Irina Bokova elected Director-General of UNESCO

Paris, 15 October

• © UNESCO/Michel Ravassard
• Irina Bokova

The 35th session of the General Conference of UNESCO on 15 October elected Irina Bokova as Director-General of the Organization. Ms Bokova was designated by UNESCO’s Executive Board on 22 September.

The President of the General Conference, Davidson Hepburn, announced the outcome of the vote before the delegates of UNESCO’s Member States.

The new Director-General declared : « it is my dream to nurture relations of perfect synergy between the Director-General and Member States, so as to move together towards the creation of societies that are more just and prosperous, based on knowledge, tolerance and equal opportunity for all, thanks to education, science, culture and access to information. I shall be guided in my work by my concept of a new humanism for the 21st century.”

Born in Sofia in 1952, Irina Gueorguieva Bokova was Bulgaria’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO until her election. A career diplomat and member of the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria, she has served as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Ms Bokova will begin her mandate on 15 November.

• Author(s):Press Release No. 2009-124
• Source:UNESCOPRESS
• 15-10-2009