These guides have been prepared by UNESCO, as part of its programme of support to governments and educational institutions in implementation of the UNESCO OER Recommendation.

The OER Recommendation aims to assist Member States at the national level by supporting the development and sharing of openly licensed learning and teaching materials, benefiting students, teachers and researchers worldwide. It supports the creation, use and adaptation of inclusive and quality OER, and facilitates international cooperation in this field through five Action Areas, namely: (i) building the capacity of stakeholders to create, access, re-use, adapt and redistribute OER; (ii) developing supportive policy; (iii) encouraging inclusive and equitable quality OER; (iv) nurturing the creation of sustainability models for OER, and (v) facilitating international cooperation. In addition, it contributes to the building of open and inclusive knowledge societies, and to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely SDG 4 (Quality education), SDG S (Gender equality), SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities within and among countries), SDG 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals). Operationalizing the Recommendation remains a challenge for governments and institutions, as it requires a range of policies, capacity-building and strategies to fully realize its potential in facilitating the achievement of these SDGs.