UNESCO Chair Newsletter November 2025

Deepening the conversations from the International Forum on Education for a Post-2030 Agenda hosted by the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens on 30 October 2025, Salzburg Global Seminar (SGS)’s Education for Tomorrow’s World multi-year series will offer the Reimagining education: Global citizenship, pluralism, and purpose in the 21^st century seminar from 30 October to 3 November 2025 to reimagine learning, skills and inclusion to advance radically different societies and shared futures. With global educators and change-leaders, this seminar addresses inequity, rapid technological and climate change, and the future of work, seeking transformative education that equips all learners to shape sustainable, just futures. York's UNESCO Co-Chairs Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl are invited to join the conversation at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg (Austria).

Opening a series of events to promote the important role of education for social development and hosted by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) during the Second World Summit on Social Development (WSSD2), global citizenship education will be at focus on 3 November 2025 at 9am ET / 3pm CET / 5pm AST.

Enhancing access to education as we know it is not enough to shift societies towards more sustainable futures. As the world redefines the social contract for the 21^st century, Global Citizenship Education (GCED) offers a path to inclusion and equips learners with the knowledge, skills, and values to thrive in our interconnected world.

Join the virtual conversations during the WSSD2 on 4 November 2025 at 9am ET / 3pm CET for a thought-provoking discussion on the role of education in promoting peaceful societies that centre on principles of dignity and justice for all. Our friends and colleagues at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) will promote a series of events to advance the role of education as a central pillar to social development.

Higher education’s value proposition for inclusive futures is at the centre on 5 November 2025 at 8am ET / 2pm CET / 4pm AST. The webinar builds on the outcomes of the Global Higher Education Symposium (GHES) convened at UN Headquarters during the High-Level Political Forum in July 2025. A consensus statement seeks to deepen strategic perspectives on the evolving role of higher education as a trusted, transformative societal actor in advancing just, inclusive, and sustainable development to activate new ways of addressing the societal challenges of our time. UNESCO Co-Chair Katrin Kohl will offer a keynote for this virtual event and framed by the WSSD2's call for effective multilateralism, social cohesion, and whole-of-society approaches, the conversation will address how higher education can serve as a bridge across the knowledge–policy–society interfaces.

On 6 November 2025 at 8am ET / 2pm CET / 4pm AST, there is another opportunity to join the WSSD2 conversation. Please join the dialogue on pathways to future skills for advancing the SDGs through education, collaboration, and leadership.

Engage with global experts, gain new perspectives on education and sustainability, and connect with changemakers driving transformation worldwide. Register today to be part of this inspiring dialogue.

Join the ESDC - SDG Unit and the Assembly of First Nations for the upcoming SDG Connections event: Embedding First Nations realities within the SDGs. This virtual session will explore how First Nations can define indicators that authentically reflect their lived experiences and community priorities. The discussion will highlight AFN’s work in advancing a First Nations-led pathway to the SDGs through the development of indicators for SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Participants will also examine challenges in national reporting and collaborative approaches that centre First Nations worldviews in data governance.

Universities and colleges can drive transformational learning that goes beyond knowledge transfer, empowering learners to think critically, act responsibly, and shape a sustainable future aligned with the SDGs. The 2025 SDG Accord Report draws on trends from over 200 institutions worldwide. This year’s report focuses on learning and teaching, sharing challenges and effective practices for institutions and policymakers. Join a webinar on 4 November 2025 at 9am ET / 3pm CET to explore and discuss the findings.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) will launch the Greening communities guidance: Lifelong learning for climate and sustainability action on 14 November 2025 at 8am ET / 1pm CET. Developed under the Greening Education Partnership, this new publication provides a practical framework for empowering cities and communities to take climate and sustainability action through inclusive lifelong learning. The guidance highlights how learning across all ages and settings can foster local climate leadership, green skills, and collaborative community action.

On 15 November 2025 at 8am ET / 2pm CET, join this global webinar highlighting educators’ vital role in climate action ahead of COP30. Explore strategies for empowering teachers and learners to drive transformative sustainability action in schools and communities. Register now to connect, learn, and contribute to shaping education’s climate leadership.

Are you a representative of a higher education institution or stakeholder ready to drive collaboration, innovation and South-South/triangular partnerships? There is a new network that may interest you. The UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) and United Nations Office for South‑South Cooperation (UNOSSC) invite universities in the Global South to join the network as Members, and institutions, civil-society groups, youth networks or private-sector players to join as Partners.

Join the Learning Planet Festival 2026 on 21–28 January 2026, a global celebration of learning for people, planet, and peace. Co-created with UNESCO and partners in 193 countries, it unites educators, youth, and changemakers to reimagine education and inspire collective action for sustainable futures. Host or join free events worldwide.

The 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum convenes on 27 January 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York (USA), bringing together governments, civil society, youth, and the private sector. Under the theme Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda, the Forum advances partnerships driving meaningful progress towards a sustainable and inclusive future for all. There are opportunities to host virtual and in-person side events during the forum and submissions are possible now until 28 November 2025 (in-person) and 5 January 2026 (online).

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Report Advancing Together: Eight Decades of Progress Towards Sustainable Development for All reflects on 80 years of global cooperation and progress across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. It highlights key lessons on multilateralism, foresight, and collective action as essential foundations for advancing the SGDs and building a more resilient and equitable future. Yet, it notably overlooks education’s transformative role, offering little reflection on quality education with ESD as key enabler of sustainable development.

A milestone for the MECCE Project and partners: the new Global SDG Indicator 4.7.1b now tracks the greening of formal education curricula worldwide. Developed with UNESCO’s GEM Report and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), it measures sustainability content in national frameworks and grades 3, 6, and 9 curricula across 110 countries, advancing global monitoring of ESD. The data is now available on the UIS Data Browser.

As the 2030 deadline approaches, UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report has launched a new Countdown to 2030 series to assess progress on SDG 4. The first report spotlights four key indicators (early childhood participation, out-of-school rates, completion, and tertiary enrolment) through in-depth country case studies on equity and progress. The aim is not to pick the ‘best’ performing countries in the world but a regionally balanced set of countries that moved fast, given their initial conditions and contexts. Join the conversation shaping a fairer education future by responding to four key questions.

This new publication celebrates the 20^th year of the global network of Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs). Organized around five thematic chapters, it explores the conceptual foundations, regional developments, projects and emerging trends in RCEs, and concludes with reflections and strategic directions for a sustainable and inclusive future.

Drawing on ten case studies from the RCEs on ESD, this publication shows how action-oriented pedagogies can empower people of all ages to contribute to a more sustainable future. By integrating participatory and experiential approaches, these initiatives illustrate the transformative potential of education in fostering sustainability competencies and agency among learners.

New Open-Access Book Launch! Envisioning and Evaluating Our Contributions to Planetary Well-Being through the Lens of the Earth Charter is a timely publication, exploring the concept of Planetary Well-Being and how we can assess and inspire meaningful contributions to its narrative. Edited by Mirian Vilela, Rick Clugston, and Deeksha Aggarwal, this unique volume brings together 20 chapters by authors from diverse fields and contexts.

In light of the few remaining years of the SDGs, explore the Sage Journal of Education for Sustainable Development Special Issue ‘Policy Perspectives on Education for Sustainable Development’ by the SDG Academy and partners. Articles critically address ESD policy-to-practice gaps, reflecting global dynamics and charting future pathways for transforming education for 2030 and beyond.

The new ESD Toolkit: Advancing Education for Sustainable Development in Canada – New Mindsets for a Better Future is complete and available for download in English and in French. In addition, twelve inspiring case studies highlighting the transformative potential of ESD are also available online now (English and French).

Together, with David Zandvliet and Patti Ryan, Katrin Kohl co-authored the publication that was published by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO as a contribution to the UNESCO ESD for 2030 Framework. This resource was developed in collaboration with over 40 experts and knowledge holders in the fields of education for sustainable development and Indigenous land-based education.

The Together | Ensemble 2025 Conference Report is now available! Hosted by SDSN Canada and the University of Calgary, it captures the key lessons, opportunities, and themes of this year's conversation, reaching from Indigenous Knowledge to Planetary Health and Youth Leadership.

Discover the Awake at Night series by the United Nations, a human-centred look behind the scenes of global peacekeeping, humanitarian missions and climate action through intimate conversations with UN leaders and field staff.

In the latest episode, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed reflects on hope, leadership, and the urgent task of rebuilding trust in multilateralism. Her powerful insights remind the listener why empathy and courage remain vital to advancing peace and sustainable development.