Former Tory defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth said that the government had no mandate for such a "massive social and cultural change", which had not been mentioned in the 2010 Conservative manifesto.

BBC: Gay marriage: Party leaders hail vote

Understanding World Heritage can help us become aware of our own roots, and of our cultural and social identity, which can help us to create meaningful and lasting social innovation and change, building peace in the minds of men and women.

UNESCO: 2015 UNESCO UK World Heritage Youth Summit Conference

Inaugurated by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, in the presence of Abdou Diouf, Secretary-General of La Francophonie, Nickolay Mladenov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, the roundtable will include two thematic sessions which will allow participants to respond to political, social, cultural and educational challenges resulting from present and future social change.

UNESCO: Democracy and renewal in the Arab World: roundtable at UNESCO in support of transition to democracy, 21 June | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Engaging with governments on the impact of religious and cultural change and the need to explore new models of social cohesion will also be a key focus.

UNESCO: Chair in Inter-religious Understanding and Relations for Victoria University - UNESCO