Cultural Rights Cultural rights cover a broad range of rights and issues, including information and communication; language; identity; art; the right to belong to multiple, diverse and changing communities; and the pursuit of specific ways of life, religious practices, education and training.197 Because cultural rights cover so many different, yet interrelated, aspects of life, there exists no official definition of such rights. However, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights concludes that “culture can be understood as a product, as a process and as a way of life, and imply that culture includes references beyond ethnicity, language and religion.”198 In this chapter the focus lies on the right to education and the right to freedom of religion. Restrictions on the Right to Education The right to education is protected by many human rights declarations,199 and Article 50 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that an occupying power “shall, with the cooperation of the national and local authorities, facilitate the proper working of all institutions devoted to the education of children.”200 One of the restrictions on the right to education of Palestinians has been imposed by the Annexation and Segregation Wall and its associated permit regime, which imposes severe restrictions on students, particularly on those living in or near a Seam Zone. 197 Farida Shaheed, “Report of the independent expert in the field of cultural rights, Ms. Farida Shaheed, submitted pursuant to resolution 10/23 of the Human Rights Council”, United Nations, 22 March 2010, page 5. Available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/14session/A. HRC.14.36_en.pdf 198 Ibid. page 4 199 See for example UN General Assembly, “International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights”, 16 December 1966. Available at: www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36c0.html; and the UN General Assembly, “Convention on the Rights of the Child”, 20 November 1989. Available at: www. refworld.org/docid/3ae6b38f0.html 200 International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), “Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Geneva Convention)”, 12 August 1949. Available at: http:// www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36d2.html 55