FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION
An announcement from UNESCO
UNESCO Headquarters, Paris | 19, 21 and 22 May 2026
Held in the framework of Africa Week 2026, the International Forum of NGOs will bring together representatives of Member States, the African Union, civil society, youth and UNESCO partners to advance dialogue and cooperation on building a Culture of Peace in Africa. The Forum will feature a high-level opening panel, thematic discussions and exchanges highlighting the role of civil society in advancing inclusive, peaceful and resilient societies, including through youth engagement, education, water cooperation, culture, inclusion and community-based approaches to social cohesion across the continent.
Excerpts from the Forum programme
Day 1 Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Official Opening
Remarks by Ms Åsa Regnér, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO
Remarks by Ms Svetlomira Stoyanova, Chairperson NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee
Master of Ceremony: Mr Davide Grosso, NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee
High-Level Panel: “Building a Culture of Peace in Africa – Lessons from the Past, Realities of the Present, Visions for the Future”
Moderator: Mr Julien Pellaux, Director of UNESCO’s Division for Partnerships
(Participants from UNESCO headquarters)
Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?
Day 2 Thursday, 21 May 2026 (
Building Blocks of Peace: Water, Education and Youth
Introduction of the Forum by the NGO Forum co-chairs:
Session 1: “Water as a Catalyst for Cooperation: From Scarcity to Shared Security”
Moderator: Ms Svetlomira Stoyanova, Chairperson NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee
(Videos presentations from South Africa and Algeria)
(Panel with participants from UNESCO headquarters and Zimbabwe)
Session 2: “Reimagining Education Systems as Engines of Peace”
Moderator: Ms Nisrine Ibn Abdeljalil (Morocco), Executive Director of the Moroccan Fondation for PreSchool (FMPS)
(Panel with participants from UNESCO headquarters, Togo, Kenya, Burundi and Senegal)
Session 3: “Youth as Co-Architects of Peace and Stability”
Moderator: Ms Melissa Mejía Flórez (Colombia), New Humanity, Communications Coordinator and Strategic Advisor
(Panel with participants from Brazil, Italy, DR Congo, Cameroon, Tanzania, France, Colombia and USA)
Day 3 Friday, 22 May 2026
Culture, Inclusion & Community-Based Peacebuilding
Session 4: “Fostering a Culture of Peace within Communities”
Moderator: Mr Davide Grosso, International Music Council, NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee
(Panel with participants from Zimbabwe, African Union, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, South Africa and Togo.
Closing session
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