Luxembourg elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO
Planet Volumes
The 43rd General Conference of unesco, held in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), held elections for members of the Executive Board of the organisation. On 7 November 2025, Luxembourg was elected to this key body with the support of 165 Member States. The country was among the representatives of Group I, along with Norway (164 votes) and Turkey (162 votes).
This is an important event: it is only the second time in history that Luxembourg has become a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO - the first time was between 2005 and 2009.
Commenting on the outcome of the vote, Xavier Bettel said that the success was the result of many years of work by the Luxembourg team within unesco. He expressed his gratitude to the countries that voted in favour of Luxembourg, emphasising: "Even if Luxembourg is not the largest country, we can play a key role in finding solutions favourable to all".
Luxembourg's election to the Executive Board is not just a symbolic gesture. It is a confirmation of the country's reputation as a consistent and active participant in the international co-operation system, especially in the humanitarian and scientific fields.
The government has outlined four priority areas for the upcoming four-year mandate:
- Education as a foundation for sustainable development;
- Culture, multilingualism and interculturality in a spirit of respect and mutual understanding;
- Information and communication with a focus on access to independent sources and digital rights;
- Science including science diplomacy and combating climate change.
Membership of the Executive Board provides Luxembourg with the opportunity to influence decision-making on key UNESCO programmes, including budget allocation, strategic planning and oversight of global initiatives in education, science and culture.
