The Education Sector at a glance
As the leading UN agency for education, UNESCO has a staff of nearly 1,000 colleagues in its Education sector, working at its Paris-based headquarters and across a global network of field offices, specialized institutes, centres and networks. The Sector is led by Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini.
Headquarters
UNESCO headquarters in Paris provides overall guidance for UNESCO’s action in education worldwide, working with colleagues from around the world. The Education Sector is composed of the Executive Office and five Divisions (Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems; Inclusion, Peace and Sustainable Development; Education 2030 Support, Future of Learning and Innovation and the Global Education Monitoring Report). Discover the Sector’s senior management team at Headquarters.
Field offices
UNESCO supports its education programme across the world through its 53 field offices in Africa, the Arab States, Asia and Pacific, Europe and North America and Latin America and the Caribbean, where specialized staff establish strong working relationships with governments, development partners and civil society.
Education institutes
Category 1 institutes are an integral part of UNESCO and help countries in their work on a wide range of education challenges from policy to adult literacy.
- The International Bureau of Education (IBE) (Geneva Switzerland): works to enhance curriculum development and reform.
- The International Institute for Education Planning (IIEP) (Paris, France, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Dakar, Senegal): helps countries design, plan and manage their education systems.
- The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) (Hamburg, Germany): promotes lifelong learning policy and practice, with a focus on adult education literacy and non-formal education.
- The Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE) (Moscow, Russian Federation): assists countries in the use of information and communication technologies in education.
- The International Institute for Higher Education in Latin American and the Caribbean (IESALC) (Caracas, Venezuela): promotes the development of higher education in the region.
- The International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia): focuses on teachers to help strengthen Africa’s educational institutions.
- The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) (New Delhi, India): specializes in research, knowledge-sharing and policy formulation for peace, sustainability and global citizenship.
- The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) (Montreal, Canada): as the official statistical agency of UNESCO, the UIS produces rich, current data on education by working with ministries, national statistical offices and organizations.
Global networks
UNESCO also works through its extensive global education networks including:
- UNESCO Associated Schools Network – ASPnet, a network of over 11,500 ASPnet member schools in 182 countries
- UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs, UNESCO’s network of over 830 higher education and research institutions in 110 countries
- The UNEVOC network on TVET, hosted by the UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Network (UNESCO-UNEVOC)
- UNESCO Global Network of Learning cities promoting lifelong learning for all, hosted by UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UNESCO-UIL)
Education centres
Category 2 centres are independent, privileged partners of UNESCO which contribute to the implementation of its education programme and raise its profile at country level in their different areas of excellence.
- Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU).
- International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (CIEFFA).
- International Centre for Higher Education Innovation
- International Centre for the UNESCO ASPNET (ICUA)
- International Mother Language Institute (IMLI).
- International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED).
- Office for Climate Education (OCE)
- Regional Centre for Adult Education (ASFEC)
- Regional Centre for Early Childhood Care and Education in the Arab States (RCECCE)
- Regional Centre for Educational Planning (RCEP)
- South Asian Centre for Teacher Development (SACTD)
- Teacher Education Centre
- Regional Centre of Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE)
- Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA)