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India’s Return to UNESCO’s Executive Board
On 7 November 2025, at the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference — being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan — member states elected new members to the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2025–2029 term. The list announced includes India, representing Group IV (Asia–Pacific), returning for another four-year stint.
According to a statement from India’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, this re-election “reflects the international community’s confidence in India’s longstanding commitment to multilateralism and to UNESCO’s mandate across education, culture, science, communication and information.”
Given the growing emphasis globally on cultural diplomacy, education, and heritage preservation — at a time of shifting geopolitical dynamics — India’s re-entry to the board is being seen as a diplomatic and symbolic win.
What Is the UNESCO Executive Board — And Why Does It Matter
The Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of UNESCO (alongside the General Conference and the Secretariat).
Here is what the Board does:
- It prepares the agenda for the General Conference.
- It examines the programme of work and budget proposals submitted by the Director-General, and forwards recommendations to the General Conference.
- Between General Conference sessions, the Executive Board is entrusted with ensuring implementation of adopted programmes, adapting to new exigencies, and overseeing UNESCO’s ongoing work.
- It meets at least four times every biennium, and its members serve for four years.
Being part of this body gives a country — in this case, India — real influence over UNESCO’s global priorities: which schemes get funding, what global-education or heritage-protection programmes are rolled out, and how cultural or scientific cooperation is shaped.
Why India’s Re-election Matters — For India and Global Diplomacy
- Recognition of India’s Global Role and Soft Power
India’s re-election signals that a substantial number of UNESCO member states continue to trust and support New Delhi’s vision and stance. As per the Indian delegation’s statement, it confirms “growing global support for its vision of inclusive, human-centric development.”
Given India’s vast heritage, diverse cultures, growing scientific and educational ambitions, being on the Executive Board offers a platform to project soft power, influence cultural diplomacy, and help shape global norms around education, heritage, science and media.
- Leverage for Cultural and Educational Initiatives
UNESCO’s mandate covers education, science, culture, communication and information. For India — a country with rich cultural heritage, multilingual traditions, fast-growing educational and research institutions — this is a strategic moment. As a Board member, India can help steer what global programmes are prioritized: whether that is heritage conservation, support for multilingual education, promotion of traditional knowledge, or cooperation in scientific research.
It also opens doors for Indian institutions (academic, cultural, scientific) to collaborate more deeply under UNESCO frameworks: for heritage nomination, conservation projects, educational cooperation, and research partnerships.
- A Platform to Voice Global South Perspectives
UNESCO prides itself on representation of diverse cultures and geographic regions. The Executive Board, composed of 58 member states from different regional groups, reflects that diversity.
As a representative of the Asia–Pacific region, India’s presence helps ensure that concerns and priorities of developing and Global South countries are heard and factored into global educational, cultural and scientific policy conversations.
- Continuity Amid Uncertain Global Landscape
2025 is a tumultuous year globally: conflicts, climate change, migration, erosion of cultural heritage, and shifts in global science cooperation. At such a moment, having stable, experienced members on UNESCO’s Executive Board matters. India’s re-election can provide continuity, familiarity with global institutional mechanisms, and potentially act as a bridge between Global South and other blocs.
What Could Be Next — India’s Opportunities on the Board
With this mandate, India — along with its stakeholders (government, academic community, cultural organizations, NGOs) — can aim for concrete ambitions:
- Promotion of Indian Heritage Sites and Culture: India may push for more of its heritage sites — cultural, natural or intangible — to be recognized under UNESCO conventions, or secure higher global support for their preservation.
- Educational Cooperation and Quality Education Advocacy: As UNESCO emphasizes education globally, India could champion increased access to education, bridging rural-urban divides, multilingual education, digital education, and inclusive policies.
- Science & Research Collaboration: Given India’s growing research and scientific capabilities, especially in technology, environment, and social sciences, its voice could help shape global research collaborations, climate-change initiatives, knowledge sharing across countries.
- Cultural Diplomacy & Global Dialogue: India can use its membership to engage in cultural diplomacy — building alliances, promoting cultural exchange, and projecting soft power through its diverse arts, languages, and cultural traditions.
- Global South Advocacy: Using its position, India can bring issues pertinent to developing countries — heritage preservation under climate threats, education inequalities, digital-divide, etc. — to the global table, influencing UNESCO’s agenda in favor of the Global South.
Context — What Happened at the 43rd UNESCO General Conference
The 43rd session of the General Conference (30 October–13 November 2025) marked some important developments for UNESCO’s future course. For the first time in more than four decades, the session was held outside Paris — in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
During this Conference:
- The election of members to the Executive Board — including India — was carried out on 7 November.
- On 6 November, the Conference appointed a new Director-General of UNESCO, Khaled El‑Enany from Egypt.
- Member states reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to its core missions — international cooperation across education, culture, science and information — at a time when global challenges demand coordinated action.
Thus, India’s re-election comes at a moment of transition and renewed global ambition for UNESCO — offering New Delhi a chance to help shape the next phase.
Why This Matters for India’s International Identity
For decades, India has aspired to a dual role on the global stage: as a rising economic and geopolitical power, and as a keeper of ancient civilization, culture, and pluralistic identity.
By securing a seat on UNESCO’s Executive Board, India not only reaffirms its commitment to multilateral diplomacy but also signals that it wants to actively participate — and influence — global conversations around heritage, education, culture, science, and media.
In an era where geopolitics often prioritises hard power, soft power and cultural diplomacy are increasingly important. Through UNESCO, India has a global platform to showcase its diversity, heritage, intellectual contributions, and developmental model rooted in inclusive growth and cultural pluralism.
For citizens, scholars, cultural organizations and policymakers in India, this re-election could open up avenues for collaboration, funding, and global visibility. For global partners, it means continued engagement with India as a responsible stakeholder in shaping multilateral frameworks for education, heritage, science, and culture.
Conclusion
India’s re-election to the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2025–2029 term is more than a routine administrative update — it is a strategic nod to the country’s diplomatic, cultural and intellectual ambitions.
At a time of global uncertainty, putting India back on UNESCO’s governing body underscores trust in its vision of inclusive development, cultural pluralism, and international cooperation.
As the world grapples with pressing challenges — from climate change to heritage loss; from educational inequality to rising nationalism — India’s seat on UNESCO’s Executive Board could help steer global efforts towards dialogue, cooperation and shared cultural and scientific advancement.
For India, the coming years at UNESCO offer an opportunity — to shape global policy, champion heritage and education, and project its soft-power vision at an international level.
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