UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN (UNESCO University Twinning and Networking) networks help UNESCO Member States fulfil their commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both domestically and internationally. The UNESCO Chair and UNITWIN programmes are aligned to the SDGs in their research and teaching agendas or even the SDGs are now in many cases the core focus of their work.
Since their implementation in 2015, the SDGs have placed a challenge on many Higher Education (HE) institutes which host UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks. This ‘challenge’ has led many HE institutes to revisit their mission statements and (re)focus their efforts on addressing critical global challenges - not only in their home countries but also globally. Even beyond the activities of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks, many HE institutes have refocused their wider activities to focus on fostering a vibrant and active network of activities that make a valuable contribution to the new SDG agenda.
As a UNESCO Programme, UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks play a pivotal role in promoting international cooperation and networking to enhance Member State capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work. This demonstrates that from UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks of exceptional social and health significance to heritage management, they offer a broad spectrum through which to influence and deliver sustainable development and contribute to the internationally agreed SDGs. Their reach stretches from rural coastal communities, diverse cities to international conferences and shaping government policy.
Based on the work of UNESCO Chair and UNITWIN Programmes and their links to SDGs, UNESCO Chairs contribute to most of the seventeen SDGs offering specific opportunities for significant impact on their Goals.
