Our Expertise
What is our mission?
Our mission since 1945 is to build peace through international cooperation as it is the only way to build bridges between nations. Therefore, as a laboratory of ideas, UNESCO seeks to offer a broad range of expertise in the fields of Education, the Sciences and Culture.
Education transforms lives
UNESCO's task is to rethink and reimagine education for a sustainable future. The organization leads and coordinates the Education 2030 agenda through partnerships, monitoring and research. Our experts support countries to develop education systems that provide quality lifelong learning opportunities for all, and empower learners to be creative and responsible global citizens.
- Reimagining education
UNESCO anticipates and responds to emerging trends and needs in education, as seen in its ground-breaking Futures of Education report, a global initiative to rethink how learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet.
- Designing policies
UNESCO works with countries to design, implement and share successful education policies, plans and best practices based on data collection, monitoring and dialogue with national authorities.
- Standard-setting
UNESCO develops and monitors legal frameworks and normative instruments to ensure the right to education. These include the Convention against discrimination in education, the recent landmark Global Convention on the recognition of qualifications in higher education and an online monitor, Her Atlas, measuring the status of national legal frameworks related to girls’ and women’s education.
- Catalyzing for international cooperation
UNESCO uses its convening power for international cooperation by promoting dialogue, exchange and partnership among the global education community, including civil society and youth. This includes global conferences exploring areas such as early childhood care and education (2022), higher education (2022), adult learning (2022) and education for sustainable development (2021) that set the agenda for the decade ahead.
- Capacity-building
UNESCO provides technical advice and support to develop the institutional and human capacity of countries to achieve their education goals. This includes training of education practitioners and officers in multiple fields, including educational planning, curriculum design, data collection and distance learning.
Sciences for a sustainable future
UNESCO’s international science programmes have long-standing experience in mobilizing the best available fundamental and applied science in their respective fields to serve Member States. They work to develop: international cooperation, networking and knowledge-sharing; research, monitoring, and the generation of knowledge; human and institutional capacity and educational initiatives; sound policies and governance; responses to requests for technical assistance from Member States; awareness on scientific issues among policy-makers and the general public.
The programmes are:
- Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP);
- Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB);
- International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP);
- International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP).
Additionally, UNESCO's Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems programme (LINKS) promotes local and indigenous knowledge and its inclusion in global climate science and policy processes, and its World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) produces policy-relevant, timely and reliable information in various fields of water resources developments and management.
These programmes are supported by extensive networks and benefit from the concrete experience gained from the UNESCO designated sites: biosphere reserves, UNESCO Global Geoparks and natural sites inscribed on the World Heritage list.
In addition to these programmes, a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO carries out a specific mandate on ocean sciences: the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO).
The Natural Sciences Sector also implements its programmes through:
- the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), in Trieste, Italy;
- the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, in Montreal, Canada; and
- a network of over 50 associated centres in the fields of water, renewable energy, science policy, biotechnology, geosciences, the basic sciences and remote sensing.
More than 250 of the UNESCO/UNITWIN University chairs are science related.
Building inclusive and sustainable economies and societies
In a complex world confronting major transitions (climate, digital, demographics, inequalities), UNESCO leverages the contributions of Social and Human Sciences to build inclusive and sustainable economies and societies. This is done through the management of social transformations and strengthening the science-policy nexus; through the ethical governance of emerging technologies, particularly of artificial intelligence, neurotechnology and climate engineering; and through fostering trust in science and the safety of scientists. It is also done by addressing racism and discrimination and forging intercultural dialogue, empowering youth and women, and deploying the ethical and social impact of sports.
Protecting our heritage and Fostering creativity
From cherished historic monuments and museums to living heritage practices and contemporary art forms, culture enriches our lives in countless ways and helps build inclusive, innovative and resilient communities.
Protecting and safeguarding the world’s cultural and natural heritage and supporting creativity and dynamic cultural sectors are fundamental to addressing the challenges of our time, from climate change to poverty, inequality, the digital divide and ever more complex emergencies and conflicts. UNESCO is convinced that no development can be sustainable without a strong culture component. Indeed only a human-centred approach to development based on mutual respect and open dialogue among cultures can lead to lasting peace.
Promoting free flow of ideas by word and image
UNESCO defends and promotes freedom of expression, media independence and pluralism, and the building of inclusive knowledge societies underpinned by universal access to information and the innovative use of digital technologies.
Through capacity-building, policy advice, international cooperation, monitoring and foresight in the fields of freedom of expression, access to information, and digital transformation, UNESCO will continue to empower key actors with a view to ensuring that fundamental freedoms are guaranteed online and offline, in line with international standards.
This is all the more relevant to ensure the ethical development and use of emerging technologies, which have a growing impact on all aspects of the world’s societies. Citizens will also be empowered to enjoy these fundamental freedoms through the development of 21st century skills and the fostering of enabling environments for media pluralism and diversity.
The Ocean we need for the Future we want
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) is the United Nations body responsible for supporting global ocean science and services. The IOC enables its 150 Member States to work together to protect the health of our shared ocean by coordinating programmes in areas such as ocean observations, tsunami warnings and marine spatial planning. Since it was established in 1960, the IOC has provided a focus for all other United Nations bodies that are working to understand and improve the management of our oceans, coasts and marine ecosystems. Today, the IOC is supporting all its Member States to build their scientific and institutional capacity in order to achieve the global goals including the UN Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Priority Africa
UNESCO's global priorities are Africa and Gender Equality. As such, UNESCO and development partners are attentive to 54 African countries with a stronger and better-targeted strategy. The African Renaissance is underway, with the adoption of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development paving the ground for the African Economic Community. To this end, regional communities are consolidating ties.
Priority Gender Equality
Women make up more than two-thirds of the world's 750 million adults without basic literacy skills; women represent less than 30% of the world’s researchers; and women journalists are more exposed to assault, threat or physical, verbal or digital attack than their male counterparts.
UNESCO believes that all forms of discrimination based on gender are violations of human rights, as well as a significant barrier to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Our message is clear: women and men must enjoy equal opportunities, choices, capabilities, power and knowledge as equal citizens. Equipping girls and boys, women and men with the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills to tackle gender disparities is a precondition to building a sustainable future for all.
