Bringing the benefits of
UNESCO to the UK

Image above: The historic Masson Mills, Sir Richard Arkwright’s 1783 water powered cotton spinning mill built on the banks for the River Derwent at Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. Part of the UNESCO Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Welcome to UNESCO in the UK

The United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) is the focal point for all UNESCO-related matters in the UK and a constitutional part of the UK’s membership of UNESCO.

The UKNC brings the benefits of UNESCO programmes and international agreements in education, science, culture, and communication and information, to government, academic community, and broader civil society, and ensures that these audiences fully contribute to, and shape, UNESCO’s global aims and activities.

An independent, not-for-profit organisation, the UKNC is one of a network of around 200 National Commissions for UNESCO around the world.

Click on the map above to explore UNESCO in the UK

Our areas of work

Programmes

UNESCO is a ‘laboratory of ideas’ and we bring together people from far-and-wide to deliver UNESCO’s Programmes covering Education, Science, Culture, and Communication and Information.

Projects

We undertake a range of externally funded projects to support the network of UNESCO sites in the UK and further the work of the C0mmission.

Accreditation

From Patronage to Prizes and Chairs to Partnership there are many ways to be accredited by UNESCO in the UK – not least achieving coveted ‘UNESCO Designation status’. Find out how here.

Expert Network

Our role is to ensure the UK’s thought-leaders in education, the sciences, culture, and communication and information are helping to shape UNESCO’s global policies and programmes. For this, we have our ‘Expert Network’…

Our Designations

Far more than just World Heritage Sites… click on the appropriate image below to learn about each type of UNESCO designation in the UK.

Biosphere Reserves

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are all about improving the relationship between people and their local environment, globally. They are sites created by UNESCO that find creative ways for people and nature to thrive together.

Creative Cities

The UNESCO Global Creative Cities Network is a global network of cities working towards the joint mission of placing creativity and cultural industries at the core of their urban development to make their cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

Global Geoparks

UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. Geoparks are areas of exceptional geological significance.

Learning Cities

The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities consists of over 200 cities in 40 countries which are united in their determination to promote lifelong learning and, through it, sustainable development in their cities.

World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites tell the unique story of the UK’s contribution to the world. These sites belong to everyone, and it is everyone’s duty to protect them for future generations.

Memory of the World

The Memory of the World Programme protects the collective memory of the peoples of the world. This archive shows the United Kingdom’s most important memories told through some of its most prized documents, photographs, film, audio, and letters.