H.E. Prof. Peter K. Ngure, Kenya’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, joined the UNESCO community in welcoming His Holiness Pope Leo XIV during his historic visit to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 25 September 2026.
The visit brought together representatives of UNESCO Member States and the wider UNESCO community around a message of peace, human dignity and international cooperation, while also addressing some of the major challenges facing the world today, including the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence.
As a symbolic gesture of peace, the UNESCO community presented Pope Leo XIV with a Book of Peace, bringing together messages from representatives of UNESCO Member States, colleagues and networks from around the world.
Kenya contributed its own message to the book. Prof. Ngure conveyed a call for countries affected by conflict to consider, in particular, the plight of children, persons with disabilities and women, while seeking innovative solutions capable of promoting peace and safeguarding the continuity and stability of the planet.
During his address at UNESCO, Pope Leo XIV called for renewed international cooperation and emphasised that technological progress must remain at the service of humanity. He highlighted the ethical dimensions of Artificial Intelligence and the need to protect human dignity, particularly that of children and young people, as digital technologies continue to transform societies.
The Holy Father’s visit carried a broader message of peace and harmony, reinforcing UNESCO’s founding mission of building peace through education, science, culture, communication and information.
The occasion was particularly significant as it marked the first papal visit to UNESCO Headquarters since Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1980.
