The 43rd General Conference took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 30^th October to 13^th November 2025. As UNESCO's highest decision-making body, consisting of 194 member states, the conference set the work program and budget for the next two years and reaffirmed the joint commitment to peace through international cooperation in education, culture, science, information and communication.

New UNESCO Director-General

Former Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Khaled El-Enany, was elected as the new Director-General of UNESCO by a large majority and he took office on 15^th November 2025. We look forward to working with the new Director-General and will continue to support UNESCO as a reliable partner, especially in promoting sustainable development through culture, education, and science.

At the same time, half of the members of the Executive Board were also newly elected. We look confidently towards a constructive working period and an even stronger cooperation in all areas of UNESCO's mandate, including upcoming reform discussions.

New Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology

At its General Conference, UNESCO adopted the world's first Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology. Germany played an active role in shaping the recommendation and successfully advocated for human rights-based protection mechanisms, the preservation of the rights of vulnerable groups, and the consideration of the innovative transformative potential of neurotechnology. The recommendation fundamentally protects human dignity and human rights in the context of the interaction between the brain and technology. At the same time, it creates a reliable framework for responsible research and innovation.

German expert on the Supervisory Board of the new International Institute for STEM Education (IISTEM)

With the opening of IISTEM in Shanghai, UNESCO is sending a strong signal for the global expansion of STEM skills. As one of its six members, Germany will be represented on the supervisory board by Prof. Dr. Annette Scheunpflug. We are thus underlining our commitment to inclusive, equitable, and high-quality STEM education from early childhood to adulthood, with a special focus on the promotion of girls and women.

Höhr-Grenzhausen becomes a UNESCO Creative City

We are delighted that Höhr-Grenzhausen has been named Germany's first Creative City for Crafts. The town is situated in the Westerwald region, and it is renowned for its traditional pottery. It will now be one of eight German cities in the global network of 408 UNESCO Creative Cities.

With new initiatives, Höhr-Grenzhausen plans to strengthen local arts and crafts by expanding international cooperation and promoting knowledge exchange, among other things through residency programs for artists, an international ceramics market, and workshops for refugees. The goal is to use culture and creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development.

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