Irina Bokova First Woman to Head UNESCO

Bulgaria’s Bokova is new UNESCO Director GeneralBeyond the Veil| Irina Bokova, Bulgaria’s ambassador to France and UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, narrowly defeated the Egyptian culture minister on Tuesday night to become the first woman to lead Unesco.

Bokova is an expert in arms control and a 57-year-old mother with two grown children who is a fervent advocate of political pluralism and European integration.

After defeating the Egyptian culture minister, Farouk Hosny, in five rounds of voting, the new leader called Mr. Hosny a friend, and stressed that she is committed to multiculturalism.

Trying to reach out to the Arab world, she emphasized that she came from a small town in southwest Bulgaria, which had a large Muslim population, and she said she was committed to multiculturalism. Hosny is accused of anti-Semitism and censorship in his 22 years as culture minister. Irina Bokova is expected to be confirmed at the UNESCO general conference on Oct. 15. via NYTimes