With one vote, the Qatari candidate H E Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari would have allowed, for the first time, the accession of an Arab to the Directorate General of Unesco. Hamad Al Kawari had systematically caracoled at the top of each of the four rounds of voting that took place between 9 and 12 October.
Of the 58 member countries voting, the Qatari candidate was systematically on each occasion the first, between 18 and 22 votes cast against all the other candidates, while the required majority was 29 votes + 1.
The big surprise was illustrated by the result he obtained against the candidate parachuted by France at the last minute, with 28 votes in favor of the Qatari candidate against 30 to the French candidate.
In spite of the Arab dissensions, against which many voices had already risen. Despite the pressure exerted on the very day of the last ballot by the United States and Israel announcing their departure from Unesco in the perspective of such a victory of the Arab candidate left alone in the lead ...
Despite the secret alliance sealed between Egypt and France in an embassy in Paris and which organised the reciprocal withdrawal of the French candidate and the Egyptian candidate in case of selection of one or the other to the the penultimate ballot of October 12, 2017.
Despite the very advanced talks arranged between Egypt and the Lebanese candidate, whose ranking at the bottom of the table was to benefit the Egyptian candidate, with a discontinuance in exchange for a post of Deputy Director-General at Unesco in case Egypt would be elected.
Despite an intense campaign of pressure on African countries, and particularly the French-speaking Africans of the West. Despite the direct intervention of the Foreign Minister of Egypt, who had personally visited Paris to coordinate the transactions. In spite of the direct aggressive interpellation that was launched by the latter in the direction of English-speaking Africans in the east, particularly Kenya, in full session of the Unesco Executive Committee. Despite the Egyptian Minister’s call to “vote in the last ballot for the French candidate” against the Arab candidate Hamad Al Kawari on the very day of 13 October 2017.
Despite the threat of the coalition of the Arab countries hostile to Qatar, which left their plan to leave Unesco in their turn if the Qatari candidate were elected.
Ultimately, the candidate Hamad Al Kawari will nevertheless arrive, with a vote by the majority. To reach this level in the last round, beyond the actions and shootings against the candidate Al Kawari, is “a challenge that the candidate and his country intend to celebrate well”.
After a series of systematic visits to 60 Unesco Member States for two years after an intense media campaign for opinion leaders after the presentation of a comprehensive program for the rescue of Unesco and for the four Hamad al-Kawari is considered to have “won ... with honours”, faced with this aggregate of maneuvers and in this hostile context. According to our information, Qatar considers that it has triumphed and certainly will not fail to let it know.
