Our Initiatives

The Memory of the World Register preserves and promotes our shared authentic, unique and irreplaceable documentary heritage. It is a symbol of the collective memory of humanity. We maintain the Canada Memory of the World Register and support submissions to both the Canadian and international registers.

Of the approximately 6,700 languages worldwide, 40 percent are at risk of going dormant – and many of those most at risk are Indigenous. To raise a global call to action for the protection of Indigenous languages, the United Nations declared the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032).

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) is an international initiative to build ocean knowledge and encourage marine conservation efforts globally.

Education for Sustainable Development teaches the knowledge, skills, and values needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Building a sustainable future includes understanding how our actions affect the environment and society and learning how to make better choices for the planet and future generations. UNESCO and its global network of national commissions are working to provide guidance to governments and educators on how to integrate ESD principles into school systems, and to encourage communities, schools, and youth not just to learn but to take steps towards real-world change.