The UNESCO Office in Kathmandu was established in 1998. Since then, the Office has grown into an established programme and advocacy agency in UNESCO's fields of competence, namely education, sciences, culture, communication and information, with the aim to contributing to building peace, alleviating poverty, and fostering sustainable development and intercultural dialogue.
UNESCO works to attain quality education for all, focusing on women empowerment and literacy, to rehabilitate cultural heritage after the earthquake, promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, to mobilize scientific knowledge, to promote press freedom, freedom of expression, media development and to advocate for the rights and safety of journalists.
To achieve these objectives, UNESCO actively participates in the work of the UN Country Team in Nepal and closely cooperates with other development partners in the country.
Michael Croft, UNESCO Representative to Nepal and Head of the Office
Joining UNESCO in 1998, Michael Croft has worked for the Organization for over two decades in a variety of challenging assignments in Headquarters, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Appointed as the Organization’s Representative to Nepal in August 2021, he is a strong proponent of youth leadership in development.