Egypt’s candidate for UNESCO Director-General sets vision, priorities

CAIRO – 27 April 2017: Education is the only way to combat radicalism and Africa should be a priority on the UNESCO agenda, Egypt’s candidate for Director-General of UNESCO, Moshira Khattab, stated Wednesday, according to state news agency MENA.

Kattan said her vision for UNESCO stems from “building consensus, avoiding bias and focusing on increasing UNESCO's share of member states' budgets,” as well as exploring other sources of funding through transparent and effective partnerships with civil society and multinational corporations.

These measures should improve the agency’s finances in the long term so it can sponsor projects and deal with new challenges, Khatab said.

Khattab called for UNESCO to lead international efforts to confront extremism through education, culture and science, affirming the necessity to combat the poisonous ideologies that have “trapped several societies.”

The Egyptian candidate further stated that Africa shall be treated as a priority, through coordination between UNESCO and the African Union. She also called for establishing a closer connection with UNESCO member states, especially African and developing countries.


"I intend to focus on the grass-roots, based on my field experience with the most marginalized groups in the world,” Khattab stated.

She further emphasized UNESCO’s role in achieving the goals of sustainable development and proving its potential, as the agency is responsible for establishing and maintaining peace.


At the end of her speech, the Egyptian candidate pledged to try to make the necessary changes to detect the root causes of problems and mobilize the necessary resources to support girls' education and fight violence. She cited her experience in Egypt trying to change laws and convictions regarding FGM.

Khattab was Minister of Family and Population in 2011. She also served as Egypt’s ambassador to South Africa, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and served at Egypt’s diplomatic mission in Austria, Hungary, and the United Nations.