Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has sent a cable of congratulations to President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic, on the occasion of the French candidate’s winning of top Unesco position.
Qatar’s candidate Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari made a graceful exit with a narrow margin of two votes to the election for the top position at Unesco, the United Nations’ cultural body. Audrey Azoulay, the former French culture minister won the post in a neck and neck (30-28) race.
Though Qatar’s candidate for the post of Unesco director-general did not secure the top position, the way Al Kawari ran his campaign highlighting issues hindering the purposeful functioning of Paris-based UN agency and the vision he presented before the world are not less than a victory.
The vision and willingness of Qatar, shown through its candidate throughout the campaign, to steer the agency clear of obstinate financial crisis and other political controversies, has won the trust of 28 members out of total 58-member executive board.
The defeat by just two votes in the final round of elections after winning over the candidates of Azerbaijan, Vietnam, China, Lebanon, and Egypt in initial four rounds is itself an outstanding achievement by Qatar and also reflects world’s trust on this nation, its vision and its contributions to the global causes.
Unesco’s declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter. Qatar has always been contributing to achieve these objectives by loosening its purse strings.
Al Kawari had presented before the world his vision to reinvent an embattled Unesco struggling against serious financial crunch and unending political controversies. His vision of tackling menace of extremism and terrorism by promoting education, culture and science was appreciated across the globe. He had the vision for generating financial resources for cash-strapped organisation and also the policies to safeguard the heritage which are constantly under threat by terrorists.
The agency which was founded after WW II to protect and preserve common cultural heritage is now facing grave challenges. Two days ago, the US and Israel quit the Unesco over political differences. The US has had rocky relations with the Unesco and has not paid its dues since 2011. Azoulay is inheriting an embattled body with serious questions over its future funding and mission.
Arab world will also not forget the role Egypt played in depriving the region from the honour of heading the UN’s cultural agency. After Egypt’s candidate Moushira Khattab bowed out of the race in the fifth round, Egypt announced its support for France.
