Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wojciech Gerwel took the floor during a plenary meeting opening the session. “Dialogue and seeking consensus are UNESCO’s fundamental values. As long as we adhere to them, we can hope that we will be able to achieve the Organization's priorities and strengthen its effectiveness,” Poland’s deputy head of diplomacy said in his speech.

On Poland’s initiative, two resolutions were adopted during the Conference, one concerned with sport, and the other with cultural heritage.

A draft resolution on promoting the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements through sport, education, and development was presented by Poland together with France and Greece. It encourages the member states and the Secretariat of the Organization to step up action towards education on the Olympic values and the promotion of sport, especially in the context of the Olympic Games to be held in Paris next year. The resolution was not the first sport-related document Poland successfully proposed to UNESCO. It had been preceded by the decision “Bicycle for All”, adopted by the Organization earlier this year in May.

The other document Poland put forward at the Conference was a resolution on the proclamation of the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. It will be celebrated on 17 October.

In the voting for committees, commissions and other subsidiary organs of the Conference, Poland was elected for the Intergovernmental Council of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), the Intergovernmental Council of the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme, the Executive Committee of the International Campaign for the Establishment of the Nubia Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, and the Working Group on Contributions.

Another important document adopted during the 42nd General Conference was a resolution on the action taken by UNESCO in Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Poland was one of the sponsors of this document. The resolution sends a strong message of support for Ukraine from UNESCO, mandating the Organization to continue its work for that country. The conflict in the Middle East and the consequences of its escalation were another important subject discussed at the Conference.

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The General Conference is the key decision-making organ of UNESCO, which determines the policies and the main lines of work of the Organization. It meets every two years, and is attended by representatives of all the 194 member states.