On 10 November 2025, at the elections during the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference, three nominees from Latvia were elected to various UNESCO programmes.
Journalist Rita Ruduša has been elected to the Intergovernmental Council of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) for the period from 2025 to 2029. The Council is the only multilateral forum in the UN system – an intergovernmental programme for the promotion of media development in developing and post-conflict countries; its activities are based on promoting freedom of expression and media diversity, developing public media, promoting the professional growth of journalists, and building international partnerships. Latvia has been elected with 135 votes (out of 163) alongside Poland (129 votes) and Czechia (116 votes), winning over Russia (74 votes).
Dagnija Baltiņa, Director of the National Library of Latvia, has been elected to the UNESCO’s Information for All Programme (IFAP) for the period from 2025 to 2029. The programme’s mission is to promote equal access to information as an important development resource worldwide. Latvia won with 103 votes, while Russia received only 59 votes.
Dr. phil. Ivars Neiders, a leading researcher at the University of Latvia, will continue his work on the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC) for the period from 2025 to 2029. The tasks of the committee are to promote the latest discoveries in genetics, ensure understanding among the public of the risks that can be caused by an irresponsible attitude towards biomedical research, foster discussions on ethical and legal issues in research, and raise awareness of bioethical issues among the public, experts and decision-makers.