Paris: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty met with ambassadors of African countries accredited to UNESCO during his visit to the French capital to lead Egypt’s delegation to the UNESCO Executive Board meetings, scheduled for Monday.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the meetings will feature an election for the position of Director-General of the organization. The gathering was attended by Amr Moussa, former Secretary-General of the Arab League and former Foreign Minister, as well as Khaled El Enany, Egypt’s candidate for the post of UNESCO Director-General.
Abdelatty expressed his appreciation for the support of African sister nations for Enany’s candidacy, noting that this nomination reflects the shared aspirations of the African continent to lead UNESCO toward achieving its goals, spreading knowledge, thought, and creativity. He also highlighted the African Union’s issuance of three resolutions endorsing Enany’s nomination during successive African summits in February 2024, July 2024, and July 2025.
He emphasized that this support underlines the official African backing of the Egyptian nomination, recognizing Enany’s competence and ability, and reflects the continent’s trust in Egypt to fulfill Africa’s shared ambitions. Enany himself praised the efforts of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in leading his 30-month-long election campaign, noting his travels to over 60 countries and meetings with officials, ministers, and intellectuals in member states of the Executive Board.
Enany mentioned that these efforts have enabled him to outline a comprehensive vision for the future of UNESCO’s work, ensuring that it considers the interests of all member states, particularly the priorities of the African continent. The Egyptian nomination campaign in Paris, led by the Foreign Minister, has garnered support from Sri Lanka, Paraguay, Mexico, and Argentina, with these countries officially declaring their support for Egypt’s nomination.
The Egyptian nomination campaign continues its efforts in Paris until the election, scheduled for Monday.