The Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (the Faro Convention, 2005) represents a paradigm shift in the understanding of cultural heritage by placing cultural rights and people at the centre of heritage governance. The Convention explicitly links cultural heritage to human rights, affirming in Article 1 that rights relating to cultural heritage are inherent in the right to participate in cultural life, as recognised in international human rights instruments. Article 4 further establishes that everyone, alone or collectively, has the right to benefit from cultural heritage and to contribute towards its enrichment, while also recognising the responsibility to respect the heritage of others. A key innovation of the Faro Convention is the introduction of the concept of “heritage communities” in Article 2, defined as groups of people who value specific aspects of cultural heritage and wish to sustain and transmit them to future generations. Through these provisions, the Convention reframes cultural heritage not as an object to be protected solely by experts, but as a shared social resource grounded in participation, inclusion, and democratic governance. In this rights-based perspective, cultural heritage is understood as a driver of human dignity, social cohesion, and sustainable development, and States are called upon to create conditions that enable individuals and communities to exercise their cultural rights fully and effectively.