Egypt's Khaled El-Enany nominated as sole UNESCO chief candidate

PARIS -- Former Egyptian minister of tourism and antiquities Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz has been nominated as the sole candidate for the post of UNESCO director-general during the 222nd session of the organization's executive board held Monday in Paris.

In the voting held Monday night, El-Enany received 55 votes, while the other candidate from Congo, Firmin Edouard Matoko, received two votes. Having obtained more than half of the valid votes, El-Enany won the election.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the nomination will be submitted for approval by the UNESCO General Conference, scheduled to take place on Nov 6 this year in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Born in 1971, El-Enany currently holds the position of Professor of Egyptology at Helwan University of Egypt, where he has been a faculty member for over 30 years. If elected, he would become the first director-general from the Arab world and the second African since UNESCO's establishment 80 years ago.

"If I am elected by the General Conference next November, I pledge that within the first hundred days, I will work hand in hand with all Member States to jointly build a roadmap to modernize UNESCO and project it into the future — a UNESCO for everyone, without discrimination, a UNESCO for peace, and a united UNESCO," said El-Enany after election.

The mandate of the current Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay will end in November after eight years in service.