The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt and the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO, celebrates the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States in Cairo.

On this occasion, a major celebration will be held on December 6^th, 2017 under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Sherif Ismail, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization will host the celebration, which is being held under the slogan “70 years of building peace in the minds of men and women in the Arab region”. The gala event will bring together a number of distinguished guests including Egyptian Ministers, Ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic corps, United Nations agencies working in Egypt, representatives of cultural and educational institutions that work with UNESCO, and entities working in the field of scientific and technological development.

UNESCO’s Director-General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay will address guests by video message, and H.E. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research/ representative of H.E. the Prime Minister, will deliver opening remarks. Ghaith Fariz, Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States will deliver remarks as well.

Egypt was amongst the first Arab States to ratify UNESCO’s constitution and proposed the establishment of a Permanent UNESCO Center in Cairo. In 1947, the “UNESCO Field Science Co-operation Office” opened in the historic Garden City district in Cairo to address “the needs, circumstances and difficulties of non-European nations…as a link between the permanent seat of the Organisation and the Egyptian National Commission as well as other National Commissions of the States represented in the Arab League”. In early 2017, the UNESCO Office relocated to a new premise in Sixth of October City, generously provided by the Government of Egypt.

The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States, based in Cairo, supports Arab countries in many fields and through targeted interventions to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. In this framework, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States supports Arab Member States in fields ranging from promoting science and knowledge, advancing natural sciences, protecting water resources, conserving the region’s unique biodiversity and geological diversity, and supporting efforts to establish knowledge economies and societies in the Arab region. In addition to providing support in all UNESCO’s main lines of action in Egypt including education, science and cultural preservation, the Office also supports UNESCO activities in the cluster countries of Sudan and Libya in many fields including inclusive quality education and safeguarding cultural heritage. In addition, the Office is pioneering a number of flagship projects on the Egyptian and regional levels in many areas, including empowerment of youth, promotion of intercultural dialogue, and support to inclusive cities, where the Office collaborates with the League of Arab States and Al Azhar Al Sharif.

The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States is part of UNESCO’s global network of 52 field offices. Established in 1947, the Cairo Office holds the distinction of being amongst the oldest UNESCO Field Offices in the world.