The Regional Centre For Educational Planning (RCEP) was established in accordance with the agreement signed between the Government of UNITED ARAB EMIRATES and THE UNITED NATION EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC CULTURAL ORGANIZATION ( UNESCO ) on 17th October 2003.

UAE has exerted tremendous efforts to host RCEP. The initiation of UAE began as early as 2000, shortly before launching the UNESCO, 32nd Conference held on15th October 2001.

The UNESCO Director General in his opening address to the 162nd session of executive board of UNESCO declared the UNESCO support of establishing a Centre of Educational Planning ( Category II ) at Sharjah, UAE to be placed under the auspices of UNESCO. The UAE Government welcomed hosting RCEP in its territory and issued its decree No. 12/12 for the year 2002. The UAE government stood ready to contribute further to ensure the operation of the centre by ratifying the agreement stated above by its decree No. 19/4 for the year 2004.