UNESCO Director-General Welcomes Palestinian Authority’s Commitment to Align Curriculum with UNESCO 2023 Recommendation
Date: 6 November 2025
Photo credit: © UNESCO / Husniddin Ato
Pictured: H.E. Mr. Ali Zidan Abu Zuhri, President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay welcomes the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to align its curriculum framework with UNESCO’s 2023 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development.
Recognizing education as a cornerstone of peace and social cohesion, Ms. Azoulay announced UNESCO’s support for a structured and inclusive national dialogue to inform the development of a curriculum framework and teacher training strategy rooted in the principles of human rights, equality, and sustainability, in collaboration with UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education (IBE).
Supporting Curriculum Reform and Teacher Development
Since the adoption of the 2023 Recommendation, UNESCO has been assisting Member States worldwide in implementing its principles to ensure that education systems foster learners’ capacities to act as agents of positive change. In this context, UNESCO will work in close partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to support national curricular reform efforts that align the education system with shared global standards of quality, peace, and sustainable development.
With technical expertise from UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education, the initiative will focus on the development of comprehensive curriculum frameworks and evidence-based policy recommendations on existing and open curricular approaches, teaching methods, and learning materials. UNESCO will also support the establishment of monitoring mechanisms to track progress and assess long-term improvements in the quality and relevance of educational content.
UNESCO’s assistance will encompass expert missions, capacity-building workshops, teacher training, and high-level policy round tables, all designed to foster consensus and strengthen institutional capacities.
Scholarships and Emergency Learning Support
In addition, UNESCO will fund a scholarships programme for Palestinian students, prioritizing those most vulnerable and placing particular emphasis on female students, with the aim of enabling learners to continue their studies and easing the financial burden on families amid difficult humanitarian conditions, thereby supporting human capital recovery.
UNESCO will also establish additional Temporary Learning Spaces across Gaza. These spaces will function as connected, multipurpose academic hubs, facilitating access to digital learning materials, including virtual laboratories and simulation workshops, while leveraging hybrid learning models to promote meaningful engagement between students and educators. These efforts will be complemented by makeshift tents to provide basic education.
Institutional Responsibilities and Commitments
During the UNESCO General Conference, Professor Dr. Ali Zidan Abu Zuhri, Member of the Executive Committee of the PLO and President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, emphasized the division of responsibilities among Palestinian institutions:
“The curriculum development initiative will be carried out under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, with the makeshift tents and the student scholarships managed under the responsibility of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.”
UNESCO stands ready to accompany the Palestinian people in this important endeavour, ensuring that education remains a force for unity and a foundation for lasting peace.
— Audrey Azoulay
UNESCO Director-General
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication, and information.
Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2,300 staff members. The Organization oversees:
more than 2,000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves, and Global Geoparks;
networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive, and Sustainable Cities; and
over 13,000 associated schools, university chairs, training, and research institutions, supported by a global network of 200 National Commissions.
UNESCO’s Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”
— UNESCO Constitution, 1945
More information: www.unesco.org