[1] It was established by UNESCO in response to the 2001 Taliban terrorist attack that destroyed the Bamyan Buddha statue in Afghanistan.
[2] The 2002 Universal Declaration emphasized the role of culture in achieving prosperity, sustainable development, and fostering global peaceful coexistence.
[4] This document described cultural diversity as the "common heritage of humanity" and set out actions that member states could take to promote it.
[6] One such effort was UN Resolution A/RES/57/249, proclaimed unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2002, naming 21 May as the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
[9][10] The day is celebrated by events bringing together specialists from many areas of culture and representatives of government and non-government agencies.
[11] Since 2011, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) has run the "Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion" campaign, in partnership with UNESCO and other public and private organisations.