Francisco Gómez Durán is an associate program specialist at the Executive Office of UNESCO's Culture Sector based in Paris. In this capacity, he coordinates and manages the organization's actions to protect cultural heritage and promote the creative market around the world. He is interested in exploring the ways in which culture can aid sustainable development and also aims to encourage dialogue between communities within and outside of the cultural sector. For over 15 years, Francisco has created cultural initiatives and led international cooperation projects in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency in countries across Asia and Latin America. He holds an M.A. in arts politics from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, USA, as well as an M.A. in international cultural management and cooperation from the University of Barcelona, Spain. Francisco is a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar Session 503: Young Cultural Leaders II, 2013.