PURPOSE: The World Day for cultural Diversity for Peace and Development observed on 21 May, provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the four goals of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions adopted on 20 October 2005. Culture is who we are and what shapes our identity. No development can be sustainable without including culture. The day is an occasion to promote culture and highlight the significance of its diversity as an agent of inclusion and positive change. It represents an opportunity to celebrate culture’s manifold forms, from the tangible and intangible, to creative industries, to the diversity of cultural expressions, and to reflect on how these contribute to dialogue, mutual understanding, and the social, environmental and economic vectors of sustainable development. The objective of the day is to Support sustainable systems of governance for culture, to achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase mobility of artists and cultural professionals, to Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks, to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
FORUM: "Bridging the gap between cultures is urgent and necessary for peace, stability and development." World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 2025. Cultural diversity is a driving force of development, not only with respect to economic growth, but also as a means of leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual life. This is captured in the culture conventions, which provide a solid basis for the promotion of cultural diversity. Cultural diversity is thus an asset that is indispensable for poverty reduction and the achievement of sustainable development. At the same time, acceptance and recognition of cultural diversity – in particular through innovative use of media and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) – are conducive to dialogue among civilizations and cultures, respect and mutual understanding. The delegations from 150 States unanimously adopted the historic Declaration for Culture affirming culture as a “global public good” and calling for it to be integrated “as a specific goal in its own right” in the development agenda beyond 2030. The text defines a set of cultural rights that need to be taken into account in public policies. These range from the social and economic rights of artists to artistic freedom, the right of indigenous communities to safeguard their ancestral knowledge, and the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage. It also calls for substantial regulation of the digital sector, notably of the major platforms, for the benefit of online cultural diversity, artists’ intellectual property rights and fair access to content for all. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #OneHumanity, #WorldDayforculturalDiversity, #21May, #CulturalHeritage,#culturalheritage, #culturalsites. .
EVENTS: On May 21st, 2025, we will mark the 20th anniversary of the entry in force of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO HQ and its regional offices worldwide. The observance of day will provide an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the 4 goals of the UNESCO Convention adopted on 20 October 2005 which call to Support sustainable systems of governance for culture, to Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase mobility of artists and cultural professionals, to Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks, to Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
On May 21st, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Peace and Development 2025 will be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. All are invited to join in, and promote the values of cultural diversity, dialogue and development across our globe. Do you have a project that aims to empower the creative sectors? UNESCO is launching the sixteenth call for applications to the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD). Through this open and competitive process, the IFCD seeks projects with the ability to generate concrete and lasting results in the development of the creative sectors in the Global South. Project proposals should contribute to:
The implementation and/or elaboration of policies and measures that have a direct, structural impact on the creation, production, distribution and access to a diversity of cultural goods and services, and/or
The strengthening of capacities in public institutions and civil society organizations to support viable local and regional cultural industries and markets.
Public institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from eligible countries from the Global South are invited to submit their proposals, as well as international NGOs registered in countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.Since 2010, the IFCD has invested US$ 12.6 million through 164 projects in 76 developing countries. These initiatives have contributed to the development and implementation of cultural policies and have strengthened professional training and cultural entrepreneurship. The funded projects have also supported access to new markets and expanded the participation and inclusion of vulnerable groups in cultural life. Through the IFCD’s 2025 call for applications, UNESCO strengthens international cooperation and solidarity in a spirit of partnership to enhance the capacities of developing countries, in line with the 2005 Convention’s objective. The call for applications opens on 19 March 2025 and closes on 21 May 2025, noon Paris time. Learn more about IFCD funded projects and Apply for funding. For any inquiries, please contact the Secretariat of the 2005 Convention: convention2005.ifcd@unesco.org
From 29 September to 1 October 2025 at the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB), Spain, the MONDIACULT 2025 is UNESCO’s flagship World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, scheduled to take place. Hosted by the Government of Spain, the conference aims to shape the global cultural agenda and advocate for the recognition of culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 United Nations development framework.
The conference will focus on six key themes:
Cultural rights: Ensuring equitable access to culture and safeguarding the rights of all individuals to participate in cultural life.
Digital technologies in the culture sector: Exploring the impact of digital transformation on cultural expressions, heritage preservation, and the creative industries.
Culture and education: Integrating cultural education into curricula to foster creativity, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding.
Economy of culture: Recognizing culture’s contribution to economic development, job creation, and innovation.
Culture and climate action: Addressing the role of culture in promoting environmental sustainability and resilience to climate change.
Culture, heritage, and crisis: Understanding how cultural heritage can be protected and leveraged in times of crisis, including conflicts and natural disasters.
In addition to the main themes, MONDIACULT 2025 will emphasize two critical focus areas:
Culture for peace: Highlighting culture’s role in conflict prevention, reconciliation, and the promotion of peaceful societies.
Artificial intelligence and culture: Examining the ethical implications of AI on cultural creation, dissemination, and preservation.
The follow-up Conference, MONDIACULT 2025 (Barcelona, 29 September-1 October 2025), provides an opportunity to review achievements at the national, regional and international-level achievements following the adoption of the MONDIACULT Declaration, which established a set of cultural rights that must be guaranteed. There has been evident momentum, as culture has been included on the agendas of the G20, G7, G77+China and other regional and international forums. The conference aims to enhance global collaboration on cultural issues, assess the implementation of the MONDIACULT Declaration's priority areas, encourage inclusive dialogues on cultural policies involving diverse stakeholders, establish priorities for a dedicated cultural goal in the post-2030 development agenda, and assist UNESCO Member States in strengthening cultural information systems for better public policies.
EXHIBITS: An exposition will be open for the public at UNESCO Headquarters.
PODCASTS: Investing in creativity and Transforming societies. Listen to the audio-audio-podcast!
Campaign Materials: Promote Cultural Diversity for Peace and Development. Get the campaign materials!
Intercultural Dialogue
Equitable exchange and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based on mutual understanding and respect and the equal dignity of all cultures is the essential prerequisite for constructing social cohesion, reconciliation among peoples and peace among nations.
This action is part of the global framework of an Alliance of Civilizations launched by the United Nations. More specifically, within the larger framework of intercultural dialogue, which also encompasses interreligious dialogue, special focus is placed on a series of good practices to encourage cultural pluralism at the local, regional and national level as well as regional and sub-regional initiatives aimed at discouraging all expressions of extremism and fanaticism and highlighting values and principles that bring people together.
Interreligious Dialogue
UNESCO’s Interreligious Dialogue programme, an essential component of Intercultural Dialogue, aims to promote dialogue among different religions, spiritual and humanistic traditions in a world where conflicts are increasingly associated with religious belonging.
It stresses the reciprocal interactions and influences between, on the one hand, religions, spiritual and humanistic traditions, and on the other, the need to promote understanding between them in order to challenge ignorance and prejudices and foster mutual respect. Learning the art of dialogue is both a personal and social process. Developing one’s skills and capacity for dialogue implies a willingness to be open while retaining one’s critical judgment. Dialogue concerns us all: from decision-makers and leaders to individuals within each community. Alongside relevant international conferences to raise awareness, UNESCO strives to promote grass-root activities, particularly in sensitive geo-strategical areas that reach target-populations such as women, youth and marginalized populations.
Culture and sustainable development
Placing culture at the heart of development policy constitutes an essential investment in the world's future and a pre-condition to successful globalization processes that take into account the principles of cultural diversity.
Development is inseparable from culture. In this regard, the major challenge is to convince political decision-makers and local, national and international social actors to integrating the principles of cultural diversity and the values of cultural pluralism into all public policies, mechanisms and practices, particularly through public/private partnerships. The aim is, on the one hand, to incorporate culture into all development policies, be they related to education, science, communication, health, environment or cultural tourism and, on the other hand, to support the development of the cultural sector through creative industries. By contributing in this way to poverty alleviation, culture offers important benefits in terms of social cohesion.