The International Bureau of Education (IBE-UNESCO) is a UNESCO category 1 institute mandated as the Centre of Excellence in curriculum and related matters.

Consistent with the declaration of the decision of the 36th session of the General Conference and to ensure a higher effectiveness and a sharper focus, the IBE has defined the scope of its work as pertaining to: curriculum, learning, teaching, and assessment.

During this time, an external initiative committee consisting of notable academics, educators and thinkers of the day, including Albert Einstein, provided support to the organization.

SIAP was initiated with the intention of sending books and providing intellectual services to prisoners during World War II.

As a result, the IBE began to issue postal stamps in 1940, which were sold in order to raise money to fund the project.

Today, under the direction of Mmantsetsa Marope, the main initiative of the IBE is to set the global standard for quality curricula, especially in the context of promoting education for development.

[7] Since 1970, the IBE has edited the academic comparative journal Prospects, which focuses on curriculum, learning, and assessment, particularly in the domains of culture, development, economics, ethics, gender, inclusion, politics, sociology, sustainability, and education.

[9] The IBE Historical Archives 1925–1969 traces the evolution of education from the early 20th century to the modern and creative learning methods of the 1960s.