UNESCO 2026 International Literacy Prizes Award.

UNESCO has opened the call for applications and nominations for the 2026 International Literacy Prizes. Literacy educators, organizations, and governments from around the world are invited to submit outstanding programmes that have made a meaningful contribution to literacy as a driver of human empowerment and sustainable development.

This year’s theme “Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity” reflects a critical moment as the international community takes stock of progress toward the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and begins shaping a post-2030 global agenda. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day, the Prizes will recognize programmes that have advanced literacy across social, economic and environmental dimensions.

Since 1967, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have recognized over 500 exceptional programmes and initiatives that advance literacy across the globe. Each year, six prizes are awarded to individuals or organizations whose innovative efforts make a significant impact in the field of literacy education.

Currently there are two UNESCO International Literacy Prizes:

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (3 awards)
The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (3 awards)

Benefits

About the Prizes

The Prizes aim to promote literacy as a foundation for lifelong learning, equity and sustainable development, especially in light of ongoing global challenges. Despite progress, over 739 million youth and adults still lack basic literacy skills, and millions of children remain out of school or struggle with reading and numeracy.

The prizes include six annual awards:

UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (3 awards): Supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea since 1989, the Prize highlights mother-tongue and multilingual literacy efforts. Each laureate receives a medal, a diploma and US$ 30,000.
UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (3 awards): Supported by the Government of the People’s Republic of China since 2005, the Prize recognizes programmes supporting functional literacy in rural areas and among out-of-school youth, particularly through technology. Each laureate receives a medal, a diploma, and US$ 30,000.

Requirements

Applications are open to individuals, non-governmental organizations and government bodies engaged in literacy promotion.
Programmes must demonstrate measurable impact and align with the 2026 theme “Literacy for people, the planet, and prosperity”.
Programmes that have not been awarded the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes in the past five years.

Selection Process

Important deadlines

18 May 2026 (midnight, GMT +2): Deadline for candidates to submit applications to nominating entities.
1 June 2026 (midnight, GMT +2): Deadline for nominating entities to submit nominations to UNESCO.

Awardees will be announced during the celebration of International Literacy Day on 8 September 2026.

Method of Application

For applicants – Application

To begin with, the applicant needs to request the access to the online form through this link and specify in particular the submission channel (either a government via the National Commission for UNESCO, or an International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) maintaining official relations with UNESCO). Once your access is granted by the Secretariat, the applicant will receive an automatic notification to the email address indicated*.
The applicant needs to complete the online form (in English or in French). The applicant can attach relevant supporting materials (e.g. reports, publications) of less than 100 pages in total.
The applicant who opts for the government channel will then send the submission form with supporting materials to the appropriate National Commission (by selecting ‘YES’ under ‘Submit the application to a National Commission and clicking on “Save” at the bottom) by 18 May 2026 (midnight, Paris time).
The applicant who opts to apply through an international NGO maintaining official relations with UNESCO, needs to obtain a nomination letter from the NGO in question that recommends them for the Prizes. This nomination letter must be attached to the submission form by the applicant.
For this purpose, please identify an International NGO in official relations with UNESCO which is active in the related fields, notably literacy and send your application with supporting documents to that NGO. The applicant should then submit the electronic application form with the written nomination letter and supporting materials to UNESCO (by selecting ‘YES’ under ‘Submit the nomination to UNESCO (via NGO)” and clicking on “Save” at the bottom) by 1 June 2026 (midnight, Paris time).
If applicants have difficulties reaching an appropriate nominating entity, they should contact the Secretariat of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes for further guidance.
Please note that self-nominations will not be taken into consideration, and that any submission form missing a written recommendation issued by a Government of a Member State through the National Commission for UNESCO (directly in the form), or an International NGO which maintains official relations with UNESCO (a nomination letter in attachment), will not be accepted by the Secretariat of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes.

For Governments (National Commissions for UNESCO) and International NGOs – Nominations

The relevant National Commission will receive a notification every time an application form is submitted to them for their nomination. The notification will contain a link to the online form, which will be accessible through the e-mail address associated with its generic UNESCO account.

To access the nomination form, the National Commission should:
- Follow the link provided to the application.
- On the login page, enter the username (in this format natcom.yourcountryname@natcom.unesco.org) (For example, the username for the National Commission of China is natcom.china@natcom.unesco.org); and
- Enter the password associated with the UNESCO account of the National Commission.
The National Commission reviews the forms received and nominates up to three submissions for the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize and up to three submissions for the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy
To nominate a candidate, the National Commission should edit the form by entering a written recommendation in the appropriate fields, in English or French, and cover the following:
- A description of the nominee’s background and achievements;
- A summary of the work or the results of the work, publications and other supporting documents of major importance, submitted for consideration;
- A succinct evaluation of the nominee’s contribution to the Prize’s objectives.

It should then select ‘YES’ under ‘Submit a nomination to UNESCO’ and click on the button ‘Save’ at the bottom of page. The applicant will then be informed of the nomination.
Please submit the nomination(s) with a written recommendation to UNESCO via the online platform before 1 June 2026 (midnight, Paris time).

A NGO which maintains an official relation with UNESCO, if solicited by a candidate and wishing to submit the nomination, should provide the applicant with a nomination letter to be attached by the applicant to the application form.

Kindly send the recommendations to the concerned applicants via e-mail or mail before 1 June 2026 (midnight, Paris time).

Contact (for enquiry)

UNESCO International Literacy Prizes Secretariat
Section of Youth, Literacy and Skills Development
Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems
Education Sector
UNESCO
7 place Fontenoy
75352 PARIS 07 SP
France

E-mail: literacyprizes@unesco.org
Tel: +33 1 45 68 08 59 or +33 1 45 68 11 40
Fax: +33 1 45 68 56 27

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