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UNESCO’s civil society partners unite for impact at UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi
The President of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee, Mr Nick Newland, and over 30 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with UNESCO participated in the 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference on 9-10 May 2024. More than 2,100 representatives from NGOs, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector, gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Conference. The event aimed to invigorate civil society engagement in the preparatory process for the upcoming Summit the Future.
Throughout the Conference, the President of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee and UNESCO-partnered NGOs actively promoted gender equality, quality inclusive education, culture as an enabler of sustainable development, freedom of expression, human rights and the ethical implications of digital and emerging technologies, highlighting their alignment with UNESCO’s priorities. Their advocacy was evident in workshop sessions, side events and informal exchanges.
Mr Newland had the opportunity to address the Plenary of the Conference, during an Interactive Dialogue on the Global Digital Compact. Echoing the participation of NGOs that actively contributed to outcomes such as the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, he highlighted the value of multi-stakeholder collaborative efforts leading to the establishment of UNESCO mechanisms on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Governance. The Plenary’s Chair recognized these mechanisms as essential foundations for governing emerging technologies.
This marked the first time that the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee and UNESCO participated at the UN Civil Society Conference, seizing a significant opportunity to showcase the unique multidisciplinary expertise of UNESCO and its partner NGOs in an important forum for collective action. This was especially noteworthy as the Conference would provide civil society recommendations to the Summit for the Future process.
On the sidelines of the Conference, a meeting titled “Uniting for Impact: A Dialogue Between UNESCO and Partner NGOs” was convened on 8 May. Organized by the UNESCO Office in Nairobi and Headquarters’ Section for Civil Society Partnerships, this event brought together more than 70 representatives of national, regional, and international NGOs who work with UNESCO in the region. Alongside the President of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee, representatives from several NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO – present in Nairobi for the UN Civil Society Conference – participated in this dialogue, setting the groundwork for coordinated efforts during the Conference.
The event provided a platform for civil society voices to emphasize their priorities for both local and international action. It also facilitated networking and the identification of synergies and opportunities for collaborative ventures. Importantly, this dialogue was testament to the strengthening bond between UNESCO and its civil society partners and marked a significant step towards a deeper collaboration between the Organization and its partners in the region.
UNESCO and its civil society partners will continue working shoulder to shoulder to “build peace in the minds of men and women”, in Africa and worldwide.
UNESCO benefits of a network of official NGO partners currently comprising 418 NGOs from across the globe regions. The network encompasses the full spectrum of UNESCO’s mandate. These official partnerships, established as per the Directives concerning UNESCO’s partnership with non-governmental organizations (36 C/Res. 108), enhance the Organization’s outreach and impact.
NGOs play a crucial role in amplifying the Organization’s action. They leverage their resources to support UNESCO’s strategic objectives. Among others, they contribute with advocacy, data provision, expertise, knowledge resources, operational capabilities and research and policy development capacities.
