Open Heritage Statement Launch Webinar

On 14 October 2025, Creative Commons and the TAROCH Coalition hosted the global launch of the Open Heritage Statement, a milestone in the movement for equitable access to public domain heritage in the digital environment. The Statement identifies 17 barriers that restrict access to heritage – legal, contractual, technological, structural, and ethical – and offers policy solutions and institutional recommendations to address them. It calls on governments, institutions, and organizations to protect our shared cultural memory and ensure it remains accessible to all. More than 20 countries were represented during the launch, including Aruba, Canada, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the United States, and the Vatican. Watch to learn how open access to heritage strengthens cultural rights, fuels creativity, and supports sustainable futures. Learn more and sign the Statement: https://www.openheritagestatement.org Subscribe for CC updates: https://creativecommons.org/newsletter #OpenHeritageStatement #TAROCH #UNESCO _______ In the presentation: Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1665, Mauritshuis, Public Domain. a: Polarised light photograph [René Gerritsen Art & Research Photography] b: Multiscale optical coherence tomography (MS-OCT) glaze + varnish layer thickness map [Tom Callewaert: TU Delft] c: Macro-X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) map for lead (Pb-M) [Annelies van Loon: Mauritshuis/Rijksmuseum] d: MA-XRF map for copper (Cu-K) e: Detail of polarised light photograph f: Detail of MA-XRF map for lead (Pb-M), with heightened contrast.. Girl With A Pearl Earring Fashion GIF, by Bernadetta Pastuszka, 2022, CC BY SA, Source material: 1. Girl with a Pearl Earring | Johannes Vermeer | Mauritshuis; 2. Cloth; 3. Women’s Layout; 4. Silver earrings | Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen via Europeana