9th Meeting of the Informal Network of European National UNESCO Commissions takes place in Dublin

May 11th 2025

Earlier this month, the 9th Meeting of the Informal Network of European National UNESCO Commissions took place in Dublin, Ireland, with over 30 National Commissions in attendance, and hosted by the Irish National Commission for UNESCO.

The UKNC was represented by our CEO and Secretary-General James Bridge. James co-presented with the Polish Secretary-General and UNESCO Chair, Alicja Jagielska-Burduk, on the upcoming UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT.

The Polish and UK Commissions submitted a bid for an official side event highlighting the grassroots delivery of MONDIACULT's objectives via National Commissions from around the world and UNESCO Designations.

Over the course of the two day event, senior leaders from National Commissions across Europe gathered to discuss a range of matters on key UNESCO policy areas and forthcoming global UNESCO events. Subjects debated included:

The UNESCO Draft Resolution on the role of National Commissions at UNESCO in further developing what UNESCO will do in 2026-29 (its 43/C5 Draft Programme and Budget)
The UNESCO framework for culture and arts education
The role of National Commissions in mediating societal debates around UNESCO Designations
Media and information literacy, to counter disinformation
The role of National Commissions in the September 2025 MONDIACULT intergovernmental conference

The Irish National Commissions took the National Commission representatives to see the beautiful Dublin Bay Biosphere and and magnificent Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne World Heritage Site.