UNESCO has a new Director General
Former French culture minister wins majority vote, expected to officially lead UNESCO in November.
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Ms. Azoulay was elected as the new Director-General of UNESCO. Photo: Reuters. |
Ms. Audrey Azoulay on October 13 received 30 votes, two more than Qatari candidate Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, in the race to become the new UNESCO Director-General, AFP reported.
Ms Azoulay’s nomination will need to be approved by the 195-member body at a meeting of the UN General Assembly on November 10. The person chosen will officially become the new director-general.
Ms Azoulay, 45, of Moroccan origin, was France's culture minister under former president Francois Hollande.
“In times of crisis, we need more than ever to engage and work to strengthen the organization,” Azoulay said after the final vote.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised Azoulay's victory on Twitter, affirming that the country will continue to work for science, education and culture in the world.
Ms Azoulay faces the challenge of persuading the US and Israel to return to UNESCO. The US announced on October 12 that it was withdrawing from the organisation in protest against anti-Israel sentiment.
The Director-General of UNESCO is the head of the Secretariat, which directs the administrative apparatus of about 2,000 staff at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, and its affiliated offices around the world.
The Director-General is responsible for formulating and submitting to the Executive Board the agenda, direction, budget, appointments and recruitment of senior staff of UNESCO. The Director-General serves a four-year term and is eligible for re-election. UNESCO's activities require an annual budget of US$250 million.
According to VNE
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