Russia Declares International Baccalaureate an Undesirable Organization Amidst Claims of Promoting Western Ideals

On Monday, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia labeled the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), headquartered in Geneva, as «undesirable.» The agency accused the organization of endorsing Western values and disseminating anti-Russian propaganda.

According to the prosecutor’s office, «The NGO aims to mold Russian youth according to Western paradigms. Its educational approach is essentially about imposing a particular interpretation of historical events, distorting well-established facts, promoting anti-Russian propaganda, and inciting ethnic tensions.»

Established in 1968, the IBO offers academic programs for students aged 3 to 19, focusing on critical thinking and intercultural awareness, as mentioned on its website. These programs are available in approximately 5,000 educational institutions across 151 countries.

The IBO has licensed its curricula to various public and private schools in Russia, including the International Gymnasium at the Skolkovo Innovation Center near Moscow. The organization has previously condemned Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine and committed to supporting students and educators affected by the conflict.

The prosecutor’s office asserted that the IBO has «modified» its curriculum since the invasion to align with the «Russophobic perspective of the collective West,» which includes alleged calls for Russia’s international isolation and «material that discredits the Russian military.» Additionally, it accused IBO representatives of advocating for «non-traditional values based on the ideology of banned extremist groups.»

Under Russian law, association with an «undesirable» organization can result in a prison sentence of up to four years, with organization leaders facing as much as six years.

Russia’s «undesirable» law was enacted in 2015 as a means to suppress independent media, opposition movements, and foreign entities. Hundreds of groups have since been blacklisted, including The Moscow Times, which received this designation last summer.