The EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture– association was founded in 2006. This is a network of national bodies or other institutions operating in the field of cultural relations on behalf of EU member states, outside their borders and with a certain degree of autonomy. The network includes cultural institutes, foreign ministries and sometimes ministries of culture from the various countries belonging to the EU. EUNIC currently has 36 members from 28 countries (the 27 member states of the European Union plus the United Kingdom).
On behalf of Italy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, with the foreign network of diplomatic missions and Italian Cultural Institutes, and the Società Dante Alighieri, are EUNIC members. At local level, EUNIC members come together in clusters to work on joint projects: to date, there are 125 projects in 96 countries. The work of these clusters is supported and guided by the EUNIC Global Office in Brussels.
EUNIC endeavours to give culture an increasingly important role in international relations, at the same time as defending the independence of the culture sector. At European level, the association is actively involved in defining European Union policy and cultural identity; on a global scale, it promotes international cooperation, intercultural dialogue, knowledge and appreciation of different cultural expressions, capacity-building and the sharing of best practices. Action taken regarding culture is accompanied by a focus on a number issues in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda: protection of cultural heritage and the environment, human rights and gender equality, multilingualism, sustainable development, tourism, sport, education, youth, social inclusion and digitisation.
Headquarters: EUNIC Global AISBL (Association internationale sans but lucratif), 18 Rue Ravenstein, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Website: www.eunicglobal.eu