Our Education
Programme

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We implement UNESCO’s Education programme through four pillars:

Legal framework Step n°1

Policy advice Step n°2

Expert Advice Step n°3

Sites & initiatives Step n°4

We monitor legal instruments the UK has ratified as a member of UNESCO, work with leading experts to advise the UK and devolved governments on UNESCO programmes and support UNESCO designations in the UK.

Education Spotlight

Browse our In Focus Education Programmes

“As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalised adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty, and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities.”

Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General (1999-2009)

Introduction

UNESCO believes access to quality education throughout our life is a fundamental human right, regardless of our background and is an essential bedrock to building peace and delivering development.

Discover UNESCO’s education programme in the UK. Find out more about UNESCO’s role in setting global standards, its influence on the ground and meet some of the UK’s world-leading experts.

The seeds of UNESCO’s work were formed in the minds of ministers of education during the Second World War and UNESCO has galvanised international collaboration on education through its standard setting frameworks and monitoring, the Education for All programme and its global action plan on Education for Sustainable Development.

Now, as the only United Nations body with a mandate that covers all aspects of education, UNESCO has been entrusted with leading and monitoring worldwide action to deliver the targets in the Sustainable Development Goal on quality education for all.

The UK and devolved Governments are committed to fulfilling UNESCO’s action on education globally by providing equal and quality education, ensuring that everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life.

UNESCO establishes an international normative framework through its Conventions, Recommendations and other agreements

The UK National Commission for UNESCO informs and advises on international and domestic education policy to UNESCO and UK Government

EDUCATION POLICY

The education programme cuts across the work of the departments for education in the 4 nations of the UK and the Department for International Development.

Since 1946, the UK National Commission for UNESCO has been ensuring the UK’s leading specialists, intellectuals and academics are contributing to and shaping UNESCO’s education mandate. We also advise the UK and devolved governments on policy relating to UNESCO’s education activities.

ALL OUR POLICY WORK

Are you interesting in becoming a UNESCO Chair? Find out more below

   Discover our #Policy        

The UK National Commission has produced and published several long form policy briefs that cover education. These inform UK Government about the international opportunities in UNESCO’s programmatic sphere, opportunities and guidance on the implementation of more of UNESCO’s Education conventions and recommendations, and evaluating UNESCO’s global role in education.

   Discover our #EducationPolicy        

EDUCATION POLICY BRIEFS

The UK National Commission for UNESCO has a wider portfolio of policy work which spans UNESCO’s four programmatic areas. They advise and inform our stakeholders about issues and opportunities both internationally and within the UK.

   Discover more #EducationPolicy documents       

EDUCATION POLICY DOCUMENTS

DISCOVER

Education for Sustainable Development in the UK

#Policy #BriefN°09

   Explore #PolicyBrief n°09        

SPOTLIGHT

Our ? Ideas for #MoreEducation

#Education #Ideas

   Explore our education #Ideas        

Each and every accredited expert within our network is tasked with a specific committee or programme within UNESCO’s framework

EDUCATION EXPERTS

We work with a network of experts across the UK who support UNESCO’s global mission to build peace in the minds of men and women.

Our Expert Network is made up of pro-bono specialists who help to advise the UK and Devolved Governments on policy relating to UNESCO’s programmes.

KEY EDUCATION EXPERTS

Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly, is our non-executive director who has shared responsibility of the #EducationPortfolio

   Meet Joseph       

The relevant UK government department approves Accredited Experts. They have an official role, representing the UK in UNESCO Committees, Commissions and Programmes. They also work with us and the UK Permanent Delegation to UNESCO based with the Department for International Development in London and Paris, to advise the UK and/or devolved governments on UNESCO related matters..

🎓   Explore our #AccreditedExpert network        

KEY EDUCATION ACCREDITED EXPERTS

FROM OUR EDUCATION ACCREDITED EXPERTS

The UNESCO Chair/UNITWIN programme seeks to foster international cooperation and knowledge sharing between higher education institutions. UNESCO Chairs are based within an Institute for Higher Education, and their work identifies with a current UNESCO priority.

🪑   Explore our #Chairs network        

KEY EDUCATION CHAIRS

FROM OUR EDUCATION CHAIRS

UNESCO’s global presence in education is represented by several Sites and Initiatives here in the UK

EDUCATION SITES, ACTIONS & INITIATIVES

All UNESCO sites within the UK have a focus on education, for their local communities and further afield. UNESCO also has some sites and initiatives dedicated to Education present in the UK.

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

The UNESCO Associated Schools Programme (ASPnet) links educational institutions across the world around a common goal: to build the defences of peace in the minds of children and young people. The over 11,500 ASPnet member schools in 182 countries work in support of international understanding, peace, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development and quality education in practice.

LATEST EDUCATION NEWS

Survey for UK UNESCO Chairs

This short survey is for the use of the UK National Commission for UNESCO only. We will use your responses to better understand your fields of work, capacity and international links so that we can inform the government reliably of the UK UNESCO Chairs network's expertise across UNESCO's fields of competency. 1. About your UNESCO…
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Launched in 2012, the UK government Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) is an ambitious twelve-year initiative aiming to provide the world’s most marginalised girls with quality education.

Read More
Sign the open letter to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee On 24 February 2022, Russia launched an armed offensive against Ukraine. One month later, intense fighting continues with hundreds of lives lost, and buildings and sometimes entire cities devastated. According to the figures recently released by the UNESCO Secretariat, 53 cultural buildings (historical monuments, places…
Read More

Discover our sites of #education, explore our ?️  Learning Cities

   Explore our #Sites        

All UNESCO sites have an educational focus, but the UK’s 6 Learning Cities in particular recognise the transformative power of education for their residents of all ages, and strive to create and promote learning opportunities for everyone; by addressing barriers to participation, narrowing the gap between rich and poor, enhancing social cohesion and helping to fulfill their citizens aspirations.

🏺   Explore our #Sites of education        

OUR EDUCATION SITES

NEWS FROM OUR EDUCATION SITES

The UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet) links educational institutions across the world around a common goal: to build the defences of peace in the minds of children and young people.

More about the ASPnet programme

UNESCO Prizes in natural and social science are prestigious awards addressing global issues and themes, which are conferred on individuals or organisations by the Director-General for UNESCO upon recommendation by an independent and international jury. They each carry a high symbolic value, and are awarded with a substantial monetary award.

🏆   Apply to our #EducationPrizes        

OUR EDUCATION PRIZES

BLOGS FROM OUR EDUCATION PRIZES

Engaging individual citizens and communities, UNESCO’s ambitious education agenda aims to fulfil society’s curiosity and desire for learning, whilst arming them with knowledge that they can carry with them for the entirety of their lives.

UNESCO leads on Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning for all. All the initiatives that are carried out in the UK in the field of Education contribute to the attainment of this goal.

💪   Find education #Initiatives        

EDUCATION INITIATIVES

NEWS FROM OUR EDUCATION INITIATIVES

At their root, UN International Days contribute to the achievement of the purposes of the UN Charter and promote awareness of and action on important political, social, cultural, humanitarian or human rights issues. International days are at the heart of the United Nations Charter.

🌞   Find education #IntlDays        

EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL DAYS

NEWS FROM OUR EDUCATIONAL INTL’ DAYS

Take #Education Further

“As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalised adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty, and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities.”

Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General(1999-2009)

DISCOVER

Discover our Science
Programmes

#Science #Programmes

   Explore our #ScienceProgrammes        

DISCOVER

Discover our Culture
Programmes

#Culture #Programmes

   Explore our #CultureProgramme        

DISCOVER

Discover our Communication & Information Programmes

#Communication #Information

   Explore our #CommunicationProgrammes        

SPOTLIGHT

Discover #All our UNESCO Programmes

#Building #Peace

   Explore all our #Programmes