The National Commissions for UNESCO of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste came together on June 2026 for their third annual regional meeting with the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta. Hosted virtually by the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO, the meeting was also joined by representatives from UNESCO Headquarters and the ASEAN Secretariat, bringing together national, regional and global perspectives on UNESCO’s priorities and cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The five National Commissions shared recent developments and upcoming priorities in their countries. Brunei Darussalam shared recent progress on AI governance and ethical use of generative AI in education, while Indonesia presented its newly established institutional framework for the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO. Malaysia highlighted upcoming work on Education for Sustainable Development and inclusive education. The Philippines shared recent milestone as it marks 80 years of UNESCO membership and 75 years of its national commission, while Timor-Leste presented recent developments across UNESCO-designated sites and heritage safeguarding.
Building on these national updates, UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta also shared their recent work across the five countries, including priorities for 2026–2027 in education, sciences, culture, and communication and information.
No country in our region is working in isolation. We are facing many of the same challenges, and this meeting gives us a space to learn from one another, connect our efforts and find opportunities where we can do more together.
Maki Katsuno-HayashikawaDirector and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta
The discussion then broadened to UNESCO’s wider direction. Representatives from UNESCO Headquarters briefed participants on the UNESCO80 Reform Agenda and new approaches to working with National Commissions, including joint planning, mentorship and twinning arrangements, and better information-sharing across UNESCO’s networks. Anna Paolini, Director of UNESCO’s Field Coordination Division, reaffirmed the central role of National Commissions in UNESCO’s work and highlighted the Asia-Pacific region’s collaborative approach as a good practice that could inform similar initiatives elsewhere.
The regional discussion continued with three Directors from the ASEAN Secretariat, who shared developments in culture and information, education, and disaster management. These included work on the creative economy and misinformation, the ASEAN Education Work Plan 2026–2030, and regional cooperation on disaster preparedness and early warning. Building on ongoing collaboration between UNESCO and ASEAN, participants also discussed steps towards re-establishing a formal framework for cooperation between the two organizations and the role National Commissions could play in moving the process forward.
With the annual dialogue now entering its third year, the five National Commissions and UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta are looking to keep the exchange going throughout the year.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/five-national-commissions-meet-advance-unesco-priorities-across-southeast-asia?hub=701
