On May 3, the University for Peace (UPEACE) received Mrs. Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), who visited Costa Rica for the World Press Freedom Day and ceremony of the UNESCO / Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award.
During her visit, the Director-General addressed the students and university authorities of UPEACE. Bokova said that “UNESCO and UPEACE have common convictions about humanity, aspirations, and a new vision of educational development.” She also mentioned the importance of the UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter.
The visit ended with a tour of the campus, during which she visited the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development, which coordinates the new UNESCO Chair. This Chair aims to strengthen research and education on the values of sustainability in education. This effort is part of the goal of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development United Nations (DESD), to integrate the values inherent in sustainable development into all aspects of learning to encourage changes in behavior that allow for a more just and sustainable society for all.