Under the theme of “Together to Foresee the Future of Education Quality”, the 6th Meeting of UNESCO Category II Centres aims to enhance cooperation and partnership between Category II Centres ofbthe education sector. Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sheikh, H.E. The Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education - UNESCO, and Ms. Costanza Farina, Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States delivered opening remarks. Ms. Anne Coupez, Chief of Unit for Strategic Planning, Monitoring, Institute and Field Coordination - UNESCO, introduced the plans of coordinating Category I Institutes and Category II Centres to achieve the objectives of UNESCO's Medium-Term Strategy 2022-2029. During the conference, UNESCO-ICHEI, together with Category II Centers and Category I Institutes from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Ghana, Korea, Germany and Seychelles, presented their respective history, plans, key areas of work and achievements, and discussed mechanisms to enhance coordination, exchange and cooperation.

Over 120 Category II Centres around the world are recognized as an important extension of UNESCO's programs delivery arm. AlI Category II Centres in Education contribute to one or more of the Sector's priority areas such as higher education, lifelong learning, teacher training, literacy, TVET, and sector-wide planning. Category II Centres also provide opportunities to showcase and share the capacity, technical expertise, and knowledge of member states, facilitating regional networking and international cooperation.