President of the General Conference of UNESCO

Honoured to represent Bangladesh on the global stage as President of the UNESCO General Conference

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

During my stay, I also had a meeting with the State Secretary for European and International Affairs of Austria, H.E. Mr Sepp Schellhorn, during which we discussed furthering Austria’s engagement with UNESCO.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

It was a great honour to be received on 11 May by the Mayor and Governor of Vienna, Dr Michael Ludwig, at Vienna City Hall, where I delivered a speech on the future of #UNESCO to an audience including members of academia and civil society. @BgmLudwig

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

Thank you to the people and Government of Paraguay for their warm welcome and gracious hospitality – muchas gracias. Aguyje. Rohayhu Paraguay.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

The #MABProgramme embodies the best of what UNESCO has to offer. It puts people at the centre. It drives concrete solutions. It shows the power of science in action, while drawing on @UNESCO’s cross-cutting expertise & global network. It responds to a defining global challenge.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

It was a great pleasure to attend the 38th session of the ICC-MAB in Itaipu, Paraguay, last week, alongside H.E. Mr Santiago Peña Palacios, President of the Republic of Paraguay. Congratulations to the 14 countries welcoming 14 new #BiosphereReserves.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

During our meeting on 18 May, we discussed the future of @UNESCO as it embarks on a period of ambitious reform, as well as greater cooperation between the organization and Türkiye.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

It was a pleasure to receive H.E. Mr İhsan Mustafa Yurdakul @Mustafa_MFA, who recently took up his position as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Türkiye to UNESCO.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

Sincere thanks to H.E. Annalena Baerbock, @UN_PGA; H.E. Lok Bahadur Thapa @LokThapa2071, President of the UN Economic and Social Council; H.E. Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, President of @UN_HRC; and  H.E. Nasser Bin Hamad Al Hinzab, @EXBChairperson of @UNESCO. https://t.co/KVFQdHXyY1

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

At a time of rising misinformation & global uncertainty, trusted, professional journalism is critical.
On #WorldPressFreedomDay 2026, I had the honour & privilege of initiating a joint statement with the heads of UN bodies.
https://t.co/uXPbjYFhBI

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

At a time of rising misinformation and global uncertainty, trusted, professional journalism is more critical than ever. Read the joint statement here: https://t.co/KVFQdHXyY1

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

On #WorldPressFreedomDay 2026, I had the honour and privilege of initiating a joint statement reaffirming our shared commitment to press freedom, along with the UN leaders who co-signed the statement:

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

Our message is clear: safeguarding #pressfreedom is essential to building peaceful, inclusive, & resilient societies. The statement calls on Member States to protect journalists, end impunity for crimes against the press, and ensure an enabling environment for independent media.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

Above all, we can celebrate the congenial spirit of dialogue, communication and consensus that characterized our debates. Warm thanks to Dr Nasser Bin Hamad Al Hinzab, @EXBChairperson, Professor Khaled El-Enany, @UNESCO_DG , & the Secretariat.
📷©UNESCO/Maxime Michel

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

The 224th @UNESCO Executive Board came to a successful close this afternoon. We can celebrate several achievements: the approval of the 43 C/5 Programme and Budget, the UNESCO 80 Roadmap, new global geoparks, a new International Day of Documentary Heritage, & 2 new UNESCO prizes.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

During our meeting, we discussed cooperation between UNESCO and Viet Nam, the country’s deep engagement with the organization, as well as developments since our last exchange during the 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

It was a pleasure to receive H.E. Mr Ngo Le Van, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and President of the Viet Nam National Commission for @UNESCO on 21 April.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

We also exchanged views on the importance of enhancing UNESCO’s visibility in capitals and the continued support required from Member States to enable the organization to fulfil its mandate in education, culture, and science.

[President of the General Conference of UNESCO @President43GC]

It was a pleasure to receive H.E. Mr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, on 16 April. During our meeting, we discussed the importance of the multilateral system – & @UNESCO's role within it – as we navigate global instability.