Mr Khaled El-Enany has taken the oath of office as the new Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), pledging to uphold the organisation’s mandate and build an organisation that is “for the people.”
In his inaugural speech at the 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Khaled El-Enany swore a solemn oath to act in the interests of UNESCO and to strengthen an organisation that enabled dialogue- “especially when dialogue seems impossible elsewhere.”
He said, “Faced with global crises, UNESCO must be the house of dialogue: the place where diagnoses are shared, where cross-cutting projects are built, where consensus is constructed, where a shared universality becomes possible….”
He also laid out a vision for UNESCO, starting with education, where he affirmed to continue upholding the right to education for all and defending education in crises. For science, he promised that UNESCO would continue to serve as an ethical compass for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and neurotechnology. He reiterated UNESCO’s commitment to protecting and safeguarding culture, and promoting sustainable tourism. He also commended UNESCO’s efforts to promote freedom of expression and committed himself to strengthening efforts to protect journalists and defending linguistic diversity.
“UNESCO’s history is a history of courageous and inventive responses. I will not make the mistake of believing that the number of votes cast for my candidacy is due to me personally. It expresses a hope for an immense mission, for which I find myself today driven by an unwavering determination: to make UNESCO a place for building lasting peace in a world plagued by inequality and division,” he stated.
Khaled El-Enany is an Egyptologist and Professor of Egyptology at Helwan University in Egypt. He led the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. From 2016 to 2022, he served as Minister of Antiquities and then Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Meanwhile, Khondker M. Talha, President of the General Conference, congratulated Mr El-Enany on his new position and on a career built on preserving cultural heritage and making it accessible to the world, stating, “Your nomination as Director-General of UNESCO is a tribute to an extraordinary career; a career built on the conviction that culture, education and science can build bridges between peoples.”
Also, Vera El Khoury Lacoeuilhe, Chairperson of the Executive Board, congratulated him and highlighted that the board had voted for Mr El-Enany with an overwhelming majority, confident that he would be able to lead UNESCO into a new era.
“Professor El-Enany, your election brings not only expectations but also hope…to ensure that UNESCO continues to serve as a space for multilateralism and prove itself through results,” Lacoeuilhe stated.
Similarly, the Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, H.E. Saida Mirziyoyevam, also congratulated the new Director General on behalf of her country, which hosted the General Conference.
“On behalf of the president of Uzbekistan and our people, allow me to congratulate you … your vision of placing people at the core of the organisation has resonated in the hearts and minds of people…Under your leadership, UNESCO will achieve its aspirations for a better world through education, science, and information,” H.E. Saida Mirziyoyevam said.
The confirmation of the new Director-General marks a new chapter for UNESCO, which is aimed at reinforcing multilateralism during a period of profound global turmoil, marked by conflict, inequality, and environmental crises
