During the 224th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, Member States adopted a decision to commemorate in 2026 the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Ukraine submitted the request to include this item on the agenda. The initiative was supported by 23 Member States.
The main objective of the initiative is to strengthen international cooperation in overcoming the long-term consequences of the accident, as well as to renew the commitments of UNESCO and all stakeholders regarding long-term recovery, resilience, sustainable development, and disaster risk reduction strategies. The Chernobyl tragedy affected cultural heritage, causing losses of tangible and intangible traditions, as well as documentary heritage in the affected territories. Evidence of global recognition of this heritage is the inclusion of documents related to Chernobyl in the International Register of the Memory of the World Programme.
The adopted document proposes to honor the memory of the victims of the tragedy and the lessons learned from it through a series of activities at the national and international levels. These activities will cover the key areas of UNESCO’s competence:
Education: raising awareness and integrating disaster preparedness into curricula.
Natural Sciences: advancing research in environmental recovery and resilience.
Social and Human Sciences: addressing ethical and societal aspects of technological risks.
Culture: preserving memory and safeguarding cultural heritage in affected regions.
Communication and Information: promoting access to reliable scientific information and countering disinformation.
The Ukrainian delegation – which included the Chair of the National Council, Olha Herasymiuk, Permanent Delegate of Ukraine to UNESCO, Vadym Omelchenko, and Ukrainian diplomats – stressed that the main objective of commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster is not financial expenditures on events, but the integration of the experience of overcoming the consequences of the accident into UNESCO’s strategic reforms. This is aimed at strengthening global resilience to contemporary technological and environmental threats and enhancing international cooperation to prevent similar catastrophes in the future. It also creates a platform for engaging the younger generation in understanding the risks associated with technological disasters.
“No reform can be effective if it is not built upon lessons learned… The lessons of Chernobyl are present in everything: in how we approach technology, how we account for risks in our dialogue with nature, and how we protect our cultural, natural, and documentary heritage from the threats of extreme situations,” emphasized Mykola Movchan, Deputy Permanent Delegate of Ukraine to UNESCO.
The Director-General of UNESCO has been tasked with supporting awareness-raising initiatives, including exhibitions, conferences, publications, and digital information activities. The Director-General is also expected to take into account the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in reports and statements on relevant scientific and environmental issues, and to encourage UNESCO bodies (in particular, the Man and the Biosphere Programme) to pay attention to the lessons of the tragedy. The Executive Board further requested the Director-General to submit, at its next 225th session, a report on the implementation of this decision.
It should be recalled that the 224th session of the UNESCO Executive Board is taking place at the Organization’s headquarters in Paris from 8 to 23 April 2026. During the meetings and discussions with UNESCO leadership, the Ukrainian delegation is drawing attention to the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Olha Herasymiuk is participating in the sessions of the Programme and External Relations Commission as well as the Finance and Administrative Commission.
On 21 April, the Member States of the Organization approved the Emergency Assistance Programme for Ukraine. This decision consolidates and expands UNESCO’s urgent measures aimed at overcoming the catastrophic consequences of Russia’s full-scale aggression against our country.
