Description

Karalyn MONTEIL (she/her with USA/French nationalities and an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester/UK) is currently the Head of Programmes & Stakeholders Outreach for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in UNESCO’s Culture Sector. She leads a team supporting countries with strengthening national culture policies and measures for the sustainable development of the cultural and creative industries and the creative economy under the guidance of: the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the UNESCO 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist, the UNESCO 2015 Recommendation concerning the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society, the UNESCO Creative Cities Programme, and the SDGs, adhering to a participatory, community-based approach. She joined UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in 2001, supporting the World Heritage programme for 7 years and Museum Programme for 8 years before serving 6 years as UNESCO’s Regional Advisor for Culture in Eastern Africa. From January 2022 to June 2023, she was President & CEO of the California nonprofit San Francisco Heritage where she led advocacy and outreach for historic and cultural preservation, directed the Haas-Lilienthal Historic House Museum, and coordinated an Artist in Residency Programme and art gallery in the historic Doolan-Larson Residence & Storefronts on the corner of Haight & Ashbury.