Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development and Human Rights : Towards an Integrated Approach

The importance of cultural heritage - in both its tangible and intangible forms - to sustainable development and its economic, social and environmental components is increasingly evident in the recent practice of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations at the universal and regional level.

Due consideration for the integration of the cultural dimension in the implementation of Agenda 2030 has begun to grow in various international fora, including initiatives to emphasize the role and contribution of tangible and intangible heritage as drivers and enablers of sustainable development. It has also been recognized that the inherent links between cultural heritage and sustainable development cannot be correctly addressed without taking into account their various implications for the effective enjoyment of all human rights, including cultural rights.

This book offers a thorough academic investigation on the importance of cultural heritage to sustainable development and cultural rights from an international law perspective. Providing an in-depth review of the possible intersections between cultural heritage, sustainable development and cultural rights and the limits of the current legal and institutional framework, it will be of interest to researchers and scholars of international law, cultural heritage law, environmental law and human rights law.

Laura Pineschi is Full Professor of International Law at the University of Parma (Italy). She is the author of two monographs and the editor of various volumes, published in Italy and abroad. Results of her research activity in the fields of international environmental law, UN peacekeeping operations, human rights law, cultural heritage protection and cultural rights have also been published in Italian and international academic journals or as book chapters. She has been Director of the Directed Studies of The Hague Academy of International Law in 2015 and Member of the Directive Council of the Italian Society of International Law from 2009 to 2016. At the University of Parma, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Law from 2009 to 2012 and as Director of the Center for Studies in European and International Affairs (CSEIA) from 2016 to 2023.