United States Mission to UNESCO

Music legend and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock is working with UNESCO to promote cultural dialogue through music, including through the creation of an annual International Jazz Day. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

In addition to the World Heritage Center, the U.S. Mission's work with UNESCO’s Culture Sector focuses on an important program for endangered movable cultural objects that includes a particular emphasis on museums. In this program, the U.S. works with the Division of Cultural Heritage to help developing countries identify, conserve, and display their collections of movable cultural objects. The Division of Cultural Heritage also works to promote partnerships with private cultural institutions.

On February 21, 2006, UNESCO signed an agreement with the Smithsonian Institution to determine the feasibility of having the Smithsonian publish and preserve UNESCO's Collection of Traditional Music of the World. The collection, consisting of almost 100 previously released, as well as some unpublished recordings, provides a high quality documentary record of the world's musical heritage.

The U.S. also supports the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, a partnership program that helps small businesses market goods and services associated with their regional cultures. Its Creative Cities Network, designed to promote the social, economic and cultural development of cities in both the developed and the developing world, currently includes 19 cities worldwide, among them Santa Fe, New Mexico (City of Craft and Folk Art), and Iowa City, Iowa (City of Literature.)