International human rights lawyer Amal Clooney attended a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors meeting at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in central Athens on Thursday, as the organization held the gathering outside its Paris headquarters for the first time.
Clooney, who arrived at the archaeological site shortly before 6:30 p.m., was in Athens for the meeting, which focused on “Artificial Intelligence and Culture.” She also met Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife, Mareva Mitsotakis, during her visit.
The event at the Temple of Olympian Zeus brought together senior political and cultural figures, with Tasoulas among those attending. Clooney, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Protection and Promotion of Culture, Konstantza Sbokou Konstantakopoulou, addressed the gathering.
The event focused on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence to culture and cultural heritage, as well as the broader relationship between emerging technology and the protection of cultural assets.
Amal Clooney
Clooney’s return to Athens also carried particular significance because of her previous involvement in Greece’s campaign for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.
In 2014, when Tasoulas was culture minister, he commissioned the London law firm Doughty Street Chambers, where Clooney worked, to prepare a legal opinion on the legal avenues available for their return. Tasoulas recalled that contribution during their meeting at the Presidential Mansion on Thursday.
Clooney is a UK-Lebanese barrister specializing in international law and human rights. She is also a visiting professor of practice in international law at Oxford University and a co-founder of the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice, which works on the use of AI to expand access to justice.
The Athens program concluded with an official dinner at the Acropolis Museum, attended by Mitsotakis and Mareva Mitsotakis, who also addressed the gathering.
The visit brought together culture, technology and international law against the backdrop of Athens’ ancient monuments, with the Temple of Olympian Zeus providing the setting for discussions about how emerging technologies are reshaping the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.
