SAMARKAND: UNESCO on Thursday elected Egyptian Khaled el-Enany as its new chief, with the ex-minister tasked with steering the UN cultural agency through the political and financial consequences of US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the organization.
Enany, 54, an Egyptologist who served as Egypt’s culture and antiquities minister from 2016 until 2022, was overwhelmingly chosen by member states to take over from France’s Audrey Azoulay as director general at the UNESCO general conference in the Uzbek city of Samarkand.
He will take office on November 15 becoming the first representative of an Arab state and second from Africa to lead the organization, which oversees the coveted world heritage list.
His election marked a diplomatic victory for Egypt under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, which wants to extend its international influence, despite criticism of its rights record. The country hosted the signing of a Gaza ceasefire agreement in October.
But Enany faces an immediate challenge after Trump’s move, effective in December 2026, to pull the United States out of UNESCO, on the alleged grounds that it is biased against Israel and promotes “divisive” causes.
Trump had already ordered a withdrawal in 2017 during his first term. President Joe Biden reestablished US membership.
Israel also walked out of the body in 2017 and in May, Nicaragua left after UNESCO presented a press freedom award to an opposition newspaper.
The US pullout harms UNESCO’s prestige and depletes its finances as it accouts for eight percent of the total budget. European countries are unwilling to stump up more funds at a time of increased pressure for defense spending.
After his election, Enany said he wanted a “strong and united UNESCO, a non-politicized organization that chooses consensus over divisions” and also vowed to make the budget “a priority.”
Seeking to emphasize that its remit covers more than heritage, UNESCO is looking to advance in areas ranging from expanding access to education to embracing the healthy use of artificial intelligence.
Making up the funding gap could see greater use of the private sector, whose contributions represented only eight percent of the budget in 2024.
While praised by insiders as a hugely experienced professional capable of forging consensus, there has been controversy over the damage to Cairo’s historic City of the Dead necropolis during urban development in 2020 while Enany was minister.
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Egyptian takes reins at UN cultural agency rocked by Trump pullout
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Egyptian takes reins at UN cultural agency rocked by Trump pullout
- Enany was overwhelmingly chosen by member states to take over from France’s Audrey Azoulay
- He will take office on November 15 becoming the first representative of an Arab state
Ship in Bab el-Mandeb Strait attacked by suspected pirates, officials say
- The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center says the incident Friday saw a ship chased by smaller vessels that opened fire on it
- The private security firm Diaplous Group says the vessel twice came under attack and armed guards aboard opened fire in response
DUBAI: A ship traveling Friday through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait came under attack by suspected pirates, officials said.
The incident saw a ship chased by smaller vessels that opened fire on it, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.
The private security firm Diaplous Group said the vessel twice came under attack and armed guards aboard it opened fire in response. It said the crew was safe and described the ship as a bulk carrier.
The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, separating the African continent from the Arabian Peninsula.
The area had seen attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war, as well as a rise in piracy from Somalia as well. The Houthis have halted their attacks, however, as an uneasy ceasefire holds in the Gaza Strip.
The incident saw a ship chased by smaller vessels that opened fire on it, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.
The private security firm Diaplous Group said the vessel twice came under attack and armed guards aboard it opened fire in response. It said the crew was safe and described the ship as a bulk carrier.
The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, separating the African continent from the Arabian Peninsula.
The area had seen attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war, as well as a rise in piracy from Somalia as well. The Houthis have halted their attacks, however, as an uneasy ceasefire holds in the Gaza Strip.
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