The International

The upcoming election for the new Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), generally a politically innocuous UN agency, is the focus of debate this month concerning the prominent candidature of Mr Farouk Hosny, Egypt’s Minister of Culture. As a leading candidate for the post of Director-General, Hosny has become the centre of contentious speculation regarding his suitability for the position.

Beginning on 15 September, UNESCO’s 58-member Executive Board will vote by secret ballot to nominate the organisation’s new Director-General prior to the session’s close on 23 September. UNESCO, which pursues an agenda of peaceful co-operation among its member states, is a leading UN agency for global development initiatives. In accordance with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, UNESCO seeks to ameliorate social conditions worldwide by pursuing reduction of poverty and gender disparities, increased access to primary education, protection of environmental resources, and strengthened cultural understanding.

The election of a new Director-General to replace outgoing Mr Koïchiro Matsuura highlights a rift in the international community in regard to who should head the United Nations’ lead cultural agency. Rivaling perspectives on the future direction of UNESCO have led to nine candidatures for the position. For example, traditional protocol, however informal, suggests that deference should be given to a candidate nominated by Arab members, as no previous UNESCO Director-General has represented the Middle East, while others contend that the preference should be primarily on qualifications. After a secret ballot, decided by a simple majority, the new Director-General nominee will be announced to the UNESCO General Conference for approval.

Hosny is opposed by eight other candidates: Ina Mariulionyté of Lithuania; Irina Bokova of Bulgaria; Benita Ferrero-Waldner of Austria; Sospeter Muhongo of Tanzania; Alexander Yakovenko of Russia; Ivonne Juez de A. Baki of Ecuador; Nouréini Tidjani-Serpos of Benin; and Mohammed Bedjaoui of Algeria.

Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations, is largely viewed as Hosny’s chief rival. However, European candidates have fractured support as various factions within the European Union tend to support their own individuals. Two candidates from Eastern Europe, Mariulionyté and Bokova, are similarly garnering their own divided endorsements. Additionally, there is broad sentiment that UNESCO should be led by an individual from a region that has not previously held the post of Director-General. In addition to Hosny, these would arguably include the Eastern European candidates – Mariulionyté, Bokova, and Yakovenko – as well as Bedjaoui. Yet, none of these potential nominees offer the potential for cultural reconciliation that Hosny holds.

Controversy surrounds candidate

Among the nine potential nominees, Farouk Hosny has been the focus of attention. If elected, Hosny, whose candidature was proposed by Egypt, Kuwait, Sudan, and Libya, would be the first Arab to lead UNESCO. He is supported by the Arab League, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, and the African Union. Within an agency historically dominated by European and American leadership at the highest level, Hosny, a professional painter, presents himself as a candidate better suited to formulate initiatives from a different perspective. He has posited that the role of UNESCO should be “to insure cultural diversity, dialogue of cultures, and mutual reconciliation at a time [when] identity tensions are mounting.” While the distinct cultural divide between western and Islamic societies highlights the emerging geopolitical relevance of the Middle East, Arab representation within the leadership structure of the United Nations is nominal. Hosny can partially fill this lacuna and may be capable of addressing the cultural divide.

As Minister of Culture, Hosny, among other accomplishments, oversaw the expansion of the Arts Academy, through the creation of several specialised institutes; campaigned with the Egyptian National Project for Eradication of Illiteracy; strove to improve educational access and cultural awareness through the establishment of numerous new schools and course programmes related to art, music, culture, and cinema; transformed the Egyptian Antiquities Authority into the Supreme Council for Antiquities, resulting in massive archeological projects and the creations of new museums; and oversaw the renovations and creation of existing and new theatres throughout Egypt.

However, he has also made a few provocative statements that have caused concern among some observers. In April 2001, Hosny declared that “the Israeli culture is an inhumane culture; it is an aggressive, racist, pretentious culture based on one simple principle: steal what does not belong to [sic] in order to then claim its appropriation.” He has also alluded to a disproportionate Jewish representation in international media, and suggested that he might personally burn Hebrew books in Egyptian libraries.

Jewish intellectuals Elie Wiesel, Bernard-Henri Levy, and Claude Lanzmann responded to his comments with a letter to the French newspaper Le Monde in May 2009, stating that “Mr Farouk Hosny is the opposite of a man of peace, dialogue, and culture.”

Hosny was quick to apologise for these statements in a letter to Le Monde published on 27 May 2009. He has also addressed his critics on his official Web site by providing the context of his provocative comments. According to Hosny, the Arab world perspective is heavily influenced by the plight of the Palestinian people. Hosny stated that his controversial statements were an expression of “angry feelings at what is happening to an entire people deprived of its land and rights.” He contended that while his statements were made in the context of “tension and provocation,” they were nevertheless inexcusable. He has assured that the image portrayed by this publicised controversy represents “neither [his] nature, nor what [he] believes in.”

In regard to the book-burning reference, Hosny told the UK newspaper Telegraph that his statement to an Egyptian member of parliament was taken out of context, stating: “There were no Israeli books insulting Islam, and I said there were no Israeli books in our libraries insulting Islam. I told him if you find any, because there aren’t, bring them and I’ll burn them- and that means there weren’t any.”

Hosny has a record of addressing controversial issues in both Western and Muslim cultures. In a November 2006 interview published by al-Masri al-Youm, he opined that the hijab veil for Muslim women is a “step backward” that encourages social distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims, adding that, “women with their beautiful hair are like flowers and should not be covered up.” Though Hosny did not call for a ban on the hijab, his personal views on its cultural impact were the subject of a vocal debate on the rigidity of Egyptian society. One hundred thirty members of parliament signed a petition calling for his resignation despite Hosny’s role, as Minister of Culture, to stimulate cultural awareness and dialogue. While his comments on the hijab were contentious to some, the remarks themselves cultivated a broad debate within Egypt on the merits of the hijab and social distinctions between fragments of Egypt’s populace.

Interestingly, opponents to his candidature present two competing caricatures of Hosny, both of which have been sources of criticism. Abroad, especially in western media, he is often viewed as an enabler of authoritarian crackdowns on civil liberties and a harsh critic of Israel. Within Egypt, he is viewed as too closely aligned with western ideals of neo-liberalism, a threat to Egyptian culture, and an appeaser of Israeli expansion. It is important to note that despite comments on Israeli culture, he has supported continued normalisation of relations between his government and Israel. Defending himself from critics on his Web site, Hosny has proclaimed, “I would also like to recall that for years I have been serving as minister of culture in a state that made peace with Israel and is persistently endeavoring to give precedence to dialogue over violence.”

Ambiguous international response

Amid the staunch opposition to Hosny’s bid for UNESCO Director-General voiced in certain editorials and intellectual circles, there has been a quiescent response from the international community. The United States, which holds a seat on the Executive Board, has declined to comment directly on Hosny’s candidature. A State Department official noted during a 2 September briefing that the United States “does not disclose its candidate preference in secret ballot elections.” By not publicly opposing Hosny, however, Washington suggests a reluctance to jeopardise US-Egypt relations. US officials have already noted informally that the White House opposes the election of another European Director-General of UNESCO.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has met with both Hosny and Mubarak, which suggests that France, too, may be willing to overlook the controversial publicity. France is unlikely to officially endorse any candidate prior to the election, however, as the UNESCO headquarters are based in Paris. Despite this, Henri Guaino, a close advisor to Sarkozy, has reportedly hinted that Hosny is the preferred candidate as a gesture of goodwill towards improved relations with Islamic states.

Politicalisation of the UNESCO elections

Most surprising, however, is the position of Israel. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, reporting on a leaked 14 May telegram from the Foreign Ministry to Israeli delegations abroad, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acquiesced to Hosny’s candidature. The telegram stated: “Following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Egypt, and at the request of President Mubarak and in line with understandings with Egypt, Israel has decided to lift its objections to the appointment of Farouk Hosni [sic] to the post of UNESCO secretary-general, changing our position to not-opposed.”

Netanyahu, known for his propensity to engage in diplomatic give and take, likely has received political assurances from Mubarak in exchange for his reversal on opposing Hosny’s bid to head UNESCO. Haaretz reported that an Israeli source with the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Egypt did, in fact, make an undisclosed diplomatic concession in return for Israeli acquiescence. Mubarak has made the UNESCO election a particular point of Egyptian pride. With Israel no longer a political obstacle, Hosny’s campaign has little formal opposition from state governments.

While Hosny’s candidature is contentious, it appears that political necessity and diplomatic posturing may overshadow criticism of his controversial remarks. Under the current administration, the United States has been pursuing a new dialogue with the Muslim world. Both the White House and State Department have subsequently refrained from openly opposing Hosny. France has signaled its intent to support Hosny as a goodwill gesture to Egypt. Brazilian President Lula de Silva is supporting Hosny in the hopes of garnering Arab backing for a Brazilian seat at the UN Security Council. Also, Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ugo Intini expressed Italy’s support for Hosny’s candidature in 2007; Italian Premier Silvio Berlsuconi has a close working relationship with Mubarak. The quid pro quo potential in supporting Hosny is an alluring prospect for many western governments. In backing his candidature, there is the underlying hope that diplomatic relations with Arab states can be ameliorated, social tensions lessened, and political concessions reciprocated.

Cultural reconciliation

As the Middle East continues to remain both a geopolitically and culturally prominent region in international affairs, the election of an Arab Muslim to lead the United Nations’ primary agency for global cultural development would be significant. With the United States still militarily engaged in the region, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict still unresolved, and an increasing influx of Muslim immigrants to Europe, the desire to bridge the misunderstandings between western and Islamic culture is of vital importance to international peace.

Hosny proposes a UNESCO platform heavily influenced by a desire to pursue decentralised programmes with broad support from its member states. He especially supports the current UNESCO initiatives of “Priority Africa” and “Education for All,” with the hope of attaining globalised norms on basic human rights, access to education, and security of resources, especially water. Through respect for cultural diversity and peaceful bridging of economic disparities, Hosny’s view on the future of the United Nations’ primary culture agency is a “UNESCO for all.” The next few days will reveal who of the nine contenders stands out and the extent to which controversial comments and the desire to repair a damaged cultural relationship will play out in the outcome of the elections.