During the past four weeks, more than 800 students from schools in Belgium and across Europe were visited by officials from UN entities and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the annual #Back2School campaign, marking United Nations Day (24 October).
Organised by the UN Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this initiative continues to bring the UN closer to young audiences.
The campaign kicked off with a presentation by Georges van Montfort, Deputy Director of UNDP’s Representation Office in Brussels, followed by engaging talks from the Foreign Ministry and UNRIC.
Bringing the UN to the classroom
UN and Foreign Ministry representatives traveled to schools across Belgium and Europe to discuss the critical work of the UN via presentations delivered in English, Dutch, French, Italian and Greek. Topics ranged from global cooperation, peacekeeping, and humanitarian action to human rights, combating mis- and disinformation, refugee protection, climate action, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Students had the opportunity to interact with the speakers, engaging in dynamic discussions and asking questions on current global issues, such as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the state of the SDGs, the fight against climate change and how students themselves can contribute to a better world.
Broad participation across schools
UNRIC dispatched its staff to Belgium, Greece, and Italy and co-presented with young Belgian UN Youth Delegates. The campaign featured visits to primary and secondary schools as well as higher education institutes, such as the European School Brussels II (Belgium), 10th Experimental Elementary School of Kalamata (Greece), 5th Elementary School of Ioannina (Greece), University of Rome “La Sapienza” – Faculty of Political Science, course on International Organizations (Italy), GO! Atheneum Koekelberg (Belgium) and the Haute École de la Province de Liège (Belgium).
Shaping the future
Since 2019, the #Back2School campaign has been a recurring initiative, emphasising the importance of youth in achieving the UN’s SDGs. The campaign highlights the role of students—ranging from teenagers to young adults—as the current and future generation of professionals, leaders, and activists.
Both the UN and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs plan to maintain their collaboration with young people through campaigns like this and other innovative projects, fostering dialogue, awareness, and action for a better world.
