UNESCO’s Director-General Khaled El-Enany visits Norway

UNESCO80 and a changing global landscape

Director-General Khaled El-Enany opened by presenting the ongoing reform process in UNESCO, UNESCO80 (external link), and the ambition to strengthen the organisation’s effectiveness and relevance in the years ahead. The meeting comes at a time when the multilateral system is facing significant challenges. 

Kyrre Lekve, Chair of the Norwegian UNESCO Commission, emphasised the importance of making UNESCO’s fundamental values more visible in a world increasingly marked by conflict, war, and polarisation. He highlighted the need to promote UNESCO’s values as a roadmap to peace, while also expressing Norway’s support for the reform agenda within UNESCO and the wider United Nations system. Areas of particular importance to Norway includes the work of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) on oceans and climate, the inclusion of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous knowledge, and the Norwegian Sámi as an international example. Lekve underlined the importance of Nordic co-operation and the potential for the Nordic countries to contribute collectively to UNESCO’s work in an increasingly interconnected global context with divergent priorities.

From trade-offs to synergies

Inger Måren, Deputy Chair of the Norwegian UNESCO Commission and UNESCO Chair at the University of Bergen, brought a research and sustainability perspective to the discussion. Opening her contribution, Måren noted “Everyone working to promote multilateralism, peace, and sustainable development knows that the day-to-day work is mostly about negotiating trade-offs. But today I want to highlight how we can cultivate synergies.” Måren pointed to the potential of the UNESCO Chair programme as an underused instrument for strengthening links between research, education, and UNESCO’s global priorities. She also highlighted the Norwegian Commission’s ambition to establish stronger collaboration between universities and research institutions and UNESCO-designated sites. Particular attention was given to UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and biosphere reserves, which provide important arenas for connecting knowledge, conservation, and sustainable development at the local and regional levels. Måren also presented the experience from Vestland county, where she has initiated work to strengthen collaboration across all the different UNESCO designations in the region in order to create greater impact through collaboration and co-production of actionable knowledge.

Freedom of expression at the heart of UNESCO’s mission

The importance of UNESCO’s work to protect freedom of expression was highlighted by Sylo Taraku, adviser at the Norwegian think tank Agenda, who specialises in immigration, integration, democracy, and extremism. Taraku emphasised the need to understand freedom of expression broadly and to recognise the connections between its different dimensions. This includes press freedom, academic freedom, and freedom of cultural expression. At a time when democratic institutions and the public information environment are under increasing pressure, these freedoms are fundamental to UNESCO’s mission of promoting knowledge, dialogue, and peaceful societies.

Education and young people

Stian Olsen, National Coordinator for the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet), highlighted the importance of schools as a key arena for reaching young people and engaging them with UNESCO’s values and priorities, spotlighting ASPnet’s interactive education activities.

Aslak Husby, student representative from the Norwegian Defense University College, brought the perspective of young people directly into the discussion, underlining the importance of ensuring that young people are not simply considered future participants in UNESCO’s work, but are actively involved in shaping its present and future priorities.

A broad Norwegian contribution to UNESCO

The Oslo meeting demonstrated the breadth of Norway’s engagement with UNESCO – from oceans and climate, Indigenous peoples and biodiversity, to research, education, freedom of expression, peace building, and youth participation. It also highlighted an important opportunity for UNESCO: to connect its global mission more effectively with the knowledge, institutions, networks, and local communities working on the ground. As UNESCO enters a new phase under Director-General Khaled El-Enany, Norway’s UNESCO Commission signalled a strong commitment to contributing to this process – and to strengthening UNESCO as a platform for dialogue, peace, and sustainable development as the organisation moves forward with the UNESCO80 reform agenda.