PARIS (AP) — UNESCO The agency is set to welcome its first director-general from the Arab world on Monday, after the agency’s board of directors appointed Khalid el-Anani, an Egyptian and former minister of tourism and antiquities.
If approved by UNESCO’s General Assembly next month, El-Anani will take over an agency reeling from recent decisions by the Trump administration. withdraw the United Statesa harbinger of budget shortfalls for the agency best known for world heritage sites around the world.
Mr. El-Anani is seen as the front-runner for the director-general’s post, defeating his only challenger in Monday’s vote, Firmin-Edouard Matko, an economist from the Republic of Congo who has promoted schooling in refugee camps.
The decision by the executive board, which represents 58 of the organization’s 194 member states, is expected to be finalized at UNESCO’s General Assembly in Uzbekistan next month.
Noble ambitions and deep problems
In addition to selecting and protecting world heritage and traditions, The Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization works to ensure girls’ education, promote Holocaust awareness and fund scientific research in developing countries, among other things. Outgoing UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay led a particularly high-profile effort to rebuild UNESCO. ancient city of mosul in iraq After being destroyed by the Islamic State group.
UNESCO has also long been plagued by accusations of mismanagement and wasteful spending.
President Trump has argued that the body, which voted to admit Palestine in 2011, is too politicized and anti-Israel. U.S. supporters of UNESCO, meanwhile, argue that withdrawing U.S. support would allow China to play an outsized role in the world organization.
Meanwhile, voting will take place at the following times: The entire United Nations system for 80 years is facing financial difficulties, and rifts are deepening over wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
Candidate becomes UNESCO’s first Arab leader
El Anani (54 years old) ancient egyptian ruins, He received his doctorate in France and became a well-known Egyptologist before working for the government. He served as Minister of Antiquities from 2016 to 2019 and then headed the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for two years after the two portfolios were merged.
He is currently a university professor, teaching Egyptology at a public university in Cairo.
Arab countries have long wanted to lead UNESCO. The African Union and the Arab League are among those who have expressed support for his candidacy.
president of egypt Abdel Fattah El Sisi The prime minister welcomed the news, calling the appointment a “historic achievement that adds to Egypt’s diplomatic and cultural record and the achievements of the Arab and African people.”
During his tenure, El-Anani oversaw the launch of huge tourism projects, including the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, a Jewish temple, and several ancient discoveries that helped revive the country’s devastated tourism sector.
El-Anani is expected to focus on UNESCO’s cultural programs, pledging to continue UNESCO’s work to combat anti-Semitism and religious intolerance. Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2018.
He has no UN experience, which supporters argue could help him make tough decisions on reform. He also said he would work to return the United States to UNESCO membership.
Challenger is a UNESCO insider
Firmin Matoko, 69, spent most of his career working for UNESCO, including in Rwanda in the aftermath of the genocide and during peace negotiations in El Salvador and other countries.
He said UNESCO wanted to focus on technical solutions. She talked about helping to train teachers in refugee camps in Somalia in the 1990s and meeting one of them a few years after she became education minister.
Both candidates pledged to leverage more private sector funds to make up for losses in U.S. and other funds, and a continuing effort began under Azoulay.
___
Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Samy Magdy and Faye Abuelgasim in Cairo contributed to this report.
