PARIS: An Egyptian antiquities professor and ex-tourism minister is facing off against a Congolese economist who promoted schooling in refugee camps in a race to become the new director of UNESCO.
Whoever wins will inherit a world body reeling from the Trump administration’s recent decision to pull the United States out of UNESCO, portending a big budget shortfall at the agency best known for its World Heritage sites around the globe.
UNESCO’s executive board begins voting Monday to recommend either Khaled el-Enany or Firmin Édouard Matoko for the position of director-general. The decision by the board, which represents 58 of the agency’s 194 member states, is expected to be finalized by UNESCO’s general assembly next month.
Noble ambitions and persistent problems
In addition to choosing and protecting World Heritage sites and traditions, the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization works to ensure education for girls, promotes Holocaust awareness and funds scientific research in developing countries, among other activities. Outgoing UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay notably led a high-profile effort to rebuild the ancient Iraqi city of Mosul after it was devastated under the Daesh group.
UNESCO has also long been plagued by accusations of mismanagement and waste.
Trump argues that the agency, which voted in 2011 to admit Palestine as a member, is too politicized and anti-Israel. US supporters of UNESCO, meanwhile, say withdrawing Washington’s support allows China to play an outsized role in the world body.
Meanwhile the vote comes at a time when the whole 80-year-old UN system is facing financial challenges and deepening divisions over the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
Frontrunner wants to be UNESCO’s first Arab leader
El-Enany worked as a tour guide through ancient Egyptian sites, earned a doctorate in France and served as Egypt’s tourism minister and antiquities minister.
Arab countries have long wanted to lead UNESCO, and el-Enany is seen as having a good chance of making that happen. The African Union and Arab League are among those that have expressed support for his bid.
He would be expected to focus on UNESCO’s cultural programs if chosen, and has pledged to continue UNESCO’s work to fight antisemitism and religious intolerance. Israel left UNESCO at the end of 2018.
While he has no UN experience, his backers say that could help him make tough reform decisions.
Challenger wants to calm tensions
Republic of Congo’s candidate Firmin Matoko, 69, spent most of his career working for UNESCO, including stints in Rwanda soon after the genocide, during peace negotiations in El Salvador and beyond.
He says he wants UNESCO to move away from political tensions and focus on technical solutions. He described helping train teachers at a refugee camp in Somalia in the 1990s, and meeting one of them years later after she became education minister. That, he says, is one reason UNESCO matters.
He says he is ready to cut jobs or programs if needed, and pledges “budgetary rigor.”
Like el-Enany, he wants to tap more private sector money to make up for the loss of US and other funding, notably from BRICS countries.
At the same time, he said, “I will do everything so that the United States comes back, while taking into account what they reproach UNESCO for.”
UNESCO is choosing a new director who will face a big funding shortage after US exit
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UNESCO is choosing a new director who will face a big funding shortage after US exit
- UNESCO’s executive board starts voting Monday to recommend either Khaled el-Anany or Firmin Édouard Matoko for the position
- El-Enany is supported by the African Union and Arab League, is expected to focus on cultural programs
Lebanon warns Israeli violations threaten stability as UN peacekeepers enter final phase of mission
- UN envoy accuses Israel of jeopardizing ‘hard-won progress’ by undermining Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity through airstrikes and border violations
- He says Lebanon’s army commander has presented to ministers his second progress report on a plan to extend state authority country-wide and limit weapons to state control
NEW YORK CITY: Lebanon has warned that Israeli airstrikes and border violations risk undermining progress toward achieving stability in southern Lebanon, as the UN peacekeeping mission in the country begins preparations for its withdrawal.
Speaking before the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, Lebanon’s permanent representative to the organization, Ahmad Arafa, welcomed the recent renewal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon’s mandate under Security Council Resolution 2790. This authorized the extension of the force’s operations until Dec. 31, 2026, followed by an “orderly, safe and coordinated” drawdown within a year.
“The Lebanese Armed Forces have been working tirelessly to ensure full implementation of Resolution 1701,” Arafa said, referring to the 2006 resolution that ended the war that year between Israel and Hezbollah.
It calls for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah. The US has consistently pressured Lebanese authorities to disarm the group, designating it a terrorist organization.
The November 2024 ceasefire deal with Israel also requires Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and establish a state monopoly on arms. The agreement states that only state security forces should bear arms, which is interpreted by Israel and others as requiring the full disarmament of Hezbollah. The group insists it applies only to southern Lebanon.
Arafa said the commander of the Lebanese army has presented to the Council of Ministers his second progress report on a plan to extend state authority throughout the country and confine possession of weapons to legitimate state institutions.
However, he accused Israel of jeopardizing the “hard-won progress” that has been made, through what he described as ongoing violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including airstrikes, the continued occupation of Lebanese territory, and the creation of “so-called buffer zones.”
UNIFIL spokesperson Dany Ghafri said last week that Israel had carried out more than 7,000 airspace violations since the cessation of hostilities in November last year, Arafa noted. UNIFIL has warned that the airstrikes breach Resolution 1701, “threaten the safety of civilians, and undermine progress toward a political and diplomatic solution,” he added
Lebanon also condemned Israeli attacks on UNIFIL personnel and positions, describing them as “a blatant violation of international law.”
Arafa expressed gratitude to the leadership of the UN force, and the countries that contribute troops, for their “dedication and sacrifice” since the mission was established in 1978. He called for the avoidance of any “security vacuum” during the upcoming transitional period, while maintaining stability and respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty.
