Shaping a More Inclusive, Innovative and Impactful UNESCO for the 21st Century
“Building on its recent success, UNESCO needs to scale up its impact and deliver in a more effective and visible way. Our vectors—education, culture, the sciences, and information and communication—must become the beacons of inclusion and innovation to tackle the challenges of our time.”
INCLUSION
To ensure greater access to and quality of education, especially for out-of-school boys and girls, and greater investment in culture to promote development.
INNOVATION
To invest more in science, ensuring that science informs decision-making and ethically regulates converging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Science, to protect freedom of expression and thought, safeguarding journalists and researchers.
IMPACT
To achieve greater influence in global forums such as the G20, G7, and G77, and to work on the national priorities of our countries.
Watch the full interview for the office of Director-General, during the plenary meetings of the 221st session of the Executive Board (9 April 2025)
Gabriela Ramos is an accomplished international leader dedicated to building a more prosperous, just, and sustainable world. An economist, diplomat, and policy expert from Mexico, she brings over 30 years of global leadership experience. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in advancing global agreements and implementing impactful reforms in artificial intelligence, gender equality, international taxation, inclusive growth, education, and climate action.
Since 2020, she has served as Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, delivering transformative results. Under her leadership, UNESCO has emerged as a global leader on AI ethics, anti-racism, and gender equality. She has also advanced youth empowerment, science-policy dialogue, and the role of sport in development, with a 143% budget increase, strong internal restructuring, and renewed team motivation. Key donors during her tenure include the European Union, Google, Open Society Foundations, Microsoft, L'Oréal, the Qatar Foundation, the African Development Bank, and the Republic of Korea.
Previously, at the OECD, she served as G20 Sherpa and Chief of Staff, leading major reforms including global tax reform, inclusive growth, education (PISA), and the Paris Agreement. She also helped expand OECD membership and tripled its budget.
