
UN Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural rights, Prof @brunellaw . #human rights #cultural rights #heritage #culture
Joined September 2012
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In Comm OTH55/2026 published today, UN Special Procedures say loudly to the @ioc that the new blanket exclusion of intersex and female trans athletes from the Olympic and the invasive relevant tests are against current human rights standards; and ask about the process of adoption
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
The IOC’s policy is not a blanket exclusion. Every qualified athlete can participate – in the category of their sex: trans women (who are male, not ‘female trans’) and XY intersex in the male or open category.
The once-a-lifetime test is minimally invasive: it’s a cheek swab.
olympics.com/ioc/athletes/m…
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
At the conclusion of her country visit to Zimbabwe, the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, @AlexXanthaki, says "Zimbabwe must improve the quality of its civic space in order to ensure full participation in cultural life for all."
#Zimbabwe must improve quality of civic space to ensure full participation in cultural life, says @AlexXanthaki. “Recognising diverse cultural identities needs measures that respect non-discrimination & involve people in decisions that shape society.”
ohchr.org/en/press-releases/…
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
"When people talk about the need for Black Excellence I counter with an insistence on Black mediocrity: the right for black people to be as average, flawed, compromised & mistaken as any other group of people. The right, ultimately, to be human." R.I.P. Jason Arday
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
All girls and women must be able to exercise their full human rights without fear of violence or persecution.
Each of us can make a difference by speaking up against violence, calling out sexual harassment, challenging stereotypes & more.
via @UN_Women
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
Since 1976, transgender women have been eligible to compete in the ladies' category at major tournaments such as Wimbledon, the United States Open, the Australian Open, and the French Open. Despite this, fifty years later, there has yet to be a transgender woman who has won a Grand Slam title.
In tennis, if a male athlete wishes to transition from the male to female category, the process typically requires the athlete to abstain from competition for several years.
The sport does not permit a male player to simply declare a gender change and immediately participate in female events at Wimbledon or other tournaments.
As both a researcher and a transgender athlete myself, I concur that no male athlete should be allowed to self-identify as female and compete in women’s categories without meeting established criteria.
For male athletes seeking to compete as females, the regulations specify strict hormonal requirements. They must undergo hormone therapy involving testosterone suppression and estrogen supplementation for a minimum of two years. During this period, they are required to maintain testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L and undergo additional physical assessments.
Such hormone treatment significantly impacts physical attributes related to athletic performance, including stamina, strength, recovery, and speed.
Research indicates that even in international sports such as cycling, transgender women lose their male advantage within one year of beginning hormone therapy. After three to four years of treatment, a male athlete would likely experience diminished physical capabilities, making it improbable to compete successfully or win at the Grand Slam level in women’s tennis.
transresearch.org.au/post/tr…
Human rights can never be subject to loud voices and populism. And certainly not used to harm individuals disproportionately.
PS. ALL relevant UN procedures are in agreement!
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
3 judges with the International Criminal Court filed a lawsuit in a US federal court against Trump and his administration, challenging the sanctions against them and calling it a "financial death penalty."
The judges bringing the lawsuit are:
- Kimberly Prost (Canada)
- Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda)
- Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou (Benin)
Trump placed sanctions on the judges over their judicial decisions regarding investigations into war crimes by Israel and the US.
The judges argue that the sanctions are extrajudicial measures meant to punish and coerce them. They say the restrictions cut them off from banking, online platforms, travel booking, and sometimes health insurance.
This should be much bigger news.
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
Curriculum, pedagogy & assessments must help develop full personality of the person & promote dignity says @UNSR_Education @UN_HRC. “What we teach, how we teach it & how we assess whether learning has taken place determines the societies we build.”#HRC62
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
"The hardest decision we had to make in completing this report was.. not to name the Palestinian children, whose deaths, injuries & suffering we describe.. we didn't name them because we feared the consequences for their families"
He means Israel would go after them too.
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
I condemn disinformation campaigns & attempts to undermine the credibility of the UN human rights system, including @UN_SPExperts mandate holders.
Criticism & debate are legitimate & necessary; efforts to intimidate, discredit, or even sanction, are not.
They are unacceptable. - UN Human Rights Chief @volker_turk
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
The #USA has justified its intervention in #Venezuela citing the Venezuelan government's record of human rights violations, but accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved through unilateral military intervention that violates international law.
We fear that the current instability & increased militarisation due to the US intervention will further worsen the situation in Venezuela.
The future of Venezuela must be determined solely by the Venezuelan people, with full respect for their human rights, incl. the right to self-determination & sovereignty over their lives and resources.
➡️ ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-…
On #Eurovision: Well-done @Spain, @Ireland and @Slovenia! I have spoken out firmly against the current participation of Israel in sporting and cultural intl competitions.
Yet, any obstacles on Israeli artists would constitute unjustified discrimination.
My report on AI and creativity:
- AI offers benefits BUT cannot substitute creativity
- human rights trump AI
- cultural rights approach:
data sovereignty, opt in laws, accountability, measures 4 bias & 4 marginalised owners
- NO BIG techs setting agendas-need 4accountability
165 States agreed in UNESCO Mondiacult that cultural rights are indispensable to sustainable development. A huge success for participation of all to sustainable development with their vision, priorities, knowledge, methodologies and sciences.
Time to push for practical steps.
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
🗣 El ministro de Cultura, Ernest Urtasun, interviene en el acto 'Why We Need a Culture Goal Now' del UCLG Culture Summit, en el marco de Ágora Cívica
Participan 👇
🔹️ @AlexXanthaki
🔹️ @ErnestoOttoneR
🔹️ @MargarethMnzs
📺 bit.ly/4nSvM0j
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
🔵#UCLGCultureSummit
@UN Special Rapporteur on #CulturalRights @AlexXanthaki at #CultureSummit:
"#SDGs are political commitments. They come with legal obligations that govs have signed and need to respect.
Culture just cannot be excluded from this frame."
#Mondiacult2025
UN Special Rapporteur Cultural Rights retweeted
✨UN Special Rapporteur on #CulturalRights @AlexXanthaki sharing a few words in the conclusion segment of the #UCLGCultureSummit:
"It is crucial that #LRGs have a voice in #mondiacult2025 towards defining the future of cultural rights and start boosting multilateralism."






















