Luxembourg Secures Seat on UNESCO Executive Board for 2025-2029 Term

Luxembourg Elected to UNESCO Executive Board

Luxembourg has successfully secured a seat on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Executive Board, following an election held on Friday, November 7, 2025, during the organization's 43rd General Conference. The Grand Duchy received 165 votes, affirming its return to the influential governing body for the 2025–2029 term.

The election took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which hosted the General Conference from October 30 to November 13, 2025. This marked a historic occasion as it was the first time in nearly 40 years that the UNESCO General Conference was held outside its headquarters in Paris.

Role and Significance of the Executive Board

The UNESCO Executive Board is one of the organization's three constitutional organs, alongside the General Conference and the Secretariat. Comprising 58 Member States, each serving a four-year term, the Board plays a crucial role in overseeing UNESCO's operations. Its responsibilities include:

• Preparing the agenda for the General Conference.
• Examining the program of work and budget estimates submitted by the Director-General.
• Ensuring the effective and rational execution of programs adopted by the General Conference.

Membership on the Executive Board allows countries to significantly influence decisions on global priorities in education, science, culture, and heritage.

Luxembourg's Priorities and Previous Engagement

This is not Luxembourg's first tenure on the Executive Board; the country previously served from 2005 to 2009. For its new term, Luxembourg has outlined several key priority areas:

• Education
• Culture, multilingualism, and interculturality
• Information and communication
• Science

Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister Bettel (or Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, according to some reports) expressed gratitude for the international support, stating, 'This vote is the result of the work carried out by Luxembourg's teams at UNESCO. I would like to thank the 165 countries that placed their trust in Luxembourg during this election. Even though Luxembourg is not the largest country, we can play an important role in finding solutions for the benefit of all.'

International Context of the Election

In the same Group I ballot, Norway was also elected with 164 votes and Turkey with 162 votes. Other nations elected to the Executive Board during the 43rd General Conference included Uganda, Romania, Republic of Moldova, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, Uruguay, Bolivia, Guyana, Malaysia, India, Kyrgyzstan, China, Thailand, Japan, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt.