Cultural Exchange Creates a Space for Trust

Special: W.E. Talk

By Han Yu & Li Jiayin from CNS

On July 10, the second Orchid Awards ceremony was held in Beijing, where former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova received the Lifetime Honorary Award.

In an exclusive interview with China News Service’s “W. E. Talk”, Bokova reflected on key initiatives she led during her tenure and shared her views on China’s role in global cultural exchange. She firmly believes that cultural dialogue can help create a space of trust in international relations and calls for culture to serve as a bridge to rebuild trust and foster consensus in an era marked by climate change and geopolitical tensions.

Here are the excerpts of the interview:

CNS: During your tenure (2009-2017) as UNESCO Director-General, you consistently emphasized that “cultural diversity and dialogue are the driving force of human civilization.” Could you explain your understanding of the holistic nature of world culture behind this core vision, and how it shaped UNESCO’s strategic direction?

Bokova: Thank you for this question, because I think it captures something very important—not only in terms of UNESCO’s mandate and the reason this organization was created in the first place, but also the growing role of culture, the importance of maintaining cultural diversity, and fostering dialogue among cultures.

UNESCO was created to preserve exactly this diversity of cultures and to send a strong message: that we are one humanity. Yes, we may be different—we may belong to different religions, races, and ethnic groups—but at the end of the day, we are still one humanity. I think nothing illustrates this better than the speech President Xi Jinping gave at UNESCO during his visit in 2014. He said, “Today, we live in a world with different cultures, ethnic groups, skin colors, religions and social systems, and the people of various countries have become members of an intimate community of shared destiny.” I believe this resonates very deeply with UNESCO’s mandate.

I also think that throughout its history—UNESCO will celebrate 80 years this autumn—this idea has been central. As the first agency created after the United Nations, UNESCO was given a strong mandate to build the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind around shared values. And I believe one of the most important shared values is precisely cultural diversity.

CNS: How do you assess China’s role in promoting creative industries and cultural heritage protection? How has this contributed to the global understanding of cultural diversity?

Bokova: This not only reflects China’s strong commitment to its own development—particularly in promoting creativity and cultural growth—but also demonstrates its openness and willingness to engage globally.

During my tenure at UNESCO, and even now, I often refer to China as a leading example of how creative industries can drive economic growth. Today, the cultural creative and relevant sector is one of the fastest-growing parts of the Chinese economy, contributing about 4.5% to the national GDP growth. It plays a vital role in generating employment, fostering innovation, and supporting broader social development. This is also why China has been a strong supporter of our efforts to integrate culture into the sustainable development agenda.

China’s active role in this field continues. Just last year, several more Chinese heritage sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List. Among them, the inclusion of the Central Axis of Beijing was especially meaningful. It represents an innovative interpretation of what World Heritage can be. Spanning nearly eight kilometers, the axis incorporates a range of architectural complexes and public spaces, showcasing the historical continuity of China’s urban development. This approach to urban heritage may well inspire other countries to present their own models. Through such contributions, China is helping to expand the very meaning of World Heritage—something I am truly pleased to see.

CNS: Why did you place so much importance on UNESCO’s cooperation with China? In your view, what is China’s position and role in global cultural exchange?

Bokova: I’m very happy about this question, because indeed, that was a remarkable period for the inclusion of Chinese creative cities into UNESCO’s global network, as well as the inscription of many Chinese sites on both the World Heritage List and the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It was a very fruitful time, and I’m pleased that China showed such strong interest in various UNESCO programs. It reflects China’s commitment not only to its own development—especially in recognizing the role of creativity and culture—but also to global engagement and collaboration within international networks.

If I may add one more point: China’s active role continues to this day. I was particularly pleased that just last year, China successfully inscribed several new sites on the World Heritage List and the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. One of them—the Central Axis of Beijing—was especially significant. It represents an innovative approach to heritage conservation, expanding the understanding of what a World Heritage site can be. This nearly 8-kilometer-long urban axis includes diverse architectural complexes and public spaces, offering a fresh perspective on China’s urban development across centuries and into the present. I believe other countries may follow this example, bringing forward their own models of urban heritage. This is how China contributes to broadening the interpretation of World Heritage, and I’m truly pleased to see it.

CNS: In light of emerging challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, and global population mobility, which areas and strategies should UNESCO prioritize in the future to advance cultural diversity and exchange worldwide?

Bokova: I’m very grateful to China for the support it has given UNESCO, because I think China shares the same approach. China is a great example of a country where, as it rises, it rises with culture and pride in its heritage. With its millennia-old civilization, China truly proves this point.

China believes in UNESCO’s mandate—in the role of culture for sustainable development, and in promoting dialogue among cultures. We’ve had fantastic projects like the Silk Road initiative, strongly supported by China. But China does not keep these things just for itself. It actively participates in museum exchanges, helps other countries with heritage protection, and promotes the exchange of ideas, scholars, intellectuals, and academic programs.

I think this all really supports and reflects that humanity has a shared future. To achieve that, we need to know more about each other, understand our cultures better, and foster respect, friendship, and mutual understanding.

CNS: With local conflicts ongoing, rising unilateralism, and isolationism, you repeatedly emphasized intercultural dialogue as the “driving force of human civilization”. In this context, how can promoting intercultural dialogue operate effectively today, and through what concrete channels can it influence the world to help build a better place?

Bokova: I truly believe that UNESCO’s mandate—across culture, education, and the sciences—makes it uniquely positioned to respond to today’s global challenges. UNESCO should do more, especially when it comes to the ethical dimensions of these issues. We’ve already adopted recommendations on the ethics of climate change and the ethics of artificial intelligence. These are crucial questions—ethics in science is more important than ever today.

Second, I strongly believe we need to invest more in education. But not just any kind of education. We need education for values, for cultural literacy, for sustainable development, for peace, and for mutual understanding. This kind of education should start early. Young people need cultural competence to navigate a globalized world. Without it, we won’t be able to achieve peace.

UNESCO should also promote more youth exchanges. Young people don’t carry the same prejudices or biases as older generations. I think they are the best ambassadors for leading intercultural dialogue globally. The world today is very fragile. We see many conflicts, and we’re also seeing a rise in isolationism. But I’ve never believed that turning inward is the answer. We are facing global challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss, pandemics. These problems don’t recognize political or geographic borders.

On top of that, we see rising inequality. There’s poverty in many countries, and we now even have climate refugees. Unless we come together and unite our efforts, none of these challenges will be solved—in fact, they will only get worse. Global problems need global responses.

These responses must come through multilateralism—through the United Nations, through institutions like UNESCO, and through others as well. I also believe that despite the political tensions we see, cultural exchange creates a space for trust. And that trust is what we need more of—more knowledge about each other, more openness.

In that “space of trust,” we can begin to address more complex political challenges. I think that’s the thinking behind the Global Civilization Initiative launched by China in 2023. I was impressed because he didn’t introduce it in isolation—he launched it alongside the Global Security Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. Linking those three together, in my view, is key to building greater stability, deeper understanding, and, ultimately, the peace we so desperately need today.