UNESCO Puts Literacy, AI and the Right to Learn at the Centre of Its September 2026 Agenda
15 Sept 2026
From the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day to Digital Learning Week and the protection of education in conflict zones, UNESCO’s September 2026 agenda focuses on how knowledge, critical thinking and human dignity can shape the future of learning.
Education is becoming one of the main places where questions about technology, inequality, culture and human development meet.
In its September 2026 Snapshots update, UNESCO highlights literacy, artificial intelligence, education in conflict zones and cultural dialogue as key priorities. The organisation’s wider message is that access to knowledge remains fundamental, but the conditions surrounding education are changing quickly.
That challenge now includes both old inequalities and new ones. Hundreds of millions of people still lack basic literacy skills, while schools and universities are also trying to understand how AI should be used without weakening critical thinking, teacher agency or the idea of education as a common good.
739 Million People Still Lack Basic Literacy Skills
UNESCO used the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day to renew attention on the estimated 739 million people worldwide who still lack basic literacy skills.
The global celebration in Mexico focused on the continuing importance of literacy in a world increasingly shaped by digital systems.
That figure is a reminder that discussions about AI, digital education and advanced learning technologies are happening alongside a much more basic problem. Large parts of the global population still lack access to foundational skills.
For UNESCO, literacy is therefore more than the ability to read and write. It is closely tied to participation, opportunity and the ability to navigate increasingly complex societies.
AI in Education Moves From Experiment to Governance
At Digital Learning Week 2026, UNESCO turned its attention to the growing role of artificial intelligence in education.
Education ministers issued a statement calling for education to remain a common good in the age of AI. The focus was on human-centred learning, equity and public responsibility.
This matters because AI is no longer a future issue for schools.
Students already use generative AI for research, writing, translation and problem-solving. Teachers are experimenting with AI for lesson planning, assessment and administration. Education systems are also beginning to rethink curriculum, academic integrity and access.
The debate is therefore shifting. The central question is no longer whether AI should enter education, but what kind of educational system should exist around it.
UNESCO’s position points toward a model in which AI supports learning without replacing human judgment, teacher responsibility or critical thinking.
Education Should Never Become a Target
September also included the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, drawing attention to students, teachers and schools affected by war and instability.
UNESCO worked with the Permanent Delegation of Qatar to UNESCO, the Education Above All Foundation and other partners to call for stronger protection of educational communities in conflict settings.
The principle is simple but urgent: education should never become a target.
Schools do more than provide academic instruction. In times of conflict, they can offer continuity, safety, social connection and a sense of normality.
When education systems collapse, the effects can last far beyond the immediate crisis.
That is why education resilience is increasingly being treated as part of peacebuilding rather than only as a development issue.
Afghanistan and Ukraine Show What Educational Resilience Looks Like
UNESCO’s September update also highlighted work in countries where education systems are under severe pressure.
In Afghanistan, the organisation continues efforts to keep learning alive for girls and women five years into a period of major educational restrictions.
In Ukraine, UNESCO is supporting libraries as spaces for learning, wellbeing and community resilience.
These examples show how the meaning of education changes during crisis.
A school, library or learning centre can become much more than a place for lessons. It can serve as a stabilising civic institution where knowledge, culture and community survive disruption.
Pope Leo XIV’s Visit Will Link AI, Heritage and Human Dignity
UNESCO is also preparing for the official visit of Pope Leo XIV on 25 September.
The organisation describes the visit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the Holy See around artificial intelligence, religious heritage and dialogue between cultures and faiths.
The connection between these issues is significant.
AI is often discussed in technical terms, but UNESCO’s wider framing places it within questions of dignity, ethics, cultural memory and human meaning.
As technology becomes more capable, institutions are increasingly asking not only what machines can do, but what societies want them to preserve.
That includes languages, cultural heritage, spiritual traditions and the diversity of human knowledge.
Indigenous Languages Remain Part of the Future of Knowledge
UNESCO
Another major September highlight is UNESCO’s work under the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032.
Together with the International Board on Books for Young People, UNESCO unveiled a collection of books for young readers in more than 150 Indigenous and endangered languages.
The initiative recognises children’s literature as a tool for preserving linguistic diversity and passing knowledge between generations.
This becomes even more important in the digital age.
Languages that are poorly represented in books, education systems or digital platforms risk becoming even less visible as AI systems increasingly shape access to information.
Preserving linguistic diversity therefore has both a cultural and technological dimension.
Partnerships Extend UNESCO’s Reach
UNESCO also announced several partnerships aimed at expanding education and cultural programmes.
The Omenaa Foundation has committed €1 million over three years to support education, culture, heritage and the creative economy. The partnership will also support contemporary African art and UNESCO’s priorities around Africa and gender equality.
Meanwhile, CJ Group is expanding its long-standing partnership with UNESCO on girls’ education.
In Vietnam alone, the programme has helped train more than 2,000 teachers and school leaders and reached more than 10,000 students.
These partnerships show how education and cultural programmes increasingly rely on cooperation between public institutions, foundations, companies and civil-society organisations.
Knowledge as Infrastructure
The common thread running through UNESCO’s September agenda is that knowledge itself functions like infrastructure.
Literacy enables participation. Education systems create social resilience. Libraries protect community memory. Language preserves cultural identity. Critical thinking helps people navigate AI-generated information.
None of these functions can be taken for granted.
As digital technologies accelerate, the most important educational challenge may not be how quickly schools adopt new tools.
It may be whether societies can ensure that technology strengthens, rather than weakens, people’s ability to think independently.
The future of education will therefore depend not only on access to AI, but on access to literacy, teachers, culture, trusted institutions and the freedom to learn.
About UNESCO
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, works across education, science, culture, communication and information to promote peace, sustainable development, cultural preservation and access to knowledge.
Its September 2026 activities include International Literacy Day, Digital Learning Week, initiatives to protect education in conflict, partnerships for girls’ education and preparations for the official visit of Pope Leo XIV.
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Sara Srifi
Sara is a Software Engineering and Business student with a passion for astronomy, cultural studies, and human-centered storytelling. She explores the quiet intersections between science, identity, and imagination, reflecting on how space, art, and society shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her writing draws on curiosity and lived experience to bridge disciplines and spark dialogue across cultures.
