UNESCO

When crisis disrupts everyday life, teachers can provide something essential: continuity. In Lebanon, teachers have continued teaching through displacement and uncertainty, staying connected with their students in classrooms, temporary learning spaces and online, while supporting their learning and well-being. Today, teachers and students at Kafrreman Public School are back together in the classroom. Life may not yet be back to normal, but their commitment remains: every child deserves to learn, feel safe and know that they belong. This #WorldTeachersDay, their story reminds us of the essential role teachers play in keeping education going in times of crisis and helping learners regain a sense of stability. Discover their story: https://lnkd.in/ecgx46Nv #ForThePeople

On #WorldTeachersDay, we highlight how teachers are transforming education and what they need to build a stronger future for the profession worldwide. Today, teachers are navigating major transformations, from artificial intelligence and climate change to inclusion, migration, conflict and learner well-being. At the same time, many continue to face inadequate recognition, support and working conditions. These challenges are contributing to a growing global teacher shortage. While 107 million teachers are currently teaching worldwide, an additional 50 million will be needed by 2030 to ensure universal access to pre-primary, primary and secondary education. That means that for every 2 teachers in the profession today, the world needs almost 1 more. On World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO stands with teachers and calls for renewed action to strengthen their status, recruit more teachers and create the conditions they need to stay in the profession. Because investing in teachers means investing in today’s learners and generations to come. https://lnkd.in/gxJ--xMF

Join us LIVE from UNESCO Headquarters in Paris for the global celebration of #WorldTeachersDay 2026. Hear from government ministers, teachers, and education experts on the urgent need to protect and advance the teaching profession in the face of new global challenges—from digital transformation and climate change to inclusion and migration. The ceremony will also announce the three laureates of the 9th UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development, recognizing outstanding initiatives that empower teachers worldwide. Co-convened by UNESCO, International Labour Organization, UNICEF and Education International, this is a moment to honour teachers, reflect on their status, and support those paving the way for the future through education. Watch HERE: https://lnkd.in/e2NgrFbV

Strengthening education starts with strengthening the teaching profession. Yet, new UNESCO data reveal that in 2 out of 5 countries analysed, teachers earn less than professionals with comparable qualifications, making it harder to attract and retain talent in the profession. On #WorldTeachersDay, UNESCO is calling for renewed action to strengthen the symbolic, professional and material status of teachers. This call carries particular weight as we mark 60 years since the adoption of the International Labour Organization/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which set out the conditions teachers need to be valued, supported and trusted as professionals. And the challenge remains significant. The world needs 50 million additional teachers to achieve universal pre-primary, primary and secondary education by 2030. With 58% of this demand driven by attrition, recruiting more teachers must go hand in hand with creating the conditions for them to stay. Elevating teacher status is not only a matter of supporting educators, but a prerequisite for building resilient education systems and achieving quality learning for all. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gxJ--xMF #ForThePeople

Artificial intelligence is changing education. But what does that mean for teachers? From understanding how AI works to using it ethically and effectively in the classroom, educators need the right knowledge, skills and guidance to navigate this transformation. UNESCO's AI Competency Framework for Teachers sets out 15 competencies across five key areas, including AI ethics, pedagogy and a human-centred approach. The goal? To help teachers harness AI while keeping human agency and teachers’ rights at the heart of education. 📘 Explore the framework: https://lnkd.in/dNxkytay #WorldTeachersDay

Teachers can turn knowledge into opportunity. 📚 Around Madagascar’s Marojejy National Park, trainers supported through UNESCO's BIOCOM project are equipping young people with practical skills in construction, entrepreneurship and aquaculture. These skills can open up new livelihood opportunities and help reduce pressure on surrounding forests, showing how education can respond to the needs of communities while supporting nature conservation. Ahead of #WorldTeachersDay, we spotlight educators making a difference #ForThePeople. Read the full story: https://unes.co/mni0cr

How do you prepare students for a digital future when access to technology remains limited? In Kiribati, students are already imagining futures as nurses, pilots, doctors and teachers. Through the Kiribati ICT Transformation of Education Systems (KITES) project, UNESCO and the Ministry of Education are working to ensure they have the digital skills and opportunities to pursue them. With support from the Global Partnership for Education, 10 model schools will receive ICT devices, connectivity and solar-powered infrastructure, while teachers will be supported to integrate technology into their classrooms. The lessons from these schools will help inform how digital learning can be expanded across Kiribati, including in remote communities. Through initiatives like KITES, UNESCO supports countries in harnessing digital technologies to make education more inclusive, accessible and resilient. 🔗 Find out more about the project: https://lnkd.in/eu8VqVKt

As AI reshapes our workplaces and societies, and emerging technologies push new boundaries, how do we keep #Ethics at the heart of scientific and technological progress? Science and technology often move faster than our legal frameworks, institutions and understanding of their implications. From artificial intelligence to neurotechnology, ensuring that innovation serves humanity requires ethical reflection from the outset. For more than 30 years, UNESCO’s three ethics advisory bodies — the International Bioethics Committee (IBC), the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), and the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC) — have brought together independent expertise, intergovernmental dialogue and ethical foresight to address the major transformations of science and technology. Their work helps shape #UNESCO’s response to emerging ethical challenges, informing landmark instruments such as the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and helping ensure that technological progress remains grounded in human dignity, human rights and the common good. Hear from their Chairpersons on why ethics must remain at the centre of scientific and technological progress, and learn more: https://lnkd.in/eTJkrquX Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem Mylène Deschênes Ryuichi IDA

Freedom of expression is a fundamental right. But how can it be protected by judicial systems as our information landscape rapidly evolves? Starting on 5 October 2026, UNESCO and the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oxford launch the 2026 edition of their global MOOC on Freedom of Expression for Judicial Actors. The free course explores international and regional standards on freedom of expression, access to information and the safety of journalists, as well as some of today’s most pressing challenges in the digital environment. 🌍 Available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, the course brings together expertise from senior judges, legal practitioners, leading academics, and international experts. Open to judicial actors, journalists, academics and other professionals worldwide. Register at the link below: https://lnkd.in/evmkx5ez #FreedomOfExpression #ProtectJournalists Faculty of Law, University of Oxford

🌍 How can social sciences help governments prepare for crises and make better decisions for the future? Sir Geoff Mulgan explores how evidence, futures thinking and community knowledge can come together through “knowledge twins”, tools designed to help policymakers navigate uncertainty and anticipate future challenges. His ideas are part of the conversation at #UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Forum, bringing together researchers, policymakers and other experts to explore how different forms of knowledge can better inform public policy. Through its MOST Programme, UNESCO connects research and policymaking, helping countries use evidence and knowledge to better understand social transformations and respond to emerging challenges. What role should social sciences play in shaping the future of public policy? Share your thoughts and learn more: https://unes.co/nz316n