on short-term or zero-hours contracts.
- Fair pay policies and procedures in place to prevent exploitation.
- Procurement policies that ensure that collecting institutions make use of people who are in decent employment, and that avoid exploitation throughout the supply chain.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Development of research-useful collections to support reliable, sustainable and resilient use by researchers and others.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that support economic development and human well-being.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that provide affordable and equitable access for all.
- Investment in collections facilities.
- Inclusion of collections information in regional and transborder initiatives, notably via digital access for discoverability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development to ensure that collections effectively meet the needs of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Number and proportion of educational and participatory programmes that promote participation irrespective of social or other status.
- Numbers and proportions of people making use of collections in relation to the demographic of the local population.
- Numbers and proportions of people involved in focused programmes aimed at promoting social, economic and political inclusion.
- Numbers and proportions of people from different demographic groups involved in decision-making processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
- Number and types of partnerships that build relationships with marginalized groups, individuals and communities.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Identification of discriminatory policies and practices, with clear plans to address these, to ensure equal opportunity for all and reduce inequalities of outcome.
- Collections development to uphold and promote legislation and anti-discriminatory perspectives, with the aim of reducing inequality within and between countries.
- Education and participatory programmes that promote anti-discriminatory legislation, policies and action, with the aim of reducing inequality within and between countries.
- Research that supports anti-discriminatory legislation, policies and action, with the aim of reducing inequality within and between countries.
- Participation in partnerships that promote anti-discriminatory legislation, policies and action, with the aim of reducing inequality within and between countries.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of policies that proactively address equality issues relating to fiscal, wage and social protection considerations.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically.
- Plans in place for collections-based institutions to facilitate the incorporation of communities’ views into local planning and town management processes in a regular way.
- Plans in place for collections-based institutions to facilitate the incorporation of minorities’ views into local planning and town management processes in a regular way.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by type of heritage.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the safe use of collections for a variety of purposes, protecting and safeguarding both collections and those who use them.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the identification, safeguarding and protection of cultural and natural heritage at risk.
- Collecting programmes in place to protect, safeguard and make use of cultural and natural heritage, addressing the needs of communities and stakeholders, and ensuring that collections can be an effective resource for sustainable development.
- Number and diversity of educational, awareness-raising, research programmes, and partnerships that aim to strengthen protection of cultural and natural heritage.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups, notably women, children, older people and persons with disabilities.
- Increases in numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups.
- Measures taken to remove barriers to access green and public spaces.
- Extent of green space provided by collections institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030a.
- Disaster Risk Reduction strategies and plans in place, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to ensure collecting institutions and collections are factored into planning, and contribute effectively to Disaster Risk Reduction.
- Collections-based institutions included in local plans for social inclusion, resource use, and Disaster Risk Reduction.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
- Extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in formal, informal and non-formal education programmes and activities drawing on and related to collections.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans in place to enhance positive contributions to addressing climate change through use of collections. Plans in place to ensure collections, collections institutions and broader society can adapt effectively to climate change.
- Plans in place for effective education and awareness raising on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
- Plans in place to reduce negative contributions of collections-related functions, e.g. measuring greenhouse emissions with plans and targets in place to reduce them.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development that relates to violent crime, and violence of all kinds, and the relationships between violence and mortality.
- Number of educational, awareness-raising and partnership programmes drawing on collections that aim to reduce violence and related mortality.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development that relates to the rule of law, equality before the law, and justice for all.
- Number of activities drawing on collections, for example educational, research and partnership activities, that promote the rule of law at national and international levels, and that promote a culture of lawfulness, and the right of all to justice.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of the population [audience/users/non-users] satisfied with their last experience of public services.
- Access to information, and accountability policies and mechanisms, in place.
- Effective institutional arrangements, both for own working and for working in partnership with other sectors, in place.
- Plans and arrangements in place for extraordinary circumstances such as natural and human-caused disasters.
- Effective arrangements in place to fulfil legal and social obligations and responsibilities.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent communication and reporting of institutional performance.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent decision-making and accountability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportions of positions (by sex, age, persons with disabilities and population groups) in public institutions (national and local legislatures, public service, and judiciary) compared to national distributions.
- Proportion of population [audience/users/non-users] who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive, by sex, age, disability and population group.
- Decision-making addresses societal, environmental and economic challenges related to the community, considering short-term and long-term risks and opportunities.
- Decision-making draws on diverse backgrounds, viewpoints and interests, reflecting a broad base of stakeholders, and working to promote inclusion and provide effective services for all of society.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to enhance public access to information relating to collections.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights, national and international agreements and legislation.
- Plans and procedures in place for public access to information relating to the operation and management of collections-based institutions.
- Complaint mechanism in place for public to use where public access to information and fundamental freedoms not supported or fulfilled.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of population [audience/users/non-users] reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law.
- Number and proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, in the full sense of recognizing all three of social, economic and environmental considerations.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, linking to SDGs and targets.
- Incorporation of policy considerations from outside the collections sector into policies of collections-based institutions, to facilitate partnerships and effectiveness.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships involving developing countries that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of local, national and regional multi-stakeholder (public, public-private and civil society) partnerships that address the SDGs drawing on collections, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.