Russia Loses All UNESCO Elections Amid Growing Global Isolation

Russia has faced a sweeping diplomatic setback, losing elections to several UNESCO  advisory bodies and being excluded from every institution it sought to join, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on November 10.

Russia failed to gain membership in the following UNESCO bodies:

• The Intergovernmental Council of the Information for All Programme (IFAP);

• The Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC);

• The International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (ICC MAB).

“The voting results confirm that a terrorist state waging an aggressive war against Ukraine—destroying cultural heritage, schools, museums, theatres, and libraries—cannot claim any moral or expert leadership in the fields of science, culture, communication, or information,” the MFA said in its statement.

Ukraine’s diplomats emphasized that the country deeply values the consistent stance of its international partners, who continue to support efforts to defend the principles underpinning UNESCO’s mission.

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Acting on the instruction of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the MFA reaffirmed that Ukraine will continue working with partners to ensure Russia’s maximum international isolation and its removal from the governing bodies of global organizations.

The ministry also extended congratulations to all of Ukraine’s friends and partners who were successfully elected to UNESCO bodies.

Notably, just months before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine was elected to the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict in November 2021—a position it continues to uphold amid Russia’s ongoing aggression.

Earlier, a UN inquiry has concluded that Russian forces are deliberately using drones to harass and attack civilians living near the frontline in Ukraine, forcing thousands from their homes in actions that constitute a crime against humanity.

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