Ms Irina Bokova is the Director-General of UNESCO. She is the first woman to lead the Organization.

Being in charge of political and legal affairs at the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations in New York, Ms Bokova was also a member of the Bulgarian Delegation at the United Nations conferences on the equality of women. As Member of Parliament, she participated in the drafting of Bulgaria’s new Constitution, which contributed significantly to the country’s accession to the European Union. Irina Bokova was a Minister for Foreign Affairs, Coordinator of Bulgaria-European Union relations and Ambassador of Bulgaria to France, Monaco and UNESCO and Personal Representative of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria to the "Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie" (OIF). 

Ms Bokova is an active member of many international experts active in civil society, President and founding member of the European Policy Forum. She is Executive Secretary of the Steering Committee of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) and co-Vice Chair of the Broadband Commission.

Irina Bokova has received state distinctions from countries across the world and is Doctor honoris causa of leading universities, including John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University).