Abstract

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is one of the most influential international organizations in formulating school education policy. However, its history has been marked by significant bureaucratic dysfunctions that cyclically call into question its global leadership. In this scoping literature review, we map 36 studies published in the last decade in WoS and Scopus databases to understand the distinctive and contradictory nature of UNESCO's global governance in the school education sector. We classified the studies according to their objectives and identified recurrent themes. The article reveals an interest in understanding UNESCO's governance at various institutional dimensions and topological scales. However, few studies focus on its influence in countries of the Global South, a space that also challenges the organization's global scripts. Likewise, the studies analyzed draw attention to the expressive weakening of UNESCO's humanistic orientation in favor of neoliberal visions. The article concludes with a preliminary assessment of UNESCO's governance, suggesting the need to investigate the role of its regional enclaves and the normative influence that the organization exerts at the level of school educational experience. © 2025 Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED). All rights reserved.