Irina Bokova to be first woman Unesco director-general

October 8th, 2009 Chief Egypt archaeologist defends Louvre cut moveCAIRO — Egypt's decision to cut ties with the Louvre museum had nothing to do with the loss last month in the country's bid to head the Paris-based UNESCO, the country's chief archaeologist said Thursday. Zahi Hawass of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said the spat with the Louvre started eight months ago, when the Paris museum refused to return painted wall fragments of a 3,200-year-old tomb from near the ancient temple city of Luxor.

October 6th, 2009 PARIS - Representatives from Unesco's 193 members gathered in Paris Tuesday for the opening of the organisation's bi-annual general conference. The aim of the 17-day meeting is to determine policies and main lines of work as well as to adopt the budget and programme for the next two years.

October 3rd, 2009 Egypt UNESCO loss stirs debate on ties with IsraelCAIRO — Since he lost a high-profile bid to become the head of the United Nation's cultural agency, UNESCO, Egypt's culture minister and his supporters have been beating the nationalist drums, proclaiming him a victim of a Jewish conspiracy aiming to undermine their country. The message has been embraced and amplified by many in the Egyptian media who, like a large number of their fellow citizens, have a deep distrust of Israel and reject normal relations with the Jewish state even though the two countries made peace over 30 years ago.

September 23rd, 2009 Egypt: Minister blames Jews for UNESCO lossCAIRO — Egypt's culture minister on Wednesday blamed a conspiracy "cooked up in New York" by the world's Jews for keeping him from becoming the next head of the U.N.'s agency for culture and education. Farouk Hosny was defeated on Tuesday by Bulgarian diplomat Irina Bokova in a tight race for the position of UNESCO chair.

September 23rd, 2009 Egyptian minister blames Jews for UNESCO lossCAIRO — Egypt's culture minister on Wednesday blamed a conspiracy "cooked up in New York" by the world's Jews for keeping him from becoming the next head of the U.N.'s agency for culture and education. Farouk Hosny was defeated on Tuesday by Bulgarian diplomat Irina Bokova in a tight race for the position of UNESCO chair.

September 22nd, 2009 A glance at UNESCO's next leaderA look at Bulgarian Irina Bokova, elected Tuesday to head the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO. —AGE: 57. She was born July 12, 1952 in Sofia.

September 22nd, 2009 Fraud allegations at UNESCO racePARIS — The U.N.'s cultural agency braced for an unusually suspenseful final round of voting to select its new chief — a race so tight it may come down to a random drawing between a controversial Egyptian and his low-profile Bulgarian rival. UNESCO denied allegations of last-minute bribery attempts to sway the voting that surfaced Tuesday, hours before the fifth-round balloting.

September 22nd, 2009 Bulgarian diplomat wins UNESCO racePARIS — A Bulgarian diplomat on Tuesday became the first woman to lead the U.N.'s agency for culture and education, beating out a controversial Egyptian candidate whose one-time threat to burn Israeli books had galvanized opposition. Irina Bokova, 57, defeated Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosny after a suspenseful and drawn-out race, sealing victory in the fifth round of balloting at the organization's Paris headquarters.

September 21st, 2009 UNESCO race down to 2 candidatesPARIS — An Egyptian culture minister who once threatened to burn Israeli books will face off against a career diplomat from Bulgaria in the race to lead the U.N.'s agency for learning and culture. In an election full of suspense, secrecy and surprise maneuvers, two candidates for UNESCO's top job tied in a fourth round of voting Monday, the Paris-based organization said.

September 19th, 2009 UNESCO undecided over new leaderPARIS — The United Nations' agency for culture and education remains undecided about who will be UNESCO's next leader. The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization says on its Web site that a third round of voting Saturday at its Paris headquarters was inconclusive, as no candidate won the needed majority of 58 votes cast.

September 17th, 2009 PARIS - Controversial Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosny failed to get the necessary majority late Thursday in the first round of voting to find a successor to outgoing Unesco director general Koichiro Matsuura. According to diplomats close to Unesco, the 71-year-old Hosny received 22 votes from the 58 members of the organisation's executive council, well short of a majority.

September 5th, 2009 ABU DHABI - The fourth meeting of Unesco's Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Heritage will be held Sep 28-Oct 2 in this United Arab Emirates capital. Abu Dhabi will receive around 400 official delegations from 114 countries that have signed Unesco's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage, WAM news agency reported Saturday.

July 10th, 2009 PARIS - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal met UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura and impressed upon him India's keenness for establishing the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Peace Education and Sustainable Development. During the meeting in Paris on Thursday, Sibal said this proposed Category-I UNESCO institute should be a symbol of rich heritage and values of peace and diversity that India stands for.

June 26th, 2009 UNESCO names 2 new world heritage sitesMADRID — UNESCO has added Italy's Dolomite mountains and the Wadden Sea along the coasts of Germany and the Netherlands to its list of World Heritage Sites. The U.N. agency announced the decision at a meeting of its World Heritage Committee in Seville in southern Spain.

June 9th, 2009 UNITED NATIONS - Nine candidates are in the fray for the top job at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), officials said. Current UNESCO director-general Koichiro Matsuura will end his term in November.