The mission of UNESCO Addis Ababa is to contribute to sustainable human development in a culture of peace underpinned by tolerance, democracy, and human rights through programs and projects in UNESCO's fields of competence: Education, Natural Sciences, Human and Social Sciences, Culture and Communication and Information.

The UNESCO Addis Ababa office comprises of the Liaison office with African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the National Office for Ethiopia.