United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

IOC, NOAA, IAEA, IOCCP, GOOS 

SDG 14 

All  

GOA-ON is a collaborative international network to detect and understand the drivers of ocean acidification in estuarine-coastal-open ocean environments, the resulting impacts on marine ecosystems, and to make the information available to optimize modelling studies. The network is fundamental to providing early warning of the impacts of ocean acidification on natural ecosystems, wild and aquaculture fisheries, coastal protection, tourism and local economies. The network provides key input to communities, industry and governments seeking to develop action plans, best practices, and mitigation or adaptation strategies to address ocean acidification impacts. 

Local media outlets, media support organizations 
EU (funded the European Commission) 
No formal partnership but close coordination with UN Women, UNHCR and UNCT 

SDG 4, 5, 8 (and 16) 

Afghanistan 

Since August 2021, 80-90% of women journalists in Afghanistan have lost their jobs, often being the sole breadwinners of their families. Following the ban on women studying most degrees, approximately 1.500 women and girls enrolled in journalism programs at universities had to stop their education. With 1.4 million girls still banned from secondary education, media are increasingly provide alternative non-formal education access.  

Despite severe restrictions, the media sector remains one of the few in which women can still work. The project adopted a gender-responsive approach by: 

Local media outlets and media support organizations (in particular Women in Media) 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan 

16, 5 

Ukraine 

The livelihood of journalists and media outlets remain endangered amid Russian aggression on Ukraine, making the promotion of gender equality in media crucial. Research conducted by the Institute for Mass Information (IMI) revealed that, in Q4 of 2022 women experts were cited in only 12.5% of online materials, the lowest since 2014, signalling a regression to traditional gender stereotypes and neglecting women’s expertise. Additionally, specific gender safety concerns, such as online attacks against women journalists, have not been sufficiently assessed. While anecdotal evidence of gendered violence exist, there is an urgent need for qualitative and quantitative research to monitor this phenomenon, while providing targeted assistance.  

in response, UNESCO and its partners have: 

UNESCO, University College London, International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), under the auspices of UNESCO, Distributed AI Research Institute,  Northeastern University, University of Essex,  Research ICT Africa, ELLIS Alicante Foundation, Digital Futures Lab 

SDG 5 

Final recommendations will benefit Member States at the national level  

The study "Challenging Systematic Prejudices: An Investigation into Bias Against Women and Girls in Large Language Models," published by UNESCO and UCL, investigates the pervasive gender biases present in popular large language models (LLMs) like GPT-2 and Llama 2. It highlights how these models often reinforce traditional gender roles and perpetuate stereotypes, such as associating female names with domestic roles and male names with professional ones. The study also demonstrates how biased AI outputs can exacerbate social inequality, with negative content disproportionately affecting women and LGBTQ+ subjects. This research contributes to SDG 5 on Gender Equality by advocating for fairer AI systems and urging the inclusion of diverse perspectives in AI development. It calls for ethical frameworks and bias detection tools to ensure AI technologies support gender equality, rather than undermine it, by preventing the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. 

ITU, UNDP, UNCTAD and the UN Group on the Information Society 

SDG 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16 

Global 

UNESCO serves as lead facilitator in the implementation of five of the eleven WSIS Action Lines: on access to information and knowledge (Action Line C3), e-learning (C7) and e-science (C7), cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content (C8), media (C9) and the ethical dimensions of the information society (C10), with a cross-cutting focus on gender equality. 

Contributors: Arizona State University, France Radio, ZHAW Zurich University of Engineering, National Center on Disability and Journalism, International Labor Organization (ILO) 

SDG 5, SDG 10, SDG 16.10 

Ghana, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Ukraine 

UNESCO launched in August 2024 its Practical Manual and Master Class on Disability Equality in the Media, implemented worldwide through its Field Offices. These offices mobilize and engage regional, national, and local media organizations and media professionals to participate in capacity building sessions to advance media development for women, persons with disabilities, and society as a whole. In Ghana UNESCO organized a workshop in partnership with the 3^rd African Media Convention in May 2024 and another workshop of media executives in Ukraine in October 2024, where attended representatives from the public broadcasters and civil society organizations of persons with disabilities. Such initiative not only strengthens the promotion of and increases awareness about the human-rights approach within media organizations, but also shows the relevant potential of new revenue streams by including gender equality aspects in editorial and management policies. Other capacity building activities are being planned in Bangladesh, Mongolia and Ukraine. 

UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the European Broadcasting Union, the Public Media Alliance, the Deutsche Welle Akademie, the Indigenous Journalists Association, the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research of Griffith University in Australia 

SDG 5, SDG 10, SDG 16.10 

Final recommendations will benefit the States at the national level  

In 2023, UNPFII mandated UNESCO (E/2023/43-E/C.19/2023/7, paragraph 10) to conduct a study on Indigenous Peoples and the Media in partnerships with UN entities, Indigenous organizations, media organizations and civil society, and to present the findings at its annual session in 2025. To address the UNPFII decision, UNESCO stablished a Working Group and organized a series of consultations throughout 2023 and 2024 with Indigenous Peoples, UN system entities, the media sector, and civil society. UNESCO concluded a broad international literature review, and it is implementing the methodological framework of the study, which includes a survey instrument for the media, a media content monitoring, and a call for inputs for UN entities. Further consultations are planned, including an expert meeting confirmed at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 26 to 27 November 2024, to consolidate strategic recommendations for action.  

UNESCO Member States, private and public sectors, civil society, scientific community 

SDGs 5, 8 and 17 

Global outreach 

Celebrated every 11 February since 2015, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science unites the international community in emphasizing the need for gender equality in science to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs.  

Led by UNESCO and UN Women, the initiatives and events organized worldwide in the context of this International Day celebrate the extraordinary contributions of women in science while highlighting the need for science and gender equality to progress together in addressing the world’s greatest challenges. This Day also serves as a platform to advocate for equal access and participation in science for women and girls. As Gender Equality remains one of the two UNESCO Global Priorities, empowering female researchers and inspiring the next generation of young girls are essential drivers for achieving sustainable development." 

Participants: 4MYPLANET, Help Images, Women from the Sea Project, Clean Earth, Latin American Marine Educators, Enact Earth Foundation  

SDG 5, SDG 14  

All Member States  

UNESCO’s International Day of Women in Multilateralism 2024 recognized women leaders in the multilateral system to catalyze a global dialogue on multilateral solutions to gender discrimination that inhibits responses to climate emergencies. 

IDWM 2024 advanced recommendations that ensure gender equality is at the centre of multilateral responses to amplify the participation of women in science and for the environment. It has promoted women’s roles in scientific discoveries, conservation of ecosystems and efforts to reduce threats to biodiversity. It will also work to increase and strengthen women’s leadership in the governance and management of natural resources and water. 

The results were compiled as a set of recommendations to meaningfully contribute the gender perspective to the outcomes of the World Science Forum (November 2024), the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona (April 2024) and the UN Ocean Conference (June 2025). 

Brazil  presidency of the G20 

4. Quality education   

5. Gender equality   

8. Decent work and economic growth   

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure  

10. Reduced inequalities  

13. Climate action  

17. Partnerships for the Goals  

All Member States.  

UNESCO was named as a Knowledge Partner to the Brazilian Presidency of the G20 with focus on AI and inequalities, and strategic partner of the W20 to inform policies aimed at reducing the digital gender divide.   

As part of this partnership, UNESCO contributed to working groups on Gender Equality, Education, Digital Economy, Research and Innovation, Enviromental and Climate Sustainability, and Employment.  

In particular, UNESCO supported the development of a report on AI and inequalities, which has a special focus on gender inequalities.  

UNESCO, Dutch Digital Infrastructure Authority, European Commission DG Reform   

4. Quality education   

5. Gender equality   

8. Decent work and economic growth   

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure  

10. Reduced inequalities  

13. Climate action  

17. Partnerships for the Goals  

EU Member States  

UNESCO is working with the Dutch Digital Infrastructure Authority on a project funded by EC DG Reform on the supervision of AI by the Dutch and European competent authorities on AI, precisely to enhance their capacities, competencies, and knowledge to supervise AI in compliance with the forthcoming AI Act and other relevant legislation and international standards, such as UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, developing case studies for good practices, and assessing different modalities for supervising AI via a multistakeholder consultation.  

UNESCO, Thomson Reuters Foundation  

4. Quality education   

5. Gender equality   

8. Decent work and economic growth   

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure  

10. Reduced inequalities  

13. Climate action  

17. Partnerships for the Goals  

All Member States  

To promote transparency, UNESCO has partnered with the Thomson Reuters Foundation to launch an innovative voluntary disclosure mechanism. This initiative encourages companies to share their compliance with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, providing essential data for investors and stakeholders and reinforcing ethical practices in AI deployment.   

UNESCO, RCU 

SDGs 3, 5, 8 and 17 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

The Programme leverages values-based sport activities and trainings to empower young people to design, deliver, and evaluate sport for development projects within their communities. It provides youth with crucial skills and knowledge, and connects them with financial resources and networking opportunities to ensure the sustainability of their projects. The Youth Accelerator Programme will foster a generation of future leaders and create sustained and measurable social impact through sport.  

UNESCO, TAFISA, NIKE 

SDG 5 

TBC 

The Female Leaders Accelerator Programme focuses on equipping women with the skills needed to navigate from mid-level to senior management in sport policy-making and administration. As part of the programme governments will be supported to integrated recommendations to enhance diversity in sport leadership through specific measures recommended in UNESCO’s Sport and Gender Equality Game Plan.  

SDG 5 and SDG 17  

Global outreach 

Since 1998, the L’Oréal-UNESCO FWIS partnership has recognized and supported the achievements of female scientists at different stages of their careers, presenting national, regional and international awards for more than 4,300 women researchers from over 100 countries, including 7 Nobel Prize winners. 

Currently, the FWIS Programme highlights scientific excellence of women researchers through: 

• The International Awards, given each year to five outstanding women scientists, alternating every other year between Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science. 

• The network of over 50 national and regional “Young Talents” Programmes, aiming to promote and encourage young women researchers who represent the future of science, helping them to pursue their research in their home countries or abroad. 

The pioneering work and discoveries of the women scientists rewarded by the FWIS partnership, contribute to the advancement of science and Agenda 2030, notably its SDGs 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14 and 15 

UNESCO Member States, private and public sectors, civil society, scientific community 

SDGs 5, 8 and 17 

Global outreach 

Launched in February 2024 on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the UNESCO Call to Action "Closing the Gender Gap in Science" reaffirms UNESCO’s commitment to build a strong global community dedicated to closing the gender gap in STI and develop new projects and public awareness campaigns aimed at dismantling gender stereotypes, opening educational pathways for girls in science, and promoting workplace environments that attract, retain and advance women scientists. The three Action Groups for Women in Science, each centered on a key pillar of the Call to Action, will offer an excellent platform to exchange experiences and innovative ideas for advancing gender equality in science, reflect on existing initiatives, and explore opportunities for collaboration and new partnerships By empowering women in science, these initiatives help fostering scientific innovation and leadership across regions where their contributions are vital for progress.  

UNESCO Member States, private and public sectors, civil society, scientific community 

SDGs 5, 8 and 17 

Global outreach 

Celebrated every 11 February since 2015, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science unites the international community in emphasizing the need for gender equality in science to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs.  

Led by UNESCO and UN Women, the initiatives and events organized worldwide in the context of this International Day celebrate the extraordinary contributions of women in science while highlighting the need for science and gender equality to progress together in addressing the world’s greatest challenges. This Day also serves as a platform to advocate for equal access and participation in science for women and girls. As Gender Equality remains one of the two UNESCO Global Priorities, empowering female researchers and inspiring the next generation of young girls are essential drivers for achieving sustainable development." 

There are over 70 partners in the partnership and over 1000 members of the five UNESO Open Science Working Groups  

All SDGs, including 3,5,8,14 and 17 can benefit from open science  

All 

Led by UNESCO, the Open Science Partnership brings together all the relevant and interested Open Science stakeholders across the world. The partnership is open ended and is composed by the scientific community, public and private science, technology and innovation institutions, relevant private sector and industry, United Nations agencies and all other relevant open science actors. 

UNESCO Open Science Working Groups promote dialogue across stakeholder groups and regions on issues related to financing and incentives, policy, infrastructure, capacity and monitoring. They collectively produce UNESCO Open Science Toolkit to assist member states with the implementation of the 2021 UNESCO recommendation on Open Science.  

Initiated by the Government of France in partnership with UNESCO and SPARC Europe, now mobilizing members and other partners across the globe  

All SDGs can benefit from open science  

All 

 OSMI’s goals are to promote the worldwide adoption of Open Science Principles, provide technical specifications for their implementation, and support stakeholders on various levels in monitoring Open Science practices. 

UNESCO, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNU-MERIT, UNEP, UNECE, UNECA, UNESCWA, UNESCAP and EU-JRC  

SDG4, SDG5, SDG8, SDG9, SDG17  

Over 90 Member States  

The IATT WS6, co-led by UNESCO, UNCTAD, and UNU-MERIT, organizes training courses in science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy for the SDGs in developing countries.  

To date, the team has conducted nine training workshops at regional and international levels, participated by1,270 national STI officials from 75 countries. These workshops cover various topics, including STI policy approaches for the SDGs, policy instrument design and implementation, entrepreneurship and innovation, and monitoring and evaluation of STI policies, all highlighting their role in achieving the SDGs.  

The training also incorporates gender perspectives, emphasizing how the design and implementation of STI policies can help bridge the gender gap and promote inclusive STI systems.  

Since the inaugural training in 2015, IATT WS6 has received ongoing interest and requests from Member States for more similar activities. The WS6 website has been developed to provide training resources, and a booklet has been created to detail key training sessions.    

UN-DESA, World Bank, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, FAO, UN-ESCAP, ESCWA, WIPO and UNSG Office of the Envoy on Technology, among others.    

All SDGs  

Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Serbia, Ukraine   

IATT launched in July 2019 the first phase of the Global Pilot Programme on STI for SDGs Roadmaps. The initiative is co-led by UNDESA, the European Commission/Joint Research Centre and UNESCO.   

The initial stages of the STI4SDGs Roadmaps Programme established networks of experts to support STI for the SDGs, generated common guidelines for producing national roadmaps, and supported six pilot countries in producing national roadmaps  

Following the successful completion of the first phase of the prgramme, more than 20 countries have expressed interest in producing STI4SDGs Roadmaps.  IATT is now preparing updated guidance in the form of a Guidebook for the Development and Implementation of STI for SDGs Roadmap for the Six Transitions. UNESCO is co-leading the development of Ch5 on Voluntary funding models on STI for the SDGs, STI Policy Instruments and Capacity Building in support of national implementation of the STI Roadmaps.  

UNESCO and UNFPA, co-convenors. Over 75 partners, including UNAIDS, WHO, IPPF, youth-led organisations such as Y Plus Global, and research institutions such as the Guttmacher Institute or KIT Royal Tropical Institute. 

SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5 , SDG 16 and SDG 17. 

The initiative has a global mandate, so all 193 UNESCO Member States could potentially benefit. UNESCO has closely worked with countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Eastern Europe on capacity-building, policy development, and programme implementation. 

The Global Partnership Forum on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a collective of 75 partners from various sectors. Co-convened by UNESCO’s Health and Education Section and UNFPA, the Forum aims to support quality CSE programming through knowledge-sharing, research, and advocacy. It provides a platform for collaboration, focusing on enhancing youth leadership, identifying research gaps, and supporting multi-sectoral policy development. In 2025, the Forum will host a global symposium from 2-4 April in Moldova, that will gather key stakeholders to advance CSE dialogue and practice worldwide. 

Co-chaired by the UN Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) and UNESCO. Other key partners include ActionAid, Plan International, UNICEF, World Vision, and the Population Council for instance. 

SDGs 3, 4, 5, 10, 16, 17 

The working group’s efforts benefit a wide range of countries globally, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa, LAC, South Asia, and the Asia-Pacific regions, where SRGBV remains a pressing issue. 

UNESCO, alongside the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), leads a Global Working Group to End SRGBV established in 2014, comprising 70 organizations committed to ending gender-based violence in and around schools. As co-chair, UNESCO is committed to drive advocacy and collaboration to address violence against children, violence in schools, violence against women and girls, and SRGBV in humanitarian contexts. In 2023, UNESCO hosted a regional learning symposium for Asia Pacific, in collaboration with UNGEI and Safe to Learn. It promoted the use of evidence-based approaches, experience-sharing between countries, facilitated dialogue between governments, civil society, and the UN, whilst also providing an opportunity to disseminate practical tools, and amplifying the voices of women, young people, LGBTQI persons, and those living with disabilities. The SRGBV working group members will also be present at the upcoming First Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogota, Colombia on 6-8 November 2024. 

UNESCO and UNICEF (co-leads) 

African Union International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa; Business & Professional Women, Brookings Institution, Cambridge Education Girls’ Education Challenge, Center for Global Development, Echidna Giving, Equal Measures 2030, EQUALS, Government of Germany, Global Affairs Canada, Global Partnership for Education, Graça Machel Trust, Handicap International, Humana, International Disability Alliance, Malala Fund, Government of France, Government of Namibia, Norad, OECD, Plan International, Population Council, SDG4 Youth & Student Network, Technovation, University College London, UK FCDO, UN Women, UNAIDS, UNFPA, University of Cambridge, World Bank 

SDGs 4 and 5 

Global  

At the United Nations Secretary-General’s Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, leaders and education advocates launched the Global Platform through the landmark Call to Action to accelerate progress on gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment in and through education. Led by UNESCO and UNICEF, the Global Platform convenes governments, donors, partners and civil society to monitor progress, highlight gaps and propel transformative action on gender equality in and through education. 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 

International Labour Organization (ILO) 

International Organization of Migration (IOM) 

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 

UN-Habitat 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 

UN Women 

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) 

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNCELAC) 

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 

World Health Organisation (WHO) 

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 

United National World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 

World Trade Organization (WTO) 

African Union 

Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) 

Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) 

European Commission (EC) 

Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) 

Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 

Organization of Ibero-American States (OIE) 

African Development Bank 

Asian Development Bank 

Inter-American Development Bank 

Islamic Development Bank 

World Bank 

All 17 Goals 

194 Member States 

IPCSD was launched by UNESCO in May 2021 to foster a cohesive approach to culture for sustainable development within the UN system and beyond with the purpose of enhancing, monitoring and advocating for culture’s transformative agency on sustainable development in the context of delivering on the UN 2030 Agenda. 

The Platform is intended as a jointly-owned community of practice, bringing together some 30 international and regional bodies, including UN agencies, regional or sub-regional intergovernmental organisations, as well as development banks. This broad membership has shaped the working modalities of the Platform towards a transversal, thematic approach, building on jointly identified areas of focus and priorities. 

Through a set of focused thematic working groups, Members of the Platform are committed to jointly design and implement activities aimed at harnessing culture for sustainable development, among which the elaboration of policy documents, the organization of advocacy events or the development of training material.