The opening lecture of the Àgora Cívica will place cultural rights as a paradigm for understanding culture as a key element in human development and sustainability. The role of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, held by Alexandra Xanthaki since 2021, has been fundamental in promoting a better understanding of the meaning of cultural rights and their translation into policies and practical applications worldwide. In this inaugural lecture, she will address, among other things, the relationship between the universal character of cultural rights and the recognition of the diversity of ways of life and expression.