Tanzania gears up for UNESCO conference
ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi yesterday met with officials from the Tanzania National Commission (TNC) for UNESCO at the State House, Stone Town, where discussions centred on the country’s preparations for the forthcoming 43rd UNESCO General Conference.
The delegation, led by the Commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Dr Khamis Khalid Said, included Ms Christina Musarache, Head of the Communication and Information Sector.
The team briefed President Mwinyi on the Commission’s ongoing activities and the country’s readiness for the conference, slated to take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from October 30 to November 13, 2025.
During the meeting, Dr Khamis presented a summary of Tanzania’s national report, highlighting key priorities that will feature in the General Conference, which convenes every two years to review UNESCO’s global programmes, policies and budget plans.
He explained that the Tanzania National Commission for UNESCO, operating under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, serves as a central coordinating body for the implementation and evaluation of UNESCO conventions and resolutions in the country.
The upcoming session will deliberate on the 2026–2029 Programme and Budget (43 C/5), which sets UNESCO’s strategic direction across five thematic areas Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture and Communication and Information.
Dr Khamis said Tanzania’s contributions to the four-year plan were developed through broad stakeholder consultations in all priority areas and submitted through the UNESCO Regional Office for Africa.
He noted that the overarching goal of UNESCO’s new programme is to enhance global cooperation in tackling shared challenges, such as transforming education systems, promoting harmony between people and nature, fostering peaceful and cohesive societies and encouraging innovation and ethical technology use.
Tanzania’s submission emphasised the need for continued UNESCO support in areas such as curriculum enhancement, teacher training aligned with science and technology developments, and expanding ICT access to students in rural schools.
Other focus areas include Natural sciences, Social and human sciences, Culture, Communication and information which involves enhancing journalists’ capacity in digital ethics, AI and climate change reporting.
The briefing also indicated that the General Conference agenda prepared by UNESCO’s Executive Board includes high-level policy debates, elections of new leaders and commission sessions on education, science, culture, communication and governance. A special meeting of education ministers is set for October 31.
Dr Khamis further informed President Mwinyi that Tanzania’s national report was shaped by outcomes from a stakeholders’ forum held in Dar es Salaam on September 18, 2025, which brought together experts from key ministries and partner institutions working with UNESCO.
President Mwinyi commended the Commission for its coordination efforts and reaffirmed Zanzibar’s and Tanzania’s commitment to advancing the nation’s participation in UNESCO programmes, while strengthening international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication.
