Research Outputs and Priorities of UNESCO

As a specialized agency for education, the sciences, culture and communication and information, UNESCO develops the global agenda in its fields of competence through policy analysis, research, monitoring and benchmark data and statistics.

Key objectives as per the Organization’s Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-29 are: Ensuring quality equitable and inclusive education for all; Working towards sustainable societies and environmental protection through Science, Technology and Innovation; Building inclusive, just and peaceful societies by promoting freedom of expression, cultural diversity and education for global citizenship; Developing skills and ethical standards for digital transformation and innovative technologies.

UNESCO’s global flagship reports play a key role in this regard (URLs included below).

This work is based inter alia on the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), which has been recognized as the official source of cross-nationally comparable data on education, and develops indicators, statistical tools and capacity building needed to capture on SDG 4 as well as key targets in science and innovation, culture, communication and information.

UNESCO also provides an intergovernmental forum for policy dialogue and decisions to develop and adopt norms and standards in its fields of competence, informed by the evidence and research referenced above, and supports Member States in their implementation. These norms and standards also directly concern research and researchers, often in light of fast moving frontier technological change, notably (URLs included below): UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021); UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021); UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (2017).