Karalyn MONTEIL

Karalyn Monteil is the Head of UNESCO’s Emergency Operations and Programmes Unit, which includes overseeing the UNESCO Museum Programme and the Heritage Emergency Fund. 

She recently served as the Head of Programmes & Stakeholders Outreach for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions Entity in UNESCO’s Culture Sector, where she led capacity building programmes, the UNESCO International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) and the UNESCO-Aschberg Programmes for Artists & Cultural Professionals. She also served as the AI Focal Point for the Culture Sector. 

Karalyn has a vast experience supporting countries with strengthening national legislation, policies and measures for the sustainable development of the culture sector guided by UNESCO’s portfolio of cultural instruments, the SDGs, and adhering to a participatory, community-based approach. 

Karalyn joined UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in 2001, supporting the World Heritage programme for 7 years and the Museum Programme for 8 years before serving 6 years as UNESCO’s Regional Advisor for Culture in Eastern Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya. 

During a sabbatical leave from UNESCO in 2022 and 2023, Karalyn led the California non-profit San Francisco Heritage as President and CEO, overseeing advocacy for historic preservation, managing an historic house museum, and developing an artist-in-residency programme and a cultural centre on the corner of Haight & Ashbury Streets. She also supported partnerships with the city’s cultural districts and Legacy Business Programme.

Karalyn earned a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester (UK), and her thesis focused on the impact of war on museums and heritage.

Social Media Handles

LinkedIn Karalyn Monteil

Facebook UNESCO