Summer school Cultural objects, Human Rights and International Law

Start date
End date
Location
The Hague and site visits

The Summer School on Cultural Objects, Human Rights and International Law will be held in The Hague from Monday 26 to Friday 30 August 2019. 

Academic content

The 2018 edition of the summer school gave a broad overview of heritage protection in international law, with a particular emphasis on the destruction of heritage sites.

Following on from last year, the 2019 edition will focus on ‘cultural objects, human rights and international law’. The course offers a range of opportunities to test the acquisition of knowledge and participants will engage with some of the most current debates concerning the role of international law in dealing with cultural objects. In particular, participants will acquire a solid understanding of the historical context of  cultural takings, the international norms governing cultural objects today,  the case law dealing with returns (including indigenous cultural heritage and Nazi-looted art), the ethical and legal issues surrounding colonial cultural objects (such as the Benin bronzes, Elgin marbles, etc.), as well as the current problem of illicit trade in cultural objects today. Lecturers and speakers will include leading experts in the field, museum professionals and legal counsel involved in some of the cases of focus.

See attachment for the programme for the 2019 edition 

Target audience
This Summer School is open to students and professionals.

Class size
To ensure active participation and exchange with teaching staff and fellow participants, a maximum of 40 participants will be admitted to this course.