UNESCO’s General Conference: a global laboratory of ideas to map future multilateral cooperation, 12 to 27 November

The conference will host a number of landmark political events:

• As the number of young people in Central Asian states is prevailing today, it is of utmost importance for Heads of States to find new ways of engaging young people in decision-making, promoting their aspirations and meeting their expectations. This topic will be further discussed on 12 November at the (RE)GENERATION, Rethinking multilateralism with young change-makers high-level event, that is expected to be attended by Heads of States and their Governments.

• On 13 November over 100 ministers of higher education will participate in the general Conference for a Ministerial Meeting on Inclusion and Mobility, as UNESCO is set to adopt a new Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications of Higher Education to support quality, inclusion and equal access.

• 19 November UNESCO will host the largest gathering of culture ministers since the 1998 Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development. At the Forum of Culture Ministers, more than 107 Ministers will examine the place of culture in public policy and sustainable development.

With a special focus on Youth involvement, UNESCO’s General conference will also host the 11^th UNESCO Youth Forum – Youth Spaces in Action! on 18 November. The forthcoming edition of the Youth Forum will focus on good practices to engage the young in UNESCO’s work. It will serve as a platform of dialogue, knowledge and experience sharing, peer learning and cooperation between young change makers, UNESCO and its Member States.

On 22 November UNESCO will present a new publication, Reporting on Violence against Women and Girls: a Handbook for Journalists (ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, celebrated annually on 25 November). The handbook is designed to raise the media’s awareness of this global challenge to human rights and sustainable development and to promote gender sensitive approaches to reporting on it, amidst growing awareness of the prevalence of violence against women and girls in virtually all societies.

As technological developments raise questions on the role and impact of artificial intelligence for our societies, UNESCO is pursuing reflection on ethical standards to guide the development of AI. Reflecting this concern, UNESCO will host Youth Voices and the Future of Artificial Intelligence: Towards a Human-Centred Approach on 18 November.

Human rights will be the focus of UNESCO’s celebration on 20 November of the 30^th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It will feature an international conversation between children and political leaders, NGOs and other stakeholders at which all parties will present proposals concerning the rights of children for coming years.

See Full Provisional Agenda Here