Korea Elected as Member State of UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on Cultural Diversity

Decision-making on Agreement Fund Operation and More by 2027

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 9th that South Korea has been elected as a member state of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and will serve until 2027. South Korea ran for the Intergovernmental Committee election at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions held from the 6th to the 8th (local time) at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, and was finally elected by consensus of the parties. The Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions designates cultural diversity as a common heritage of humanity and stipulates that each country take appropriate measures to protect and promote cultural diversity. It was adopted at the UNESCO General Conference in 2005 and ratified by 152 countries.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is a committee that makes key decisions such as raising awareness and implementation of the convention, managing the convention fund, and preparing guidelines. In the Asia-Pacific region, Mongolia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam serve as committee members. South Korea fills the vacancy created by the end of Mongolia’s term. This is the second time South Korea has served as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, following its term from 2017 to 2021. In 2021, South Korea successfully hosted the 14th session of the Intergovernmental Committee as the chair country.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, South Korea ranks eighth among 193 UNESCO member countries in terms of regular contributions (as of 2022). The ministry has collaborated with UNESCO through support for the development of cultural industries in developing countries (accumulated about 3.5 billion KRW since 2007) and contributions to the UNESCO Cultural Diversity Fund (accumulated about 300 million KRW since 2021). Jeong Hyang-mi, Director of Cultural Policy at the Ministry, said, "This election candidacy reflects South Korea’s determination to actively contribute to the global protection of cultural diversity and strengthen solidarity with the international community through culture."