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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Beatriz Barreiro Carril

Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Beatriz Barreiro Carril is a legal scholar. After graduating in 2004, she completed a Master's degree in "European Law" at the University of Brussels and a Master's degree in "Human Rights" at the University Carlos III, Madrid, where she obtained her doctorate degree with a thesis on "Cultural Diversity protection in International Law. Special Mention to the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity" in 2010. Dr. Barreiro Carril was a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle, at the Institute for International and European Law at the University of Göttingen, at the Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto and at the Centre of Socio-Legal Studies (Oxford University). She also taught at the universities of Toulouse Capitole in France, Nova de Lisboa in Portugal, and Tecnológica de Bolívar in Colombia. Moreover, she was director of the project "Cultural Rights for a Tunisian-Spanish Bridge: Analysis and Reflections on Human Rights and Diversity in times of Growing Human Mobility", funded by the European Cultural Foundation. Currently, Dr. Barreiro Carril is an Associate Professor of International Law and International Relations at the Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid. Furthermore, she is an observer of the UNESCO Committee for Cultural Diversity and a member of the Observatory for Diversity and Cultural Rights of the University of Freiburg. Together with Andrzej Jakubowski and Lucas Lixinski she is also directs the Interest Group of International Law of Culture at the European Society of International Law.

From June to August 2020 Dr. Beatriz Barreiro Carril was a Fellow at the Käte Hamburger Center "Law as Culture" in Bonn.

Research project

"My Culture? A Legal-Artistic Theatre Proposal for the Understanding of the Current Value and Possibilities of Cultural Rights"

I propose the writing of a theatre text for performing in theatres but which at the same time can be used at Universities and research centres for explaining what are now cultural rights. Event if many developments took place in International Law on the issue, many actors –including those with good intentions defending universal human rights–, do not still understand the new concept of culture embodied in the new instruments of International Law dealing with the issue: The works of the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights and the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee (both of United Nations). They abandoned the old conception of cultural rights who put the focus more on the rights of the communities than on the rights of the individuals within the communities. The Special Rapporteur has as a current concern, in fact, the issue of the definition of “communities”. She is very aware that there are many risks associated to the definition of this term for the respect of cultural rights of all, including those of cultural dissenters within communities. I will apply the methodology of Legislative Theatre and Documentary Theatre. A wrong conception of culture is still used, not only by the actors –including Sates– who do not respect human rights but also by some ONGs or media working for human rights who very often assume the definition of cultures given by those actors without questioning them. Like that they work cannot be efficient. Based on the Poetic Justice of Nussbaum this theatre proposal considers Art as an essential tool for the teaching and the understanding of the Law.

Publications (selected)

  • The Meaning of Culture from a Human Rights Approach: The Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights.  Mylène Bidault and Johanne Bouchard talk to Beatriz Barreiro Carril, Santander Art and Culture Law Review, 2/2019 (5)
  • With Carbó Ribugent, G. (dirs.) and Piccione, C. (coord.), “Cultural Rights for a Tunisian-Spanish Bridge. Analysis and Reflections on Human Rights and Diversity in times of Growing Human Mobility”, Buenos Aires: TeseoPress, 2019.
  • How Can China Influence the Transatlantic Governance of Cultural Products in the Digital Age?The Journal of World Investment & Trade, Vol 19, 2018.
  • Conversations About Indigenous Peoples and Adjudication Interviews with G. Bennet, and S. Corry, Erasmus Law Review, Vol. 11, No. 01, 2018.
  • With Gemma Carbó, “Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Cultural Diversity)” en A. Wiesand "Culture and Human Rights: The Wroclaw Commentaries",Council of Europe/ERICarts, 2017.
  • La industria audiovisual como campo de aplicación de la Convención sobre la diversidad cultural. In Diversidad e industria audiovisual: el desafío cultural del siglo XXI, México D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica (en prensa) 2017 (Diversity and Audiovisual Industry: The cultural challenge of the XXI Century).
  • Indigenous Peoples’ participation in decision-making in the context of World Heritage Sites: how International Human Rights Law can help? The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice (Routledge Francis & Taylor Group 2016).
  • La diversidad mediática como garantía de la diversidad cultural: un enfoque desde el Derecho Internacional para la promoción de las identidades, Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación, Vol. 21, 2016, pp. 27-45.
  • The “Conflict Clause” in the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity: Its Uses for Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity in WTO Law. Cuadernos de Derecho Transnacional, Vol. 6. No 1, 2014.
  • With Olmos Giupponi, B “La participación de la sociedad civil en los procesos de integración en Iberoamérica. Estudios de caso”. Dykinson. 2011(Civil society participation in Ibero-American integration processes).
  • “La diversidad cultural en el Derecho Internacional: La Convención de la UNESCO.” Iustel, 2011 (Cultural Diversity in International Law: The UNESCO Convention).