Sierra Leone joined UNESCO on 28 March 1962. The country is covered by the UNESCO Regional Office in Accra (Ghana).
Torn by civil war from 1991 to 2002, Sierra Leone is in the midst of reconstruction. UNESCO concentrates its support on rebuilding the education system. Workshops in peace education and capacity-building for teachers, notably through distance learning, are ongoing activities.
UNESCO also emphasizes support to the country’s media. The project “Reel peace”, promoting both media skills development and reconciliation, ended its second phase in 2006.
Sierra Leone ratified the World Heritage Convention in 2005. It participates in the UNESCO project “Heritage, dialogue and reconciliation: the heritage in pre- and post-conflict situations”.