Who and what is UNESCO?
UNESCO stands for ‘United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’ – a special part of the United Nations (UN) founded in 1945. Its mission is to promote peace, sustainable development, and human rights, by encouraging collaboration and discussion between nations. It focuses on education, the environment, social inequality, communication, and the exchange of knowledge. One way it resolves some of these problems by identifying the world’s most special places.
Wales is home to 7 UNESCO designations, brought together through Wales’ UNESCO Trail. These include:
- 4 of the 1248 World Heritage Sites
- 1 of the 788 Biosphere Reserves
- 2 of the 229 Global Geoparks
Raising awareness of these sites can encourage investment and create jobs, spur technological innovation and scientific progress, and enhance the world’s cultural and environmental diversity.
Other UNESCO designated sites in Wales