Our Partners
Enhancing synergies between culture and education calls for strengthened and new partnerships with a diversity of stakeholders, from Member States to civil society organizations and the private sector across the cultural and education sectors. UNESCO mobilizes a wide range of partners, whose active support and commitment help to make the most of the nexus between culture and education.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Host of the World Conference on Culture and Arts Education in December 2023, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a major partner of UNESCO as part of efforts towards harnessing culture in education by expanding learning outcomes, capacities and skills for all through the broad spectrum of opportunities provided by culture for inclusive knowledge societies. The UAE requested the inclusion of the item on “A Framework on Culture and Arts education” (211 EX/39) at the 211th session of the Executive Board of UNESCO. The Decision was supported by all Member States and co-sponsored by 45 countries.
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea has been actively engaged in UNESCO’s work for harnessing the synergies between culture and education through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST). In 2010, the World Conference on Arts Education was held in Seoul and its outcome document “Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education” has since served as a guidance document for Member States and other stakeholders around the world. MCST has also supported leveraging the synergetic relationship between culture and education through UNESCO’s Culture Conventions, from heritage to cultural expressions, together with relevant UNESCO Chairs and Category 2 Centres in the country.
Korea Arts & Culture Education Service (KACES)
Established as a national institution by the enactment of the Support for Arts and Culture Education Act in 2005, Korea Arts & Culture Education Service (KACES) aims to revitalize arts and culture education and contribute to improving the quality of cultural life and strengthening the cultural capability of the country. Actively engaged in regional and international cooperation, KACES has cooperated with UNESCO in promoting culture and arts education as part of the holistic development of people and community, from the World Conference on Arts Education in Seoul in 2010 until today by hosting the International Expert Meeting on Culture and Arts Education in Seoul in May 2022 and contributing to the organization of the Multistakeholder Dialogue in May 2023.
Alwaleed Philanthropies
Alwaleed Philanthropies is an NGO based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that has been headed since 2016 by H.R.H. Lamia bint Majed Al Saud as Secretary-General. Alwaleed Philanthropies initiates, supports and collaborates on projects and campaigns with a range of philanthropic, governmental and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, support livelihoods of communities, provide disaster relief and foster intercultural understanding.
On 25 November 2022, Alwaleed Philanthropies and UNESCO signed a Framework Agreement to support projects contributing to youth and girls’ empowerment, with a strong emphasis on education, capacity-building and training towards employability, thereby harnessing the power of culture for sustainable development and inclusive growth in Africa, the Arab World and Latin America.
The World Alliance for Arts Education
The World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE) is a network of four NGOs: International Drama/Theatre and Education Association (IDEA), International Society for Education through Art (InSEA), International Society for Music Education (ISME) and World Dance Alliance (WDA), in partnership status with UNESCO. Since its founding in 2006, the WAAE has supported UNESCO’s action in arts education, including two world conferences in 2006 and 2010. The WAAE has contributed to the development of the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education by bringing onboard the voices of educators through leading specific consultations, including a global survey among teachers and educators.
