ICNGO 2024: UNESCO NGO Conference Charts Bold Recommendations for “Building Capacity for Action”

Paris, France – From 17 to 19 December 2024, UNESCO Headquarters hosted the International Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (ICNGO) under the theme “Building Capacity for Action.” Representatives from the 425 NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO gathered alongside Member States, National Commissions, intergovernmental organizations, and other partners to exchange ideas and reaffirm the role of civil society in UNESCO’s mission.

The Conference adopted a series of unanimous recommendations, reflecting a strong collective commitment to advancing UNESCO’s objectives and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Reaffirming the Role of Civil Society

The ICNGO underscored the critical role of NGOs as advocates, implementers, and innovators in UNESCO’s five fields of competence:

• Education

• Natural Sciences

• Social and Human Sciences

• Culture

• Communication and Information

Acknowledging ongoing global challenges—including climate change, armed conflict, rising inequality, and the ethical dilemmas posed by emerging technologies—the Conference called for a strengthened, inclusive, and well-coordinated response.

Affirming UNESCO’s Mandate in a Time of Global Crisis

The Conference reaffirmed UNESCO’s unique role in fostering peace, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through education, sciences, culture, and communication. It welcomed the emphasis placed in the Draft Programme and Budget on UNESCO as a forum for dialogue and as a global standard-setter, citing recent landmark instruments such as the Recommendation on Education for Peace (2023), Recommendation on Open Science (2021), and Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (2021).

NGOs stressed that in an era marked by wars, conflicts, climate change, and rising inequalities, UNESCO’s voice and convening power remain essential to building “peace in the minds of men and women.”

Key Recommendations to the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee

The Conference urged the Liaison Committee to:

• Build on previous achievements and align its Programme of Work with UNESCO’s priorities.

• Expand civil society participation in UNESCO’s International Decades, such as the International Decade for Indigenous Languages, the Ocean Decade, and the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development.

• Develop additional activities to support Greening Education Partnerships.

• Strengthen youth engagement through the Youth Working Group and encourage youth representation in future committees.

• Host a mid-term online meeting to update NGOs on progress and facilitate continued dialogue.

Priority Themes for Future Forums

In alignment with UNESCO’s strategic priorities, ICNGO 2024 recommended that future international forums focus on:

• Climate change and biodiversity

• Education for sustainable development, early childhood, lifelong learning, and the right to education

• Gender equality and peacebuilding

• Information literacy and freedom of expression

• Ethics of artificial intelligence and its impact on culture and sustainable development

• Interfaith dialogue, peace, and social justice

Strengthening Partnerships and Communication

To improve transparency and collaboration, the Conference recommended enhancing the Liaison Committee’s communications, expanding the thematic mapping of NGOs, and supporting projects for international observances such as the International Day of Peace and International Day of Education.

Recognizing successful collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the ICNGO also called for the creation of special NGO Task Groups to strengthen contributions to the Ocean Decade and the Sciences for Sustainable Development Decade.

Supporting the Liaison Committee and UNESCO

The ICNGO encouraged NGOs in official partnership to:

• Make voluntary financial contributions to sustain the Liaison Committee’s activities.

• Nominate youth representatives for future leadership roles.

• Actively contribute content to shared communication platforms, such as newsletters or blogs.

The Conference further called on UNESCO’s Secretariat to:

• Increase direct support for the Liaison Committee’s work, particularly for NGOs in regions at risk of being left behind.

• Improve communication between Programme Sectors and NGO partners.

• Facilitate participation of NGOs in United Nations events.

• Ensure multilingual access to meetings and communications for broader inclusion.

A United Call for Action

Adopted by unanimous consent, the recommendations reflect the collective voice of civil society working alongside UNESCO. Outgoing Liaison Committee Chairperson Nick Newland praised the collaboration, stating:

“The 2024 Conference has demonstrated the vitality and commitment of our NGO partners. These recommendations are a blueprint for action and a call to strengthen our collective capacity to respond to the pressing challenges of our time.”

The ICNGO 2024 outcomes reaffirm that NGOs are not just partners of UNESCO—they are essential actors in shaping solutions for peace, sustainability, and inclusive development worldwide.