Egyptian Khaled El-Enany was officially elected on Thursday as Director-General of UNESCO for the next four-year term, succeeding Frenchwoman Audrey Azoulay. His election comes at a time of heightened tension and distrust in the organization, after the United States again announced its decision to leave it, AFP reports, BTA reports.
The formal vote in Samarkand confirmed the recommendation of the Executive Council on October 6, which supported El-Enani's candidacy over that of Congolese Firmin Edward Matoko by a clear majority - 55 votes to 2.
The 54-year-old Egyptologist, former minister of tourism and cultural heritage, received 172 out of a total of 174 votes from member states during the General Assembly in Uzbekistan. He becomes the first Arab to hold the post, and only the second African since Amadou Matar Mbou, who headed the organization from 1974 to 1987.
El-Enany has been described as a "consensus" figure who intends to work to unify UNESCO, which has been accused in recent years of excessive politicization.
The organization has been rocked by a series of departures over the past decade - Israel withdrew in 2017, Nicaragua did the same this year, and in July the United States left for the third time in four decades. Donald Trump's administration has accused UNESCO of bias against Israel and supporting "ideologically motivated causes."
The new head will take office in mid-November and has already said he intends to work to bring the United States back into the organization - similar to the temporary return achieved by Audrey Azoulay in 2023. Washington's departure not only undermines UNESCO's international authority, but also deprives its budget of about 8% of its core funding.
Given the reduction in American funds and the reluctance of European countries to make up the shortfall in the face of increased defense spending, El-Enany has made financial stabilization his top priority. He plans to encourage additional voluntary contributions from governments - including through debt swap schemes - and expand partnerships with the private sector, whose donations in 2024 represented only 8% of the budget.
BTA recalls that Bulgaria has officially supported El-Enany's candidacy. At the meeting of the 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, Minister of Culture Marian Bachev stressed that UNESCO remains a key pillar of multilateralism and international cooperation. In his statement, he congratulated the newly elected Director General and expressed gratitude to Audrey Azoulay for her leadership in recent years.