The curatorship was founded in 1999.

The work of the curatorship includes studying, collecting, keeping and communicating the material and intangible heritage of Slovenes around the world, those who have returned to Slovenia, and the heritage of Slovenes living in neighbouring countries. It also encompasses research into the heritage of the national minorities and ethnic groups living and working in Slovenia, and the culture of immigrants in relation to the Slovene ethnic space.

Studying and researching heritage is based on the inclusion of processes of identification and integration in the environment where members of groups and individuals live and work, of the interaction of elements of cultural heritage from the original and current homelands, of migrational flows, and of questioning feelings relating to national appurtenance.
The curatorship manages the collection of material and non-material museum objects and is responsible for developing an extensive body of materials, including in digitalised form.

The curatorship is an important reminder in the struggle against intolerance, prejudice and exclusion, and works towards understanding the ethnic and cultural diversity of Slovenia.