Karima Bennoune

BELGRADE - The cultural heritage in Kosovo must not be used as a "political football" and both sides must acknowledge the destruction of cultural and religious monuments in the past, Karima Bennoune, UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, told a press conference in Belgrade Friday.

GENEVA/BELGRADE/PRISTINA - UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Karima Bennoune will visit Serbia, including Kosovo, on October 3-14 to assess efforts in implementing the rights of all to access to cultural life and cultural heritage, with particular focus on destruction of heritage in the past and present, the UN has announced.

United Nations human rights expert Karima Bennoune on Thursday slammed the "unjustified" restriction facing religious services in ethnically-split Cyprus.

Turkish Cypriot authorities have restricted the number of visits allowed to Greek Orthodox churches in the north of the island, saying they could not cope with the frequency and demand of such services.