In the year 1997, the Palestinian National Authority represented by His Highness Mr. Yasser Arafat signed an establishment agreement with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to establish a Liaison office in Ramallah. The office was located in the centre of Ramallah having the key staff to ensure the smooth operation and functioning of the main sectors (Education and Higher Education, Culture and Cultural Heritage, Social and Human Sciences, Natural Sciences and Media).

As a member of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Palestine the office contributes to the overall efforts of the UN system in continuously developing programmes and operations in line with government's priorities and in collaboration with all relevant partners, taking into account the peculiar context and needs in Palestine. UNESCO is the Technical Advisor to the Ministries of Education and Highyer Education and Scientific Research as well as to the ministries of Culture and Tourism and Antiquities within the framework of the Local Aid Coordination's Education and Culture and Tourism Sectors Working Groups respectively.

"We are living in a unique period in human history. The dawn of a technological revolution, combined with climate challenges, heralds a major anthropological transition. These changes raise questions about humanity itself. Faced with technological developments, environmental changes, and at the risk of these transformations deepening inequalities between and within societies, we must now, more than ever, cultivate, preserve and transmit what makes us human.

This ambition summarizes UNESCO’s core work since its inception. Today we carry out this kind of work in all areas of our mandate so that education, culture, science, and information can serve to build a more just and sustainable future.

The purpose of this publication is to present some of UNESCO’s specific achievements over the past year. This short and illustrated report tells the stories of the men and women who transform the ideals of the Organization into reality."