We, the organizations and individuals that have signed this Charter, do so to support and be part of this Fair Culture movement. We invite other public, private and civil society organizations, government entities as well as individuals to sign this Charter. By signing, we commit to bring its principles to life and promoting their widespread knowledge and adoption.

We are part of this movement because we are convinced that artists, creatives, and other cultural workers make unique and transformational contributions to the wellbeing of individuals, the progress of societies and the prosperity of economies across the world, including through exchange across borders. We believe that this transformational power is particularly due to the remarkable potency of human creativity. Cultural goods and services are both economic and cultural in nature: Beyond generating income and employment, artists, creatives and other cultural workers make enormous contributions to the identities, imagination and heritage of cultures across the world.

We commit to artistic freedom, fair working conditions, and remuneration that is appropriate and proportionate. We therefore aim to address any impediments for artists, creatives and other cultural workers that hinder their ability to freely express their art and make a sustainable livelihood. We intend to strengthen the legal status of artists, creatives, and other cultural workers, irrespective of their employment status or whether they work as independent contractors; irrespective of whether their professional status is recognized by their governments; and irrespective of whether they work in commercial or non-commercial contexts. We also include into our consideration entrepreneurs, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives and collectives, whose action is in line with this Charter. We pay particular attention to vulnerable and marginalised artists, creatives, and other cultural workers, highlighting the systemic inequalities and imbalances in cultural exchange that continue to exist at local, national and global levels.

This Charter builds on existing global international law, in particular the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of the Artist, the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, other relevant international law including WIPO and ILO conventions and standards, as well as the UN agenda for sustainable development.

It also builds on local, national and regional mechanisms in place including both legal mechanisms and other forms of governance. The Charter strengthens such existing mechanisms through building partnerships with non-state actors. Thereby, it ensures that these mechanisms’ promised benefits tangibly reach the intended beneficiaries, that they are all fairly treated and that more equitable commitments, collaborations and relationships of artists, creatives and other cultural workers with other stakeholders in the arts and cultural ecosystems are established.

This Charter draws inspiration from the successes of the Fair Trade Charter and the Fair Trade movement in establishing fairer trading relationships, improving the self-organisation and livelihoods of more than 2 million farmers, while acknowledging that the trade of cultural goods and services requires more tailored approaches. 

This Charter responds to the increasingly dominant role of the digital environment and, in addition, the recently wide availability and rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, both of which have introduced opportunities and new challenges for the cultural and creative sectors. Among these count an ever greater digital divide and the unethical and inequitable business models of some digital platforms.

This Charter emphasizes the importance of intellectual property rights in sustaining creative productivity, and works towards ensuring their protection as it is necessary in specific contexts.

Noting the shortcomings in existing cultural policies in specific contexts, all signatories stand for the achievement of fair cultural relations through ethical policies valuing freedom, justice, and fairness as these are enshrined in this Fair Culture Charter.