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In Corte, the First Forum of UNESCO Chairs in the Mediterranean
The four days of scientific work on heritage, biocultural rights, tourism and cooperation in the Mediterranean concluded on September 11, 2026. Among the contributions is the presentation on the safeguarding of biocultural rights in the Mediterranean by Professor Pier Luigi Petrillo, Chair Holder of the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Comparative Law at UnitelmaSapienza University and Sara Di Luca International Relations Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair.
The University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli, in Corte, is hosting the first Forum of UNESCO Chairs in the Mediterranean, titled The Futures of Mediterranean Heritage. From 8 to 11 September 2026, the Forum brings together 25 UNESCO Chairs and almost 90 speakers from 12 countries across the Mediterranean area and beyond, with a total of 56 scientific contributions.
The event is organised by the Lieux Identités Espaces et Activités Laboratory — UMR CNRS LISA 6240 — of the University of Corsica, together with the UNESCO Chair Devenirs en Méditerranée and UnitelmaSapienza University.
The opening day, dedicated to heritage and cultural immersion, is followed by three days of scientific sessions in the Amphithéâtre Ribellu at the Mariani Campus.
The scientific programme addresses seven thematic axes: cultural rights and inclusion; the transmission of living heritage between memory and languages; artistic education and lifelong learning; cultural and creative industries; cultural tourism and the sustainability of Mediterranean territories; heritage and ecology; and scientific cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
On Friday 11 September, the participating Chairs signed a common declaration on the futures of heritage and the Mediterranean community, committing to making the Forum a permanent appointment.
Among the contributions scheduled for the opening morning of Friday 11 September is the presentation by Professor Pier Luigi Petrillo, Chair Holder of the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Comparative Law at UnitelmaSapienza University of Rome, together with Sara Di Luca, who will join remotely. Their presentation will focus on biocultural rights in the Mediterranean.
“The presentation addressed the protection of biocultural rights, starting from the definition of the concept and the international legal framework, with particular reference to the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions,” explains Professor Petrillo.
“The contribution analysed how these rights are addressed in the most advanced democratic legal systems, with particular attention to the Canadian case and to the mechanisms used to regulate conflicts between the protection of biodiversity and cultural diversity. The final part focused on the Mediterranean, where there is still no comprehensive legal framework for biocultural rights, but where forms of protection are emerging based on participatory governance, community involvement and the recognition of local knowledge, as in the case of the agricultural practice of the head-trained bush vines of Pantelleria.”
The full programme, including details of the sessions and speakers, is available in the attached poster.
