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1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist

The 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist calls upon Member States to improve the professional, social and economic status of artists through the implementation of policies and measures related to training, social security, employment, income and tax conditions, mobility and freedom of expression. It also recognizes the right of artists to be organized in trade unions or professional organisations that can represent and defend the interests of their members.

The Recommendation was adopted by UNESCO General Conference at its twenty-first session in 1980. At the time, the need to understand and strengthen the role of the “creative worker” was already recognized by Member States as well as the need to improve the status of such workers considering both he particular conditions of their profession and their contribution to development. Decades later, the Recommendation remains as relevant today as in 1980 considering the remaining challenges worldwide in the area of social and economic rights and the impact of digital technology on the work of artists.

A monitoring mechanism

Reporting on the action taken upon UNESCO’s recommendations is one of its Member States’ obligations under Article VIII of UNESCO’s Constitution. Every four years, the Secretariat therefore collects from Member States and National Commissions and from the various partners of the Organization such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), information on the implementation of the Recommendation. The Secretariat prepares a report based on the information collected for the attention of the Executive Board, which in turn submits it to the General Conference, in accordance with the specific multi-stage procedure for the monitoring of the implementation of UNESCO conventions and recommendations for which no specific institutional mechanism is provided.

With the adoption of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, a new impetus was given to the 1980 Recommendation. By recognizing the central role of artists in the creation and production of a diversity of cultural expressions, the Convention provides a new normative framework for the implementation and monitoring of the Recommendation.

UNESCO has launched a new survey on policies and measures taken to implement the 1980 Recommendation on the Status of the Artist. It focuses on three thematic areas: culture in the digital environment; preferential treatment (supporting the transnational mobility of artists and flow of artistic works) and human rights and fundamental freedoms (social and economic rights, artistic freedom and gender equality) which are also relevant monitoring areas of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Both UNESCO Member States and national and international non-governmental organizations with extensive experience working with artists and cultural professionals have been invited to participate.

The information gathered through this survey will be analysed and presented in the consolidated report that the Director-General will transmit to the 40th session of the General Conference in autumn 2019.

Access to the questionnaire with your password: https://en.unesco.org/creativity/2018-survey-1980-recommendation.

If you have not received a password but wish to participate in the survey, please write to status.artist@unesco.org.

Thank you in advance for submitting your contribution. DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 31 JANUARY 2019.

Third consultation (2015)

Application of the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist :

Consolidated report on the implementation of the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist :

Second consultation (2011)

Application of the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist :

Consolidated report on the implementation of the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist :

First consultation (1983)

Reference instruments and other texts :

International instruments and other texts concerning workers in general or artists in particular :

International Labour Organisation/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization/World Intellectual Property Organization :

Copyright Conventions administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Property Organization

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