In recent years, there has been much talk about the ethical legacy of cultural artefacts displayed in museums. This legacy also applies to natural history museums of Western countries that exhibit objects of colonial provenance, including dinosaur fossils obtained through unethical and often illegal practices. In this talk, Paul Phillip Stewens combines the worlds of palaeontology and international law to show how fossils stolen from source nations in the Global South deprive local researchers, museums, and communities of the opportunity to study, attract tourism, and learn about prehistoric life in their region.

Paul Philipp Stewens is a firstyear Master’s candidate in International Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute. He holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Technische Universität Dresden. Following a childhood passion for dinosaurs, he now researches the intersection of palaeontology and the law. As one of the few experts in the field, his interdisciplinary work has appeared in both science and law journals. His research has also been featured in Science and The Economist. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx