Egypt expressed its appreciation for the decision of the African Union (AU) Executive Council to support the nomination of Khaled El-Anani, Egypt’s candidate for the position of Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The decision, made at the council’s forty-fourth session in Addis Ababa on February 14 and 15, reflects the strong backing of the Egyptian candidacy by the Arab and African groups, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Khaled El-Anani, the former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, was endorsed by the Arab League’s Ministerial Council last September as the Arab candidate for the UNESCO top job for the term 2025-2029.
El-Anani, who holds a PhD in Egyptology, has a distinguished career in academia, research, and public service. He is a professor of Tourism Guidance at the Helwan University College of Tourism and Hotel Management and has been involved in various projects and missions of the French Institute of Oriental Archeology in Cairo. He also oversaw the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo during his tenure as Minister of Antiquities.
The UNESCO elections are expected to take place at the agency’s headquarters in Paris in 2025.
