To decentralise its functions, UNESCO has established a number of institutes and centres. Located in various countries around the world, these institutes and centres each serve a specific purpose within the fields of competence of UNESCO in responding to global and field-based needs. They include:

International Bureau of Education (IBE)– Geneva, Switzerland IBE specializes in educational contents, methods, and structures to ensure education for all.
International Institute for Education Planning (IIEP) – Buenos Aires, Argentina and Paris, France IIEP trains specialists in educational management and planning and provides policy-makers with technical assistance.
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) – Hamburg, Germany UIL promotes adult learning including literacy, non-formal education and alternative learning opportunities for marginalized and disadvantaged groups.
Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE) – Moscow, Russia IITE provides technical support and expertise to build inclusive knowledge societies through the application of information and communication technologies in education.
International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) – Caracas, Venezuela IESALC contributes to the development and transformation of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean.
International Institute for Capacity-Building in Africa (IICBA) – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia IICBA addresses educational, technical, and professional needs through local and national training, experience-sharing, and technical improvements and by linking research and practical programme implementation.
International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC) – Bonn, Germany UNESCO-UNEVOC helps strengthen education for employability and citizenship particularly in developing countries, economies in transition, and nations in post-conflict situation.
UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) – Montreal, Canada UIS provides data and methodologies to monitor trends nationally and internationally and to provide a global perspective on education, culture, communication, and science and technology.
International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) – Trieste, Italy ICTP conducts high-powered research and fosters the development of physical and mathematical sciences with special support given to developing countries.
Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE) – Delft, The Netherlands UNESCO-IHE trains professionals active in the field of water and contributes to the development of innovations, technologies, and policies related to the environment and infrastructure development in developing countries and countries in transition.
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) – New Delhi, India MGIEP promotes quality education and culture, with particular focus given to Indian culture and traditions.