The Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO was established in 1947. The National Commission has a maximum of eleven members, all of whom are experts in one or more of UNESCO's fields of interest. The Commission is supported by a small secretariat. The Commission is part of a large worldwide network of nearly 200 National Commissions, all fulfilling similar roles. UNESCO is the only United Nations organisation with a network of this kind.

Every two years Commission provides a working programme based on the programmes and policy cycle of UNESCO and the added value that UNESCO can provide to the Netherlands in certain areas and vice versa, and the relevance of themes to policy, society and professional organisations in the Netherlands. The Commission also seeks to collaborate with relevant partners at both national and international level.