Russia Suffers Crushing Defeat in UNESCO Elections
Russia has failed to secure a single seat in multiple UNESCO governing councils.
The Gaze reports this, referring to a statement made by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Russia lost elections to all three key UNESCO intergovernmental bodies held on November 10.
The country was rejected from the Intergovernmental Council of the “Information for All” Programme (IFAP), the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), and the International Coordinating Council of the “Man and the Biosphere” Programme (ICC MAB).
In a statement following the vote, the Ukrainian MFA emphasized that the result reflects the world’s rejection of Russia’s attempts to maintain influence within global cultural and scientific institutions.
“A terrorist state waging a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine – destroying cultural heritage, schools, museums, theaters, and libraries – cannot pretend to hold moral or expert authority in science, culture, or communication,” the ministry said.
The MFA expressed gratitude to partner countries that supported Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts within UNESCO and other UN bodies, stressing that this outcome demonstrates “a unified stance in defense of the principles on which UNESCO was founded.”
“On behalf of Minister Andrii Sybiha, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to work tirelessly to ensure Russia’s complete international isolation and its removal from all governing bodies of international organizations,” the statement reads.
Simultaneously, Ukraine’s influence within UNESCO has been steadily expanding. In 2021, the country was elected to the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Recently, Ukraine won a seat on UNESCO’s Executive Board, receiving the highest number of votes among member states.
UNESCO, the UN’s specialized agency for education, science, and culture, has repeatedly condemned Russia’s destruction of Ukrainian cultural and historical heritage since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
As The Gaze previously informed, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture has reported that 1,612 cultural heritage monuments and 2,427 cultural infrastructure facilities have been damaged or destroyed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.