Speaker: Professor Alexandra Xanthaki

Wars destroy lives, livelihoods, presents and futures. In the midst of death, are claims to protect cultural rights a luxury? Cultural rights have really been ignored in protecting cultural heritage in such situations. But why is UNESCO protection of cultural heritage not adequate? In this lecture we shall try to answer these questions together. 

About the speaker

Alexandra Xanthaki is a Professor of Law at Brunel University of London and the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights. A well-known expert on minority and Indigenous rights, Alexandra has published on multiculturalism, cultural diversity, universalism and integration. As the Un Special Rapporteur she has submitted reports on cultural rights in development, cultural rights and migration, the right to participate in sciences and the right to participate in sports. Her current report to be discussed in the UNGA at the end of October is on AI and creativity. 

Chair

Dr Maria Varaki is a Lecturer in International Law in the War Studies Department at King's College London. Before moving to London, she held research positions at the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights in Helsinki and at the Law Faculty of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She was also an Assistant Professor of International Law at Kadir Has University in Istanbul. She is currently a Research Associate on the Three Generations of Digital Human Rights ERC project (2023-2028) at Hebrew University’s Faculty of Law.