Multilateral International Cultural Policy
The term “multilateral concerns of international cultural policy” refers to that area of international cultural policy activity that focuses on cultural affairs in the context of international organisations like UNESCO, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and international networks, such as the European National Institutes of Cultures (EUNIC).
Main areas of multilateral international cultural policy activity:
Since 2 November 2011 Austria has been a member of the UNESCO Executive Board, the organisation’s senior governing body. In this function Austria works commitedly towards the implementation of the priorities it has set in the fields of human rights education, the improvement of education worldwide and dialogue among cultures.
In the European Union context, multilateral international cultural policy makes a key contribution to the increasingly important role culture plays in the Union’s external relations. Central issues in this context are the EU’s cultural policy response to the developments in the Arab region and the EU’s intercultural dialogue with China. One of the EU institutions’ most important partners in implementing the European Agenda for Culture is the Network of European National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC). Austria is a member of the EUNIC network that also plays a most active role in promoting the Union’s multilateral cultural activities.
