Morocco Supports the Candidacy of the Royal Councillor’s Daughter for a Second Term at the Head of UNESCO

Morocco announced on Wednesday its support for the candidacy of the Director General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, for a second term at the head of this UN organization.

The announcement of this support was made by the Ambassador Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Morocco to UNESCO, Mr. Samir Addahre, at the opening of the 210th session of the Executive Board of UNESCO, to be held from December 2 to January 27, 2021.

In this regard, the Moroccan ambassador said at the beginning of the general discussion of this session: “I take this opportunity to express to you, Madam Director General, on behalf of Morocco, following your candidacy for a second term, our full support and our commitment to act for the realization of this candidacy”.

The Moroccan diplomat said that “this support is consistent with our position, which is to honor your reforming action and allow you to complete it, for the good and the influence of this organization”.

For Mr. Addahre, the consecration of UNESCO’s role requires “inevitably in these unstable times” a strong support for its leadership and its authority on the strategic projects opened by Ms. Audrey Azoulay and which cover the broad areas of the organization’s mandate.

He explained that this requires the mobilization of the necessary and essential financial and human resources to enable UNESCO to implement its strategies and multisectoral programs.

Audrey Azoulay, daughter of Royal Councillor André Azoulay, was elected for a four-year term and took office on November 15, 2017. She succeeds Irina Bokova, the first woman to head UNESCO.

Indeed, the practical implementation of “Priority Africa” will be, for Morocco, the most important topic of discussion of this 210th session of the Executive Board of UNECO.

Alongside “Priority Africa”, education, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the gender issue, the preservation of cultural heritage, adaptation to the development of artificial intelligence and open science will be discussed in this session. It will be held virtually in December because of the preventive measures against Covid-19, while the second part will be held in person from January 1, if health conditions permit.