The UNESCO/UNITWIN Chairs are part of a broader international university cooperation programme running since 1991 to support the creation of centres of excellence in  member countries and LDCs able to implement advanced education and research programmes in disciplines related to development policies in third countries.

A UNESCO Chair is established for four years through an agreement signed by the UNESCO Director General and the Rector of the University or Research Institute. Chairs may be set up within Faculties or Departments to support and increase existing research and teaching activities worldwide. Activities include postgraduate training programmes, postdoctoral fellowships, exchanges of visiting professors, seminars, conferences with UNESCO support and sponsorship.

The Italian Ministry of University and Research (MinisterialDecree No. 495 dated March 6, 2024) has awarded Italian UNESCO Chairs the "Seal of Merit" as a distinctive mark of their commitment to developing programs that promptly and autonomously respond to the renewed demands for new learning and research in a rapidly changing economic, social, and technological world.