Iraís Avilés García

Iraís Avilés García

Mexico

Internationalist with over 12 years of expertise in international cultural cooperation and with
wide knowledge of geo-policy and global agenda, as well as soft power.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Diploma in Public
International Law, and she is currently working on her Master’s degree in Cultural
Management and Sustainable Development.
At present, she is head of Multilateral Cultural Cooperation at the Ministry of Culture of
Mexico, working mainly on policy-making and international cultural cooperation, as well as
topics related to UNESCO, cultural heritage, sustainable development and creative and
cultural industries. She has also served as a Liaison of International Cooperation at the
National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA, Mexico).
In the past few years, she has participated in relevant international programmes such as
“International Visitors’ Programme” (2016) from the Dutch Culture|Centre for International
Cooperation in The Netherlands; “The Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders Program 2017”
held by the OCP Policy Center in Morocco, and the “3 rd Global Cultural Leadership
Programme” (2018) funded by the European Union in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, which
has given her the opportunity to learning about diverse approaches for the cultural sector and
analyze the impact and value of culture for the construction of more peaceful and inclusive
societies, as well as to be in contact with the global agenda in politics, economy, climate
change, among many other areas.
She is interested in working on cultural issues and topics of international relevance to have a
positive impact in the world and helping to shape sustainable societies through intercultural
dialogue and cultural diplomacy.