SCIENCES, PRIORITY AFRICA
2 October, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris (France)
Social Transformation Week - Focus on Africa
Africa is one of UNESCO’s Global Priorities and will be the special focus of the final day of Social Transformations Week. The event will include discussions with contributors to the latest volumes of UNESCO’s General History of Africa, the launch of a new policy report on social investment and demographic change, and the screening of a documentary on the Mali Empire from the African Empires series, introduced by producer Sébastien Onomo of Special Touch Studios.
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EDUCATION
5 October, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris (France)
World Teachers’ Day
2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the Global Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. On this occasion, UNESCO will present new data on the teaching profession and an analysis of its trends. The celebration, co-convened by UNESCO, the International Labour Organization, UNICEF and Education International, is expected to be opened by UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, and will bring together teachers, policymakers, and education partners from around the world. The event will include high-level discussions on protecting and advancing the status of teachers, as well as the award ceremony for the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development, supported by the Hamdan Foundation.
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EDUCATION, GENDER EQUALITY
9 October, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris (France)
Launch of the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Gender Report
Ahead of the International Day of the Girl (11 October), UNESCO will bring together policymakers, researchers, young people and partners to highlight progress, address persistent challenges and promote solutions that advance gender equality in and through education. The event will include the launch of the 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report’s Gender Policy Paper, which assesses progress towards gender equality in education. It will also feature the award ceremony for the 2026 UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, funded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
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BIODIVERSITY
19-30 October, Yerevan (Armenia)
COP17 – Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
UNESCO-designated sites demonstrate that conservation and sustainable development are not competing objectives. UNESCO is a solutions provider on climate change through concrete, evidence-based digital and AI programming, turning knowledge into action, promoting resource-efficient AI, and putting people and equity at the center of AI-driven climate solutions. Beyond several events, UNESCO will be present at COP17 to launch the new phase of its groundbreaking eDNA Expeditions programme, sampling missions led across the globe to map and monitor marine species thanks to cutting edge biomolecular technology and the participation of citizen scientists.
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CULTURE, PRIORITY AFRICA
22-23 October, Luanda (Angola)
Biennale of Luanda – Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace
Organized by UNESCO, the African Union and the Government of Angola, the Biennale of Luanda promotes the prevention of violence and conflict resolution by encouraging cultural exchanges and intergenerational dialogue across Africa. Under the theme “Strengthening Water Governance in Africa as a tool for preventing, mediating, and resolving conflicts”, the event will bring together government representatives, civil society organizations, artists and scientist to share artistic works, ideas and good practices that foster a culture of peace in Africa.
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COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
24-31 October, Hybrid events worldwide
Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2026
In an age shaped by artificial intelligence, digital platforms and information overload, everyone has a crucial role to play in empowering individuals to navigate information critically, confidently and ethically. Under the theme "We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People", UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Week 2026 will engage policymakers, educators, researchers, journalists, youth, digital content creators, regulators, and parents through a series of hybrid events around the world to address today's most pressing information challenges.
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CULTURE
27 October, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris (France)
Promoting Human Creativity and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment
This international forum will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping cultural and creative sectors, examining its impact on creativity, cultural diversity and artistic rights. Discussion will explore the opportunities and challenges AI presents for the cultural and creative sectors, with a focus on ethical innovation, data governance, cultural diversity and the visibility of diverse content online.
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SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES
27-29 October, Baku (Azerbaidjan)
7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue
Co-organized with UNESCO, the 7th World Forum builds on the Baku Process toward practical responses to global division. It translates dialogue into concrete action for understanding, cooperation, peace and sustainable development.
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SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES
29-30 October, The Hague (The Netherlands)
Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination
For the 5th edition of the Forum, UNESCO will bring together leaders, experts and practitioners in The Hague to advance the global fight against racism and discrimination. Discussions will underscore the critical role of research and data in advancing equality. The Forum will also engage with the growing global conversation on reparatory justice.
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FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
2 November, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris (France)
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Between 2006 and 2025, over 1,800 journalists have been killed around the world, with close to 9 out of 10 cases of these killings remaining judicially unresolved, according to UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists. On this international day, UNESCO will present the key findings of its 2026 Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity during an event at its Paris headquarters.
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CLIMATE SCIENCES
9-20 November, Antalya (Türkiye)
COP31 – 2026 UN Climate Change Conference
At COP 31, UNESCO will raise awareness about the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, a partnership between UNESCO, the UN Secretariat and the Brazilian Government which contributes to investigating, exposing, and dismantling disinformation related to climate change. UNESCO will also release new publications on environment journalism and AI.
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EDUCATION
20 November, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris (France)
Launch of the 2026 Global Report on Early Childhood Care and Education
UNESCO believes early childhood care and education (ECCE) can be the foundation for emotional wellbeing and learning throughout life, and one of the best investments a country can make. On World Children’s Day, UNESCO will unveil the second edition of the Global Report on Early Childhood Care and Education, spotlighting financing for quality education, jointly published by UNESCO, UNICEF and the OECD.
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GENDER EQUALITY
25 November
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations in the world. UNESCO is joining the global 16 Days of Activism campaign, which this year highlights one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse: digital violence against women and girls. The campaign also underscores that digital safety is essential to achieving gender equality.
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CULTURE
30 November - 5 December, Xiamen (China)
21st session of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee
The session will include the examination by the Committee of nominations for inscription on the Lists of the Convention: the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, and the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.
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CULTURE
8-10 December, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi
This global forum will bring together policymakers, cultural leaders, artists, innovators and international organizations to explore the role of culture in addressing contemporary challenges. Through dialogue and collaboration, the Summit promotes innovative solutions for a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.
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