Egyptian Khaled el-Enany was officially elected on Thursday as Director-General of UNESCO for the next four years, succeeding Frenchwoman Audrey Azoulay, amid a climate of distrust towards the organization marked by the announced departure of the United States.

This solemn election was a formality after the Executive Council recommended his candidacy on October 6 against that of the Congolese Firmin Edouard Matoko by an overwhelming majority (55 votes to 2).

This 54-year-old former Minister of Antiquities and Tourism, an Egyptologist by training, this time garnered 172 of the 174 votes cast by the member states gathered in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) for the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

He became the first Director-General of UNESCO from an Arab country, and the second African after the Senegalese Amadou Mahtar Mbow (1974-1987).

Khaled el-Enany presented himself as a man of "consensus" to lead the organization, which has once again faced accusations in recent months of being politicized.

Following Israel's withdrawal in 2017, Nicaragua announced in May that it was leaving the Paris-based organization to protest the awarding of a press freedom prize to an opposition newspaper. Then the United States announced its departure in July – for the third time in 40 years.

The Trump administration, which had already withdrawn its country during its first term, accuses UNESCO of anti-Israel bias and of promoting "divisive social and cultural causes" with "an ideological and globalist roadmap".

The new CEO, who is due to take office in mid-November, has promised to work to bring the United States back, something Audrey Azoulay had managed to do in 2023.

Washington's departure undermines the prestige and universal character of the organization, but also reduces its budget and finances (the American contribution represents 8% of its total budget).

Faced with the loss of American funding, but also with the growing reluctance of European countries who do not want to compensate for it in a context where their defense-related spending is increasing, Mr. el-Enany has made the budget his "priority".

In particular, it intends to attract more voluntary contributions from governments, notably through debt swap systems, and to make greater use of the private sector (foundations, patrons, companies, etc.), whose contributions represented only 8% of the budget in 2024.

This election also marks a diplomatic victory for Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's Egypt, which wants to extend its influence on the international stage and notably hosted the signing of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza in October.