UNESCO Launches 2026 Call for Good Practices: Focus on World Heritage’s Role in Knowledge, Skills, and Cultural Diversity

UNESCO has officially launched its 2026 Call for Good Practices under the long‑running initiative titled World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at showcasing how World Heritage sites and practices support knowledge creation, skill development, and the preservation of cultural diversity in sustainable development contexts.

A New Thematic Focus for 2026

The 2026 call places its emphasis on “Knowledge & Skills”, one of four transversal thematic dimensions identified under UNESCO’s Culture|2030 Indicators framework, alongside Environment & Resilience, Prosperity & Livelihoods, and Inclusion & Participation.

This thematic focus highlights the role of heritage in transmitting traditional and contemporary knowledge, strengthening skills across generations, and celebrating cultural diversity as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development. Good practices submitted under this theme are expected to demonstrate how heritage initiatives:

• Foster educational opportunities that integrate heritage knowledge from early schooling through to adult and vocational training.
• Support capacity building in cultural and natural heritage conservation, including advanced professional training and community workshops.
• Encourage creative and cultural skill development, connecting local practices, crafts, and artistic expressions with broader socioeconomic goals.
• Promote respect for cultural diversity through heritage activities that empower communities, reinforce identity, and bridge intergenerational understanding.

The focus reflects UNESCO’s broader belief that heritage is not only a legacy to be preserved but an active resource for learning, innovation, and sustainable community development.

Who Can Participate

The call invites submissions from heritage professionals, community organizations, educational institutions, conservation practitioners, and other stakeholders engaged in heritage‑based projects—especially at or near UNESCO World Heritage Sites or Tentative List sites.

Participants can propose documented examples of programs, methodologies, or partnerships that illustrate effective ways World Heritage contributes to national or regional development goals by advancing knowledge and strengthening skills in culturally diverse settings.

Why It Matters

By spotlighting these good practices, UNESCO aims to:

• Share lessons and scalable solutions that can inform heritage policy and practice globally.
• Highlight heritage as a catalyst for education and lifelong learning, not just preservation.
• Strengthen local capacities—especially among youth and practitioners—to sustain cultural and natural heritage in the face of environmental, economic, and social change.
• Reinforce the linkages between heritage conservation, cultural diversity, and multiple SDGs, particularly those related to quality education (SDG 4), sustainable communities (SDG 11), and inclusive societies (SDG 16).

Benefits of Participation

Selected good practices will receive international recognition, opportunities for professional exchange, and platforms to present at UNESCO‑supported events. Sharing successful interventions and models encourages cross‑regional learning and reinforces heritage’s role as a dynamic foundation for innovation and cultural vitality.