This thesis explores the relationship between UNESCO World Heritage sites and Indigenous land rights, focusing on the varying levels of protection that UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee afford to Indigenous Peoples in the World Heritage process. Through an analysis of case studies from different regions, the study seeks to identify patterns in the ways UNESCO and the Committee approach Indigenous rights, considering factors such as past colonialism, tourism and business interests, and the conservation standard of the site. Particular attention is also paid to the concept of “outstanding universal value” and the grounds on which an Indigenous culture is or is not considered as fitting the criteria. The study highlights the increasing politicisation of decision making within the World Heritage Committee and the changing dynamics between the Committee, UNESCO, and its advisory bodies, looking at how this not only threatens Indigenous rights but also limits the effectiveness of the World Heritage Convention. Ultimately, this thesis argues that some Indigenous Peoples may receive greater protection than others due to alignment with political interests, rather than any considered merit of their cultures. This study contributes to the conversation around how to effectively protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, highlighting significant gaps between the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the World Heritage process, and stresses the need for a more participatory approach to heritage conservation.
Student of the European Masters Program in Human Rights and Democratisation at the Global Campus of Human Rights; currently a visiting researcher at the University of Helsinki, specialising in Indigenous Rights. Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (History and Italian) from Royal Holloway, University of London, including a dissertation on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis.