The UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge is made up of the Regional Scientific Committees, the Global Scientific Committee, the Coordinating Committee and the Forum Secretariat.
The Forum Secretariat is situated at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and serves to facilitate coordination of the Forum activities in cooperation with the UNESCO regional and national offices, centers and institutes.
Regional Scientific Committees, composed of research experts and policy makers, are established for each of the five regions involved in the Forum initiative (i.e. Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean).
The role of the Global Scientific Committee is to carefully balance the research from the regions so as to make sure all regions are visible and represented, while also identifying overriding, global issues and challenges in the areas of higher education, research and knowledge. The Chairs from the respective Regional Scientific Committees are part of the Global Scientific Committee, thus facilitating the link and continuity of work and ideas between regional and global level.
The Coordinating Committee is comprised of UNESCO staff and representatives from key partner organizations and assists the Forum Secretariat, in facilitating coordination of the Forum activities.