The Role of UNESCO in Sustaining Cultural Diversity

Irena Kozymka has authored “The Diplomacy of Culture: The Role of UNESCO in Sustaining Cultural Diversity” recently published by Palgrave Macmillan.  In her book she discusses how cultural diversity plays an essential role in international relations, especially when there is an increasing shift towards globalization.

Cultural Diplomacy has become an integral part of many countries’ foreign affairs as a peaceful tool to enhance mutual understanding and promote cross-cultural relations. UNESCO, as a major multilateral actor that facilitates collective cultural diplomacy, is dedicated to the preservation and circulation of cultural material. As understanding other cultures and people has become significantly important in developing sensible foreign policies, maintaining an enhanced global cultural diversity is essential; this is exactly the role that UNESCO plays.

This book can be a great asset to diplomats, international relations analysts, and scholars. It offers great historical examples and comprehensive case studies which demonstrate the challenges and opportunities that UNESCO has faced and the role of various countries in each situation. The main questions that this work attempts to address are as follows:

“How did cultural diversity become an issue of international relations? What is the international community’s understanding of cultural diversity? How is UNESCO handling cultural diversity? And to what extent is an international normative framework applicable to cultural diversity?”

To find out more about the book, click here.