#NonExecutiveDirector
Dr Charlotte Joy
Non-Executive Director, UK National Commission for UNESCO Board of Directors.
Dr Charlotte Joy is a social anthropologist who has worked in the field of cultural heritage protection for over fifteen years and has undertaken long-term fieldwork in Mali and at UNESCO in Paris.
Charlotte is currently doing research at the International Criminal Court (Al Mahdi and Al Hassan trials) and has been an advisor to the Trust Fund for Victims. She is working with colleagues at the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal, on a Global Challenge Research Fund project with the Musée de la Femme Henriette Bathily. She is the author of ‘The Politics of Heritage Management in Mali: from UNESCO to Djenne’ (Routledge, 2012) and Heritage Justice (Cambridge University Press, 2020).
Charlotte is part of both the academic and professional community dealing with international issues of cultural protection (including in liaison with the Cultural Protection Unit). She is a member of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies and is active in the UK meetings of Blue Shield International. In 2018, Charlotte worked as Deputy Keeper of Anthropology at the Horniman Museum and Gardens. She developed and co-teaches a Masters programme in Anthropology and Museum Practice between the museum and Goldsmiths, University of London.

#Institution
Lecturer
Goldsmiths, University of London
From 2012
#Alma-Mater
UCL, PhD/ University of Cambridge, MA
University of Cambridge, BA.
#Role at UNESCO
Culture Portfolio Director, UK National Commission for UNESCO Board of Directors
SINCE 2021
QUOTE
“I am very honoured to be joining the UK Commission at such an important time in the history of the organisation. The foundational principles of UNESCO are more resonant than ever at this time of recovery and rebuilding.”
Charlotte Joy
Liaising with the UK’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and approved by HM government, our Non-Executive Directors help steer the direction of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, and are each responsible for overseeing a particular field of UNESCO’s work in the UK.
ROLE AT UNESCO
Charlotte Joy is a Non-Executive Director at the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s Board of Directors and jointly oversees the Culture Portfolio.
Institutions
UK National Commission for UNESCO
Board Member, and Culture Director.
FROM 2021
Lecturer in Social Anthropology
Goldsmiths, University of London
FROM 2009-2011
Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Cambridge
Role at UNESCO
Non-Executive Director at the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s Board of Directors, Culture and Heritage Specialist
SINCE 2021
COMMISSION
The UK National Commission for UNESCO
ESTABLISHED 1946 – LONDON, ENGLAND

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is the United Nations body responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. The UKNC is a hub for all UNESCO-related matters in the UK, and the Board of Directors take part in formulating and regularly reviewing the strategic aims of the commission.
Publications
SELECTED PUBLISHED WORK
Read about some of the projects and initiatives that Charlotte has been a part of.

Heritage Justice
2020
#InternationalDevelopment
Heritage Justice explores how far past wrongs can be remedied through compensatory mechanisms involving material culture. The book goes beyond a critique of global heritage brokers such as UNESCO, the ICC and museums as redundant, Eurocentric and elitist to explore why these institutions have become the focus for debates about global heritage justice.

The Politics of Heritage Management in Mali From UNESCO to Djenné
#Heritage
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Djenné, in modern day Mali, is exalted as an enduring wonder of the ancient African world by archaeologists, anthropologists, state officials, architects and travel writers. In this revealing study, the author critically examines how the politics of heritage management, conservation, and authenticity play essential roles in the construction of Djenné’s past and its appropriation for contemporary purposes
QUOTE
“I look forward to working with my fellow Directors to bring UNESCO’s expertise and networks to the service of the UK’s museum and heritage sectors and to support the UK’s international heritage protection projects and ambitious participation in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
Charlotte Joy
#MoreExperts
RELATED EXPERTS
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#Heritage #UK

Matthew Cragoe
ACCREDITED EXPERT
#RuralBritain
As an established rural historian, advisor Professor Matthew Cragoe is Chair of the UK committee for the Man and Biosphere Programme.
RELATED CHAIRS
Read more about our related Chairs in Culture and Freedom.

Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage
PROFESSOR ROBIN CONINGHAM
#Archaeology
Durham’s Chair addresses the social, ethical and economic impacts facing heritage managers. The team co-design solutions and training programmes to encourage protection and inclusive promotion, particularly at living heritage sites.

Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace
PROFESSOR PETER STONE
#HeritageProtection
The UNESCO Chair team at Newcastle tries to reduce this damage by working with the heritage, military, and humanitarian sectors to plan to conserve heritage during peacetime, as well as ensure its protection during conflict and following natural disaster.
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UNESCO Chairs are based within Institutes for Higher Education and specialise in specific research fields. They provide policy advice to the UK National Commission for UNESCO and HM government, as well as reviewing UNESCO applications.
Liaising with the UK’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and approved by HM government, our Non-Executive Directors help steer the direction of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, and are each responsible for overseeing a particular field of UNESCO’s work in the UK.
#Chair #HumanSciences
#Vice-Chair #Culture
#Communication&Information
#NaturalSciences
#HigherEducation
#Education
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