Literacy programmes worldwide are helping refugees, disadvantaged children and marginalized communities gain skills, confidence and opportunities for brighter, more inclusive futures.
UNESCO
Open Educational Resources enable free access, adaptation and sharing of learning materials, expanding educational opportunities through openly licensed knowledge that benefits learners and educators worldwide.
As artificial intelligence opens new doors to progress but also raises new risks, how do we make sure it does not leave human rights, dignity and fairness behind? That question takes centre stage at the (14–17 September, Riyadh), bringing together voices from around the world to help shape an AI future that works for everyone. Under the theme “Transforming Global Cooperation for Ethical AI Governance,” the Forum explores how ethical principles translate into action, how innovation and responsibility can go hand in hand, and how AI can serve people.
Thirty ocean experts from 14 African countries strengthened eDNA skills at Pwani University, advancing regional marine biodiversity monitoring and .
Five years after girls in Afghanistan were barred from secondary education, continues to keep learning opportunities open for girls and women excluded from formal education. Through community-based programmes, UNESCO provides literacy and vocational training, psychosocial support and practical skills that can strengthen livelihoods and resilience. Working with local communities, it helps create safe and accessible learning spaces, build confidence and support women’s future economic participation. UNESCO also continues to advocate for the restoration of girls’ and women’s right to education while expanding alternative pathways for learning.
In the flooded glacial valleys of , students are learning about the ocean by sailing it. Aboard Fylla, a three-masted schooner built a century ago in these same waters, they collect water samples with professional oceanographic equipment, analyze marine life, and encounter the effects of climate change first-hand — from falling oxygen levels to the sulphuric smell of oxygen-depleted seabed.
UNESCO is archive, safeguarding decades of the nation’s history, music, and voices for future generations through digital preservation.
UNESCO is expanding through global partnerships, remote laboratory access, STEM training, and crisis support to make research more inclusive and impactful worldwide.
±«±··ˇł§°ä°żâ€™s lets visitors explore global science through interactive exhibitions, inspiring stories, and educational resources that connect cultures, traditions, and innovation.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meets annually to decide which cultural and natural sites deserve World Heritage status and to monitor the conservation of existing sites. At its 48th session in Busan, Republic of Korea, the Committee inscribed 25 new sites on the World Heritage List, including Wadi Wurayah (pictured), recognised for its ecological distinctiveness and biodiversity. The Committee adopted measures to strengthen the protection of heritage threatened by conflict and climate change, and reinforced efforts to make the List more representative, reaffirming a shared global commitment to safeguarding humanity’s cultural and natural heritage for future generations.
The world’s scientists are mobilizing against climate disruption, inequality and emerging technologies—but the benefits are far from evenly shared. UNESCO data spanning 397 initiatives in 79 countries reveals that Africa hosts fewer than 10% of projects despite representing 17.5% of the global population. Funding has surged, yet weak coordination, limited infrastructure and gaps between researchers and policymakers still block progress. With open-science commitments often lacking action plans or oversight, the next breakthrough may depend less on discovering new knowledge than on ensuring every nation can access, shape and use it.
In Peru's Oxapampa–Asháninka–Yánesha Biosphere Reserve, Indigenous and rural women are protecting native stingless bees while strengthening biodiversity, food security, and local livelihoods. Through UNESCO and Guerlain's Women for Bees project, participants receive training and resources to practice sustainable meliponiculture, combining traditional knowledge with modern techniques. The initiative empowers women with new skills, income opportunities, and leadership roles while helping conserve vital pollinators threatened by habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change.
Stories endure through the people who carry them forward. In AlUla, preserve living memory through oral storytelling, connecting generations and keeping history alive.
±«±··ˇł§°ä°żâ€™s biosphere reserves reverse the traditional conservation model by treating local communities as partners rather than obstacles. With more than 700 reserves in 142 countries, covering 7.5 million square kilometers, these “living laboratories” integrate biodiversity protection, scientific research, and sustainable livelihoods. Last week, 250 experts from 34 countries gathered in Paraguay for the Man and the . The host, Paraguay’s Itaipu Biosphere Reserve, protects the country’s largest remaining Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest corridor while supporting 250,000 residents. Through restoration efforts, nearly 4 million trees have been planted. The meeting also welcomed , including the first in Montenegro and Timor-Leste.
UNESCO is urging governments to prioritize early childhood education, warning that millions of children risk falling behind before they even begin primary school. Experts say the years from birth to age five are critical for brain development, learning, and long-term well-being, yet early education remains underfunded and overlooked in many countries. With less than five years left to meet global education goals for 2030, UNESCO says urgent investment in teachers, access, and quality pre-primary education is needed to prevent deepening inequality and learning gaps worldwide.