UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews
Network
/ 15
October 2009 - Irina
Bokova was
confirmed today by a vote of 166 against
7 and with 10 abstentions by
members of the UNESCO General Conference as the Director-General of the
Organization for the next 4 years and the first woman to occupy the top post.
While Ms. Bukova’s
election was nothing short of a miracle and rife with controversy, experts
believe that she may yet face a further uphill battle in the months to come.
It
all started on 23 Sept 2009 when the 58 members of the UNESCO Executive Board
nominated Irina Bokova, the Bulgarian Ambassador to France (and UNESCO) for
the position of Director-General of UNESCO.
She
is a career diplomat and politician who studied at the Moscow State Institute
of International Relations and the School of Public Affairs of the University
of Maryland in the US. Member of the Communist Party until late 1990s and
served briefly as the Bulgarian Foreign Minister from 1996-1997.
The
uncharacteristically vigorous campaigns and growing media attention
necessitated the rare visits of various Foreign Ministers and Presidents in
support of their candidates.
For
months Farouk Hosny was considered to be the odds-on favorite. His campaign
was loaded with “big guns” and unfaltering support from his home country
of Egypt.
As
rumor had it and with no exception, Egyptian diplomats, statesmen, and power
brokers used every opportunity to press for and promote his candidacy leading
to a summer of diplomatic quid pro quos.
Pressure
was building upon various Arabs, Latino and African States to support Mr.
Hosny and it ultimately yielded the unconditional support of the Group of 77
led by India.
At
the same time, the allegations of fraud and controversy that surrounded his
race from the early days never dissipated and in fact, many stories are still
in circulation.
Among
the myriad anecdotes of politics that surrounded this election, two
interesting ones stand out. The long-time Ambassador of Oman, who was also the
President of the General Conference at its 32nd session, had his ambitions for
the top post suddenly halted when he was recalled and deposed with Omani
government immediately declaring their support of Hosny’s candidacy.
The
next surprise was the Brazilian Deputy Director General, who many expected to
see in the race, particularly since Latin America has never held the highest
post in UNESCO.
His
candidacy also faltered when support from his home government fell through in
an apparent exchange for a future vote for Egyptian support for a Brazilian
seat on the Security Council. They too then announced their support for Hosny.
Some
African Ambassadors were not allowed to vote and designated persons were sent
from their HQ to ensure votes for Hosny. The question on everyone’s mind was
why the Egyptians were so keen to have Hosny, a 71 year old who
has been Egypt's culture minister for more than two decades
as D-G of UNESCO? The answer
still remains elusive.
The
Egyptian hopes were high and their confidence only grew as the first couple of
ballots eliminated seven of the nine total candidates leaving Hosny as the
only individual receiving double-digit votes.
Bokova’s
star started to rise quickly after all other competitors left the fierce
battle with Hosny to her. At that time, the suspenseful and drawn-out race
entered the fourth round of balloting where both candidates ended up tied with
29 votes apiece.
Prior
to the fifth round of voting, the exhausted members of the Executive Board
were getting ready to resort to an old rule in UNESCO’s book to draw a name
out of the hat and pick one of the two candidates.
This
obviously ran contrary to what many interest groups and lobbyists on both
sides wanted.
An
alliance of UNESCO board members opposed to Mr. Hosny finally coalesced around
Ms. Bokova.
On
that Sunday, a few big muscles were twisted and the US who had by then lost
its own candidate, decided to switch its vote to Bokova. Nobody knows how
France voted but all indications were that the battle between the Elysée and
the Foreign Minister were won by the FM in favor of Bokova.
On
the 5th Ballot, the Bulgarian prevailed by a vote of 31 to 27.
History was made and the first woman was elected to head the 63 year old
organization.
The
Arab region’s interest in being part of UNESCO’s top administrative
echelon reflected enthusiasm for contributing to the development of the UN
agency and its aims.
There
is a growing interest in the region in bringing its universal moral vision to
bear on world culture and the region’s contributions to it. In
1999 a Saudi Arabian candidate for UNESCO’s top post, Ghazi al Ghussaibi,
lost to a Japanese candidate, Koichiro Matsuura.
When
the same experience was repeated a decade later for a candidate from the
region, with an Egyptian losing to a Bulgarian, some people in the Middle East
have come to perceive this global cultural sector as off-limits to them, a
clash of civilizations or an
anti-Arab and pro-Israeli decision, particularly since Hosny gained some
notoriety for anti-Israeli statements in the Egyptian cabinet.
Well,
if you think the matter has been put to rest, it might be too optimistic or an
early judgment. The intrigue
continues.
It
was only a few days ago that the burning brush fire got some life with a
statement issued by the Libyan Ambassador to UNESCO on behalf of his
Government and distributed to the General Conference concerning their
objection to the candidature of Bokova for the post of the Director-General
and condemnation of this decision.
The
reasons given were in reference to “the exchange of prisoners and convicts
when Bulgaria released the Bulgarian nurses sentenced to life for [the
alleged] inoculation of 450 Libyan children with the HIV virus.”
The
statement made a reference to a potential withdrawal from its membership in
UNESCO, as well as freezing its cooperation and withdrawal from all Committees
to which it is currently nominated.
The
Jordan and Mali delegations followed suit and decided not to pursue their
nomination to the Executive Board.
An
anonymous paper today was finding its way through the Secretariat and
delegations inviting all to refrain from voting and confirming Bokova to the
top post.
So
the saga may continues and no one knows for how long and with what expense,
but one thing is certain, despite the fact that Bokova will try to meet all
expectations, the uneasy atmosphere surrounding UNESCO may not be that
conducive to dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
-- MehriMadarshahi@MaximsNews.com
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