On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Germany's accession to UNESCO, the Permanent Delegation of Germany to UNESCO organised a panel discussion and hosted a formal reception in Paris on 28 September 2026, with the participation of UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany. Opened by Parliamentary State Secretary Mareike Wulf (Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth), the event “Bringing UNESCO to the People” paid tribute to the historic significance of the accession of 1951, which is regarded as an important step for Germany's return to the international community after the Second World War. Representatives of German UNESCO designations used practical examples from the areas of world heritage, intangible cultural heritage, UNESCO Associated Schools, city networks (“Learning Cities”) and Global Geoparks to discuss how designations can concretely act as drivers for peace, freedom and sustainable development, thus strengthening multilateral exchange in times of global instability.

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