UNESCO: 80th Anniversary

Jonathan Davies Excerpts

Tuesday 18th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire) (Lab) [R]]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for allowing time for this debate. It is a great joy to see so many colleagues from across the House here with us today.

I want to begin by touching on UNESCO’s founding vision and the achievements that followed, which show why it is uniquely placed to help drive the national renewal the Labour Government rightly seek and to restore Britain’s leadership role on the world stage. Sunday marked 80 years since UNESCO was founded here in London. Considering the age of some UNESCO sites and the artefacts it seeks to be a custodian of, those 80 years are a mere speck in time, yet, emerging as it did out of the ashes of the darkest and most destructive chapter of human history—world war two—it is nothing short of remarkable that UNESCO’s mission has endured for those 80 years.

Rab Butler and Ellen Wilkinson, for whom I know the Minister has a great deal of admiration, were Tory and Labour Ministers respectively, and they played a crucial role in UNESCO’s establishment. They worked alongside Governments in exile from across the globe. All had witnessed the bombing of medieval cathedrals, such as in Coventry, the burning of national libraries, such as in Serbia, and the destruction of ancient temples in Asia, and much worse atrocities still in the domain of fascist policies dressed up as education and science—education that was mobilised to teach hatred, and science corrupted in the service of the most depraved and evil ends.

If culture, science and education had been abused in the service of hatred and conflict, they now had to be mobilised in the cause of peace. That is part of UNESCO’s founding principle—to build peace through international co-operation in science, education, communication and culture. In the words of Clement Attlee,

“since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”.

Britain and its territories have been a proud supporter of UNESCO, although there was a 12-year separation between 1985 and 1997, when the UK left the organisation. Perhaps sometimes it takes a little bit of time apart to appreciate what you have.

My energy for UNESCO comes through the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO world heritage site, which runs through my Mid Derbyshire constituency. It is a great joy to see here some of the other MPs who have part of the site in their constituencies—my hon. Friends the Members for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson) and for Derbyshire Dales (John Whitby).

[Dr Allison Gardner (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)]

Neighbouring Derbyshire, in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent has a proud heritage of craftmanship thanks to our famous ceramics industry, including Duchess China and Wedgwood. We are recognised globally for pottery, shipping products all over the world. I would be delighted if Stoke-on-Trent were recognised as a UNESCO creative city. Would my hon. Friend join me in recognising the historical contribution of Stoke-on-Trent and the boost in tourism that our bid to make Stoke-on-Trent a UNESCO creative city would bring?

[Jonathan Davies]

I know the intangible heritage there is in Stoke-on-Trent and I encourage my hon. Friend to join the all-party parliamentary group on UNESCO world heritage sites, of which I am the chair, because that might be a vehicle to progress the bid. She is very welcome to speak to me about that.

The Derwent valley in my constituency is the home of the industrial revolution, where planners such as Jedediah Strutt and Richard Arkwright harnessed the power of the River Derwent and built the mills that set Britain on a path to economic growth and prosperity. Their groundbreaking approach was copied throughout the world.

At the heart of the Derwent valley are the Belper mills, which have tragically been allowed to fall into a poor state of repair. I am working to change that, but, for the time being, they remain a painful and unsightly reminder that the Government’s commitment to national renewal is sorely needed.

[Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)]

It was a delight to welcome my hon. Friend to Saltaire recently as part of the World Heritage UK conference, where he saw the regeneration of Salts Mill at the heart of our world heritage site and the amazing regeneration that it has brought to the whole village. Is that an example that he thinks his own world heritage site could learn from?

[Jonathan Davies]

Salts Mill is the gold standard of conservation and heritage restoration and the David Hockney paintings that can be seen there are truly remarkable—I encourage all colleagues to go to Saltaire and visit Salts Mill. My hon. Friend does a great job promoting what that wonderful community has to offer. There is a high bar to reach with the repair of the Belper mills; I hope we can achieve a similar calibre to that of Salts Mill.

I was motivated to re-establish the all-party parliamentary group on UNESCO world heritage sites this summer by a desire to raise the profile of these vital places. My aspiration is to use the group to build the components of a national strategy that can share best practice across the UK and raise the profile of places such as the Belper mills and the Derwent Valley Mills world heritage site.

[Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)]

I congratulate the hon. Member on securing the debate. I have the slate landscape of north-west Wales world heritage site in my constituency, and I am glad to be a member of the APPG. With these large industrial sites, we need to discuss how to maintain the designation safely while also finding a working use for them. I think of a large hydroelectric scheme in my constituency, which would be an immense benefit to local people, but we need to balance that with what we want to maintain and make safe for future generations.

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[Jonathan Davies]

The right hon. Lady makes a good point. There are challenges associated with cultural landscapes and living sites, but there are many examples of where we can make that work. Having a national strategy would provide a shared view across Government Departments to best support the sites. I will say something later about the specific site she mentioned.

I was pleased to re-establish the APPG, which we can use to help build the components for a national strategy, share good practice for sites across the UK, and track and influence Government legislation, so that we can harness all the benefits those sites offer. Having a national strategy would also foster a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by the range of sites across the UK, allowing a joined-up approach to dealing with them. I would be grateful to hear the Minister’s thoughts on the merits of a national strategy for the UNESCO world heritage sites in the UK, and whether the Government might consider following the Republic of Ireland, which has adopted one with a degree of success.

I was pleased to see in the recently published curriculum review an aspiration for all young people to engage with local history as part of their education. UNESCO’s world heritage sites in the UK are a great asset to help deliver that. UNESCO is so much more than world heritage sites; it deals with the foundations of our knowledge of the world and each other. UNESCO’s designations, which include biosphere reserves, global geoparks, creative cities, learning cities and intangible cultural heritage, reflect that breadth. Every UNESCO designation is part of a global network spanning more than 190 countries. That network connects communities, scientists, cultural organisations and educators with their counterparts across the world. Despite that extraordinary breadth, UNESCO remains united by a single purpose: an ambitious, internationalist commitment to freedom, peace and equality, with education at its heart.

When war tore across Ukraine, UNESCO trained 50,000 Ukrainian teachers in online methods, ensuring that a generation of children did not lose their education, despite Russia’s brutal invasion. UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition has championed girls’ education, literacy for women and the principle that talent, not geography or sex, should determine a child’s future. UNESCO’s scientific achievements are truly inspiring. In 1951, it brought together Governments in Paris to develop the first resolution that led directly to the creation of CERN, helping to transform the same scientific disciplines once used for destruction into one of the world’s greatest symbols of international collaboration. More recently, through its Nippon Foundation partnership, nearly 30% of the ocean floor has now been mapped, revealing insights into our climate and marine life.

In the realm of culture, UNESCO’s mission has surpassed preservation and now involves conservation and even reconstruction. The Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative secured more than $117 million to restore mosques and heritage lost to war, rebuilding not just structures but the collective memory and sense of belonging that they embody. This is UNESCO at its strongest—not lofty ideals, but tangible actions that promote peace. It represents the very best of our collective endeavours as one human race.

Britain’s UNESCO sites also bring money into our communities at a time when it is hard to come by, through tourism and footfall, new business opportunities and local economic growth, and direct funding, both public and private. One of the most significant sources of funding is the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has been supporting British heritage since 1994. Today I am delighted to report that, for the first time, National Lottery heritage funding into British UNESCO sites has surpassed £1 billion. I know the Minister will want to join me in celebrating that amazing milestone. I want to cite just a few examples of where that money has contributed in every nation of the United Kingdom.

Over £22 million has come into the Derwent valley, including £9.5 million for Derby’s Museum of Making, which was opened in 2020 and co-designed with local people. It reconnects communities across Derbyshire and further afield with our industrial heritage—something we have only come to appreciate more in recent years.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has provided £12 million to the National Slate Museum in Llanberis. The slate landscape of north Wales, where quarries, mines and communities evolved together, remains a stronghold of the Welsh language and identity. That funding has created a learning centre, play area, shop, café and improved accessibility, ensuring everyone can share in that wonderful heritage.

In the Wester Ross Biosphere in the north-west highlands, £750,000 of funding supported the Inverbroom estate’s transformation from a traditional highland estate into a beacon of nature and recovery. That created jobs and opened a path to a sustainable future where Scotland’s natural heritage thrives alongside its communities. And in Northern Ireland, £3 million helped the Giant’s Causeway community build a world-class visitor centre.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

I was hoping that the hon. Gentleman would turn to the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO world heritage site. Does he agree that that is one of the nation’s tremendous tourism facilities, but we have to be very careful with it, because there have been attempts by developers in recent years to put offshore wind farms in immediate proximity to it? We must be extremely cautious about proceeding with developments of that nature in such close proximity to a national heritage site.

[Jonathan Davies]

That is a challenge. A few sites, including the one in my constituency, have a buffer zone in which development must be tightly controlled. We need to get more energy from renewables, but there is a balance to be struck at valuable sites such as the Giant’s Causeway, which welcomes hundreds of thousands of people each year and shows how funding heritage can protect natural wonders while opening them up for all to enjoy.

Across every nation and region, in so many different ways, UNESCO sites are a locus for communities to celebrate their culture, understand their history and prepare for the future. Aside from the numerous benefits they provide, our UNESCO sites have the potential to help us tackle two key challenges.

First, too many people feel disconnected and alienated. That is expressed through frustration, but also a turn to extremes. UNESCO sites do not provide quick fixes and nor are they the sole solution, but by investing in what is unique, sustainable and culturally valuable in our towns, cities and landscapes we restore a sense of connection, allow a palpable sense of local identity to return, and give communities a real stake in their future. That must be recognised as part of the national renewal that the Government rightly seek. It goes beyond our pride in place programme and engages with what our places mean to us, as well as how they look.

The second challenge is our role on the world stage. I am delighted that we have a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister responding to the debate. Although trade deals have boosted UK business and our defence investment is helping build a more secure world, cuts to international aid have raised concerns about our global standing. UNESCO offers a powerful vehicle for leading on the international stage, fostering progress and promoting peace. Its work can prevent conflict from erupting, help adversaries to see one another’s humanity, and encourage reconciliation after war. That is not to mention the work needed to tackle climate change, which is an ever growing cause of conflict across the world. We are leading on climate change through robust action in the UK, but our collective efforts can succeed only if they are fully international. Domestic alienation and international conflict are two sides of the same coin; UNESCO’s mission helps us to address both.

The UK is home to some of the world’s most respected minds in science, culture and education. Their expertise enriches UNESCO through research, conservation, diplomacy and teaching. The UK is home to 29 UNESCO chairs—world-leading experts advancing research on climate change, cultural heritage, artificial intelligence ethics, ocean science and education. Their work directly shapes global policy and drives innovation. Greater engagement with UNESCO, nationally and internationally, is a low-cost, high-impact way to tackle two defining challenges of our age. Done well, it can restore pride in place at home and pride in the UK’s role abroad.

I very much look forward to hearing from colleagues about the fantastic contributions that UNESCO sites make across the country. We have the resources to contribute through UNESCO to peace, equality and a better future for humankind. I look forward to hearing from my hon. Friend the Minister not only a celebration of this important organisation, but a recommitment to our place within it.

[Several hon. Members rose—]

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[Jonathan Davies]

It is the greatest pleasure of my professional life to be the MP for Mid Derbyshire. That is particularly true today, when we have been taken on a magical mystery tour of the best places across the UK and further afield. I thank colleagues for bringing their insight, knowledge, experience and passion for their communities to the debate. It is through those sites and the values of UNESCO that we understand what it means to be a human being. That has sat very much front and centre of the debate today.

I am sure the Minister has heard that passion and I hope she has seen that the opportunities that these sites offer and UNESCO’s values cut across the Government’s five missions. By joining up our understanding of what these sites offer across Government Departments gives an opportunity to maximise their role in driving the national renewal that our country desperately needs.

I thank World Heritage UK, which represents all the sites in the UK, for its services, and particularly its president Chris Blandford OBE, who is in the Public Gallery today. My final comment is that we have a very active all-party parliamentary group for UNESCO world heritage sites in the UK, and I hope to see colleagues at one of its meetings in future.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).