Chairman of Executive Board publishes names of nine candidates to the post of UNESCO Director-General

Paris, 8 June

The Chairman of UNESCO’s Executive Board, Ambassador Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï (Benin), today made public the list of candidates to the post of Director-General of the Organization.

A total of nine candidatures were received by the Executive Board. They are (in chronological order of reception):

- Ms Ina MARČIULIONYTĖ
(Lithuania)
Candidature proposed by:
Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia

- Mr Mohammed BEDJAOUI
(Algeria)
Candidature proposed by:
Cambodia

- Ms Irina Gueorguieva BOKOVA
(Bulgaria)
Candidature proposed by:
Bulgaria

- Mr Farouk HOSNY
(Egypt)
Candidature proposed by:
Egypt, Kowait, Sudan, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

- Mr Sospeter Mwijarubi MUHONGO
(United Republic of Tanzania)
Candidature proposed by:
United Republic of Tanzania

- Mr Alexander Vladimirovich YAKOVENKO
(Russian Federation)
Candidature proposed by:
Russian Federation

- Ms Ivonne JUEZ de A. BAKI
(Ecuador)
Candidature proposed by:
Ecuador

- Ms Benita FERRERO-WALDNER
(Austria)
Candidature proposed by:
Austria, Colombia

- Mr Nouréini TIDJANI-SERPOS
(Benin)
Candidature proposed by:
Benin

The Executive Board will consider the candidatures and propose one name at its 182nd session (7 to 23 September), just ahead of the 35th session of the General Conference which will name the new Director-General.

The second term in office of the present Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura (Japan), ends in November 2009. He was elected in 1999 and again in 2005.

Explanatory note about the election of the Director-General of UNESCO

According to UNESCO’s Constitution, the Director-General is nominated by the Executive Board and appointed by the General Conference for a period of four years. The Director-General may be reappointed for a second term of four years, but shall not be eligible for a subsequent term. The Director-General is the chief administrative officer of the Organization.

The Chairperson of the Executive Board invites Member States to submit the names of persons who may be considered as candidates to the post of Director-General. The deadline for Member States to submit the names of candidates for the post of Director-General was set for 31 May 2009.

The Chairman of the 58-member Executive Board will then make a public announcement of the candidatures thus proposed.

The Chairman of the Executive Board will invite the candidates to submit to the Board a text not exceeding 2,000 words setting out their vision of UNESCO, in one of the six working languages of the Executive Board, by 1 August 2009 at the latest.

During its 182nd session (7 to 23 September, just before the 35th session of the General Conference), the Executive Board will consider the proposed candidatures at a private meeting. Each interview with each candidate will last one hour at most and consist of two parts: the candidate will make an oral presentation lasting 20 minutes at most and will then have 30 minutes to answer six questions asked by Board members. The questions, each of which will not exceed two minutes, will be asked in one of the six working languages of the Board, and the candidate will answer either in English or in French. In the interview, they will be encouraged to state their ability to handle the two working languages of the UNESCO Secretariat or to develop it further.

After completion of all interviews, the Executive Board will discuss the outcome in a private meeting. The vote (by secret ballot and by a majority of the votes) will also take place in a private meeting.

The Board will inform the General Conference of the name of the candidate proposed and submit to it a draft contract establishing the terms of appointment, salary, allowances and status of the Director-General.

The General Conference will examine this proposal and the draft contract in a private meeting. It will then decide on them by secret ballot.

• Author(s):Press Release n°2009-55
• Source:UNESCOPRESS
• 08-06-2009