The United Nations’ cultural agency is slated to have its first director from the Arab world after an Egyptian former tourism and antiquities minister, Khaled el-Anani, was nominated by the UNESCO's executive board Monday.
El-Anani was seen as the front-runner for the position of director-general and won a vote Monday against his only challenger, Firmin Edouard Matoko, an economist from the Republic of Congo who promoted schooling in refugee camps.
The decision by the board, which represents 58 of the agency’s 194 member states, is expected to be finalized at a meeting of UNESCO’s general assembly in Uzbekistan next month.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed the news, calling the nomination a ‘’historic achievement that shall be added to Egypt’s diplomatic and cultural record and to the achievements of the Arab and African peoples.''
In addition to choosing and protecting World Heritage sites and traditions, the Paris-based UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization works to ensure education for girls and funds scientific research in developing countries, among other activities.
El-Anani, 54, worked as a tour guide through ancient Egyptian sites, earned a doctorate in France and became a famed Egyptologist prior to serving in government. He served as minister of antiquities from 2016 to 2019, then led the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for two years after the two portfolios were merged.
He is now a university professor, teaching Egyptology in a public university in Cairo.
Arab countries have long wanted to lead UNESCO. The African Union and Arab League are among those that expressed support for his bid.
"How come a country like Egypt, with its long history, with layers of Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Arab, Islamic civilization, has not led this important organization? This is not acceptable at all," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in Paris last week.
