UK National Commission for UNESCO continues programme of parliamentary engagement
July 29th 2025, by Alison Smedley, Policy Coordinator, UKNC
Two further recent meetings with UK Government Ministers have taken place as part of the UKNC's strategy for parliamentary engagement.
UKNC Chair, Anne Anderson, and Chief Executive and Secretary-General, James Bridge, have met with Baroness Smith, Minister for Skills at the Department for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Baroness Taylor, Minister for Housing and Local Government. These follow a meeting with Lord Collins of Highbury, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Africa).
Image left: L-R: James Bridge, Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Anne Anderson. Image right: L-R: Anne Anderson, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, James Bridge.
Following a series of letters that were written from UKNC to HM Government departments earlier in the year, Anne and James joined Baroness Smith for a meeting on 25 June, where among the topics discussed were AI and education, UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership, partnerships with schools including the UK UNESCO Associated Schools Project, utilising UNESCO’s Mutual Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications Convention to help amplify UK leadership internationally, and how UNESCO’s global networks can promote UK expertise in education.
The meeting with Baroness Taylor took place on 14 July, where Anne and James were able to raise a wide range of issues including the importance of UNESCO sites to government initiatives such as Plans for Neighbourhoods, working with Mayors in devolved strategic authority areas, living heritage and the links between Intangible Cultural Heritage and the trade union movement, and how UNESCO designations and initiatives can contribute to the Government’s ambitions around community empowerment, pride of place, and local regeneration.
Follow up on these initial discussions is taking place, along with the organisation of meetings with other Government Departments relevant to the work of UKNC.
All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for World Heritage
All Party Parliamentary Group for UNESCO World Heritage. Far left: Alison Smedley, UKNC Policy Coordinator (observer)
On 10 June the inaugural meeting of a new All Party Parliamentary Group for UNESCO World Heritage took place at Portcullis House, Westminster. The Group has been set up to champion and safeguard UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK, following concerns that a number of UK sites are at risk from climate change and flooding, and also from unsympathetic development which risks them being delisted by UNESCO.
Jonathan Davies MP, Member of Parliament for Mid Derbyshire (who has Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site in his constituency) was elected as the new Group’s chairman, with Danny Kruger MP (for East Wiltshire which includes Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site) as Vice Chair. Edward Morello MP (West Dorset) and Lord Wallace were appointed as Co Chairs.
Eleven MPs and three Peers attended the inaugural meeting, including former heritage minister Lord Parkinson. World Heritage UK will be providing the Secretariat for the new group.
