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Egypt nominates former minister for UNESCO director-general post

Xinhua, July 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Egypt officially announced on Tuesday the nomination of former minister and ambassador Moushira Khattab for the post of director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The announcement was made at the Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo.

"Ambassador Khattab can represent the culture in Egypt, Arab World, Africa and the Mediterranean Sea area," Prime Minister Ismail said in his speech during the event.

Khattab, a human rights activist, former politician and diplomat, said she believes the effective implementation of human rights without any discrimination is the only effective tool to achieve sustainable development.

In 2013, Khattab was ranked third out of the five leading female human rights activists in the Middle East and North Africa.

The former ambassador is not the first Egyptian to run for the UNESCO's position. In 2009, Egypt nominated former minister of culture Farouk Hosni to the position but failed due to previous statements about Israeli books that sparked worldwide accusations of anti-semitism. Endit