Khaled El Enani as UNESCO's new Secretary-General...Unesco emphasis for people
Nov 07, 2025
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At the 222nd UNESCO Executive Board meeting held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France on October 6, Dr. El Enani was recommended as a final candidate for secretary-general with overwhelming support from the executive member state with 55 out of a total of 57 votes. Born in Egypt in 1971, El Enani is an archaeologist who has long served as a professor of Egyptology at Helwan University and is considered to have extensive administrative experience, serving as the director of the National Egyptian Museum of Civilization (2014-2016), the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities (2016-2019), and the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities (2019-2022).
In a vision statement at the time of running for the candidate, the new Secretary-General, El Enani, stated that "UNESCO for the People" will be created by putting humans at the center of the mission, creating a UNESCO" that will not lag behind anyone without discrimination, and that the UNESCO Secretariat will play a "cultural bridge" role, especially in terms of governance, promoting consensus through unpoliticized technical deliberation".
In his acceptance speech, he stressed the importance of balanced development in which humans, nature, and culture are united rather than division, emphasizing the importance of consensus and co-prosperity rather than division, and appealing for all member states to achieve unity and innovation in the fields of peace, education, and culture through cooperation.
He was named the first Arab secretary-general in UNESCO history and the second African secretary-general.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
