Introduction: The Paradox of UNESCO’s Cultural Policies
Türkiye is one of the founding members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and has held a seat on its Executive Board since 2021.1 In recent years, Türkiye’s foreign policy has increasingly emphasized the rights of developing countries, particularly in addressing the inequalities faced by the Global South.2 This assertive foreign policy orientation now includes a strategic cultural dimension. Türkiye’s position within UNESCO provides it with significant leverage in shaping cultural policies and the creative economy agenda. Moreover, Türkiye has the potential to become a spokesperson for the Global South by linking its foreign policy initiatives with its growing success in the creative industries. In this context, exploring UNESCO’s influence on the global creative economy offers a valuable point of departure.
UNESCO has emerged as a key actor in shaping global cultural policies, promoting cultural diversity, and supporting creative industries as drivers of economic growth. However, this mission is marked by a paradox: while the organization champions peace and mutual understanding through cultural diversity, its policies increasingly reflect market-oriented goals. This tension raises critical questions about UNESCO’s ability to uphold its founding values in an era dominated by neoliberal economic agendas. As globalization and digital technologies transform cultural ecosystems, UNESCO appears to prioritize outcomes such as employment and export revenue over cultural preservation. This study addresses the internal contradictions within UNESCO’s cultural agenda and examines whether the institution’s endorsement of the creative economy primarily serves the interests of multinational corporations, particularly in the context of the Global South and Türkiye. The paradox becomes clearer when juxtaposing UNESCO’s current trajectory with its original mandate. According to its founding vision, “To achieve lasting peace, economic and political agreements among States are not enough. We must bring people together and strengthen the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind through mutual understanding and dialogue between cultures.”3 Yet, the practical application of this ideal has been fraught with challenges, shaped by geopolitical realities and shifting global power dynamics. Julian Huxley, in his preparatory writings during UNESCO’s founding, emphasized that the organization needed not just general goals but a coherent philosophical perspective on human existence and purpose. Without such a framework, he warned, UNESCO risked inconsistency and fragmentation. He also argued that UNESCO could not be anchored in any particular theology or ideology, religious, capitalist, or communist, lest it provoke resistance and erode international cooperation.4
