Event

3 December 2025

THEMES & SPEAKERS - Cultural Diplomacy

New York, 2025

Cultural Diplomacy — Art as a Tool in Multilateralism and Public Affairs
United Nations Headquarters
3rd December 2025

Forum: Cultural Diplomacy — Art as a Tool in Multilateralism and Public Affairs, committed to releasing Global Public Art Initiatives on the United Nations Platform and promoting Cross-Disciplinary Academic and Practical Dialogue.

The event featured keynote speeches, thematic presentations and open dialogues under the theme of Connection—Art for the Public with invited leading scholars and experts from the international public art field and higher education institutions, as well as government officials, museum directors, and curators from cultural institutions.

Focusing on key topics such as cultural diversity and sustainable development, the forum generated and facilitated discussions on innovative artistic endeavours, the social value of art, and global trends in public art, with the aim of exploring approaches and strategies to advance the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Opening Remarks

  • Antonio Reyes-Gonzalez, UNDP Research Analyst for the Human Development Report Office
  • Amaj Rahimi Midani, UN special advisor to UNITAR; FAO; UNDP; ITU; GEF on AI governance
  • Thomas Burrill, Deputy Director of the International Academy for Arts and Cultural Studies
  • Gejin Chao, Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
  • Yu Xuemei, Vice President of Shanghai University

Keynote Speeches

  • Pan Lusheng, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chairman of the Chinese Folk Artists Association - China's Art in Public
  • Lewis Biggs, Founder of the Liverpool Biennale Chairman of the Academic Committee of the International Institute of Public Art at Shanghai University - Buried Treasure and Intangible Cultural Wealth
  • Laura Zarta Gutierrez, Chief Curator of the Arts and Other Collections Unit at Banco de la República – Colombia, Founding Director of Global Warning Agency Foundation, and professor at EAN University and the Los Andes University - Contemporary Latin American Art as a Practice of Regeneration: Rethinking Cultural Diplomacy

Themes

  • Theme 1: Connection | Public Art Explores Multicultural Values
  • Theme 2: Co-Creation | Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration in Public Art
  • Theme 3: Action | Innovative Practices in Public Art