Karalyn Monteil (she/her) is the Head of Programmes & Stakeholders Outreach for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions Entity in the UNESCO Culture Sector. She leads a team supporting UNESCO Member States with strengthening national culture policies and measures for the development of the cultural and creative industries sector 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, and the SDGs, and adhering to a participatory, community-based approach. From January 2022 to June 2023, she served as the President & CEO of the California nonprofit 'San Francisco Heritage'. She has worked in the UNESCO Culture Sector since 2001 as a programme specialist for the World Heritage and Museum programmes, based in Paris, France, and as the regional advisor for culture in the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, based in Kenya. Karalyn has extensive experience working in developing and post-conflict countries supporting: historic and cultural preservation; national culture strategies, policies, and legislation; museums; the cultural and creative industries; and intangible cultural heritage.