Wataru Iwamoto
Director of the Division of Social Sciences, Research and Policy, UNESCO
Professional career
In 1977, Mr Iwamoto jointed the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan where he held a number of key positions relating to higher education planning, legal affairs, social education and cultural affairs.
In September 2001, Mr Iwamoto joined UNESCO and was appointed Director of the Division for Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education.
He has attended numerous international meetings and symposia including UNESCO´s International Conference on Higher Education in 1998 and the 47th Council of the UNESCO International Bureau of Education in 2001. He made an intervention on Secondary Education and conducted sessions on the occasion of the UNESCO-APEID International Conference on Education, as well as the International Conference on Secondary Education Reform organised by the Omanese Government and UNESCO in 2002. He was one of the moderators of the 47th Session of the International Conference on Education organised by the International Bureau of Education in 2004. Since July 2004, he has also been responsible for the physical education and sport at UNESCO.
In January, 2006, he was appointed Director of the Division of Social Science, Research and Policy, which includes the Programme of Youth, Sport and Physical Education. He participated in the World Urban Forum III in Vancouver in 2006 and has organised different international and regional seminars on various urban issues.
About UNESCO and DESD
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, is in charge of the promotion and coordination of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2002, the UN Decade spans from 2005 to 2014 and aims at integrating the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning.
Addressing all three pillars of sustainable development - society, environment and economy - along with culture, the Decade focuses on promoting and improving quality education, reorienting educational programmes, building public understanding and awareness and providing practical training.
The DESD implementation plan strongly relies on stakeholder commitment and cooperation at local, national, regional and international levels.