The Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) appointed Egyptian Khaled el-Enany as its Director-General for the next four years.
The Egyptian beat Congolese Firmin Edouard Matoko.
The announcement was made Monday by UNESCO President, Vera El Khoury Lacoeuilhe.
Khaled el-Enany, former Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities (2016-2022), received 55 votes to 2 for Matoko
During the campaign for this position, the Egyptian candidate received support from the League of Arab States, the African Union, and countries such as Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey.
He announced to the press that during his first 100 days in office, he will meet with the representatives of all member states to develop a strategic plan to address the estimated 8 to 11% budget cut for UNESCO due to the United States’ departure in 2026 and improve the efficiency of the institution, which is often considered overly bureaucratic.
The new Director-General will assume office on November 14, succeeding Audrey Azoulay, who has held the position since 2017.
He will be officially cleared for the role by the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on November 9.
AK/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA