Since UNESCO's universal declaration on November 2, 2001, we have been celebrating World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, which takes place on May 21!

Inspired by the 1982 World Conference on Cultural Policies in Mexico City, it reaffirms that "culture must be considered as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features that characterize a society or social group and that it encompasses, in addition to the arts and letters, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions, and beliefs."

The world is undergoing major transformations due to the rise of technological innovations and scientific advances that are changing the place of humans in their social interactions. These changes facilitate exchanges between different communities but can also pose risks to individuals. Indeed, conflicts and tensions persist between and within countries, undermining intercultural dialogue and threatening security and peace in the world.

It was to address these crises, ensure individual freedoms, and preserve peace that this first conference was organized, followed by the drafting of the Universal Declaration.
Cultural policies must therefore be governed by the following principles: