Culture has a vital role to play in international relations, as a critical forum for negotiation and as a medium of exchange in finding shared solutions. This DEMOS pamphlet takes UK foreign policy as an example and sets out an ambitious programme for change, with recommendations for the UK government, the British Council and cultural institutions. It also presents an analysis of different national approaches from countries including China, Ethiopia, France, India, Norway and the US. The report draws attention to the risk of using culture as a tool at the service of public policy and the fact that its value resides precisely in its independence and the fact that it connects and represents people rather than governments or policies.