A/HRC/10/60 page 11 31. The submission by Switzerland noted that issues related to cultural rights and cooperation and collaboration in the cultural field and the protection of cultural heritage were dealt with by UNESCO. Switzerland was not convinced that the activities of an independent expert in the field of cultural rights would not overlap with or duplicate those of UNESCO. 32. Therefore, Switzerland was of the opinion that it was not necessary to establish an independent expert in the field of cultural rights, while it accepted that a more systematic mainstreaming of cultural rights and the cultural dimension of human rights was desirable and could be achieved through already existing human rights mechanisms. [Original: French] [31 July 2008] Syrian Arab Republic 33. The submission by the Syrian Arab Republic emphasized that the mandate of an independent expert should respect the specific nature of countries and take into consideration the cultural individual rights and respect of cultural diversity within the framework of the national cultural unity. [Original: English] [9 September 2008] Turkey 34. Turkey recalled that resolution 5/1 of the Human Rights Council required the Council, when considering the establishment of new special procedures mandates, to avoid unnecessary duplication, identify thematic gaps and address them by means other than the creation of special procedures mandates, and define new mandates as clear and specific as possible, to avoid ambiguity. According to Turkey, cultural rights were effectively addressed and monitored by various mechanisms within the United Nations system. Examples provided included different special procedures mandates, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other treaty bodies. 35. Turkey believed that UNESCO’s mandate also covered cultural rights in many dimensions, and offered examples about instruments adopted by UNESCO relating to cultural rights, and about UNESCO’s mechanisms to promote and protect cultural rights. The submission by Turkey concluded that there was no thematic gap in the United Nations system, and that the establishment of a new mechanism on cultural rights would lead to an unnecessary duplication among different United Nations mandates. Moreover, the submission indicated that it would be difficult to avoid ambiguity when creating a new mandate in such a broad field. Turkey suggested that thematic gaps, if any, could be overcome by making good use of the relevant existing United Nations mechanisms that were competent in this field. [Original: English] [4 August 2008]