BOP is a core research partner to UNESCO, helping to shape how cultural policies are understood and implemented around the world. Our current role is to gather and interpret global data on key cultural issues, from artistic freedom and AI to media diversity and environmental sustainability, and to develop evidence-led insights that support stronger, more inclusive cultural policy.

Our most recent reports include:

• UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies, Culture: The Missing SDG (2025)
• Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity (2026)

For ‘Culture: The Missing SDG’, we analysed more than 1,200 cultural policy reports from 196 countries and 100+ creative cities, building the evidence base for recognising culture as a standalone Sustainable Development Goal in the post-2030 agenda.

For ‘Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity’, we reviewed data from 120+ countries, creating new datasets to fill existing data gaps in the sector. We worked closely with the editorial board to develop evidence-led insights to shape recommendations to map a rapidly changing cultural landscape, identifying new opportunities and risks for creators across ten key areas including,  digital environment and AI, global trade, sustainable development, mobility, gender equality, and artistic freedom.