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PUCE Sustainability Week
Quito, May 2025 — UNESCO congratulates the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE) for organizing the second edition of Sustainability Week, held from May 27 to 29 under the theme “Fair Relationships for a Sustainable World”. This valuable academic and civic platform brought together more than 70 national and international speakers across 48 activities, establishing itself as a space for dialogue, reflection, and action in the face of the country’s socio-environmental challenges.
The opening ceremony was attended by prominent authorities from the public, academic, and multilateral sectors. In this context, Tatiana Villegas, UNESCO Representative in Ecuador, joined the panel discussion on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and paths toward social transformation. In her remarks, she emphasized the critical role of education as a driver of change:
“Education is the foundation for the renewal and transformation of our societies. It mobilizes knowledge to help us navigate a changing and uncertain world. (…) To educate is to build peace, to bridge generations, cultures, and people, and to pave the way toward more dignified and sustainable futures.”
In line with this vision, PUCE promotes concrete initiatives that connect knowledge with real-world needs. An inspiring example is the launch of the bootcamp “Transforming La Mariscal”, where students from various disciplines worked over two days to develop innovative proposals addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges in this emblematic Quito neighborhood, which also hosts the UNESCO House.
We are deeply pleased to see such initiatives flourishing in our immediate environment. PUCE’s Sustainability Week is a powerful demonstration of the transformative role that universities can and must play in building more just, equitable, and sustainable societies.
Additionally, Verónica Minaya, UNESCO’s Natural Sciences Officer in Ecuador, participated in the panel “Commitment to Glaciers for the Conservation of Páramos and Water Collectors.” The session featured the official video of the International Year of Glacier Preservation — a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of the vital role glaciers play in climate regulation, the water cycle, and human life, as well as the risks their loss poses to water security, ecosystems, biodiversity, and numerous cultural practices and Indigenous identities.
Verónica Minaya stressed: “Glaciers are part of a complex ecosystem in which everything is interconnected. Their melting affects water supplies for human consumption, agriculture, energy production, and impacts sectors like tourism and trade, placing economies and communities at risk.”
We commend PUCE for signing the declaration of support for this cause. Through research, innovation, and collective action, it is possible to protect these vital water sources and ensure a sustainable future not only for mountain communities but also for the thousands of people living downstream. Youth are unquestionably key to advancing climate action and sustainability.
