UNESCO – the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization – is in the bid to select its new Director-General, who will replace Ms. Audrey Azoulay (France), come November 2025. Ms. Azoulay has headed the organization since 2017, cumulating two terms of four years each.
The race to the elections started officially after the 14th March 2025 deadline set by the Organization’s Executive Board to receive nominations from Member States. Three candidates emerged, namely: Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz from the Arab Republic of Egypt; Gabriela Ramos, presented by Mexico; and Firmin Edouard Matoko, presented by the Republic of Congo. The final decision on a candidate will be done by the Executive Board’s election in October this year, to be ratified by the 43rd Session of its General Conference, scheduled for November, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Having relayed their individual visions for the Organization, an interview session by the Executive Board took place on Wednesday 9th April 2025 at the Headquarters, where Member States had the opportunity to ask questions in the attempt to establish their merits of the position.
Without doubt, the outcome of the interview session depicts the three candidates, with varying profiles and career trajectories, as qualified for the job in different dimensions. The diverse competencies they bring are proofs of the importance attached by their respective countries to the minimum standards required from the high-profile job of the next Director-General of the United Nations Specialized Agency, setting the pace for a difficult choice among three equally qualified candidates, with requisite talents and career paths that will be beneficial to the organization.
Although the interviews were part of the statutory and necessary procedures, like in a classic recruitment process, it is not the only ticket to secure the esteemed position. And typical of such selections in the UN system, political interplay will play a major role in the final outcome of the long exercise. Thus, it is yet unclear who would get the seat, and what are the likely geopolitical and other factors that may determine the choice of Member States. While one could conveniently state that merit, knowledge of the system and regional affiliation would matter, it is only fair to highlight the aspect of geopolitical consideration, particularly for the African region. This is more so because the three candidates are from the global South: two from Africa, one from Latin America. Of the two African candidates, one is from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Although the Egyptian candidate was the first to declare his intentions and position himself as the African candidate, the emergence of Mr. Edouard Matoko from Congo is a real game changer.
Firmin Edouard Matoko is the immediate past Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations at UNESCO. Having resigned from this position to run for the post, Matoko had the entirety of his professional career devoted to the United Nations, rising to top management and serving the whole time in UNESCO with varying experience across the globe and majority in the Africa Region.
According to a news piece by the Central African Information Agency (ADIAC), with such a prominent profile, his familiarity with UNESCO and the UN system’s institutional complexity, Matoko, would rank as the candidate with both a high-grounded UNESCO background and experience in diplomacy and international public service. He has devoted all his life to the organization’s mandate; to planning and management of education systems, the natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, communication and information.
Matoko has a strategic graduate degree in International Relations, and has published several research works, grounded in the UN and UNESCO’s mandate and development and Africa and global geopolitics. One of the qualities that facilitated his rise to the top management in the UN system is perhaps his multilingual ability and the fact that he has coordinated various development programs in several UNESCO offices around the world, while he remains a strong defender and promoter of peace and development globally.
A strong and discreet negotiator, Matoko has worked closely with Permanent Delegations to UNESCO and understands the priorities of Member States, perhaps more than any other of the two candidates. In his introductory presentation at the interview, he declared that he is a candidate of the world, who will work for the interest of all Member States. His understanding of the development of the organization, its achievements and challenges over many decades is indeed a leverage to build on the achievements to raise universalism and humanists’ values embedded in the UNESCO Constitution and mandate. Matoko is convinced that this pedigree would enable him to work for in constant commitment to an institution that values diversity by building on mutual knowledge across the globe, while not confining himself to the achievements of the past, but looking forward to putting the experience and lessons to work for higher and greater initiatives that will take the organization to a new and higher level of effectiveness.
Recalling that “UNESCO was born out of an idea in the service of peace, and making space for dialog and solidarity, his more than 30 years in the service of the ideals of the noble institution, his conviction about the pertinence of this shared vision will be upheld under his leadership, with an assurance of his leadership-readiness for resilience in the face of prevailing uncertainties, which, more than ever before, require UNESCO to continue to contribute to the maintenance of peace and security by strengthening education, science and culture, and enhance collaboration between nations, to ensure universal respect for justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
In reminiscence of his interview by the Board, Matoko, in one of his social media handles, also reiterated his commitment to lead UNESCO as the global candidate from Congo. With a strong sense of responsibility, he has presented his vision for the future of the Organization that embodies peace, rooted in intellectual cooperation and respect for human dignity – and resolved to anchor UNESCO with action, innovation in response to the challenges while remaining a driving force for dialogue among cultures and inter-generation. Undoubtedly, he is ready to lead the transformation with commitment, humility, and boldness by bringing together energies, harnessing collective intelligence, and staying true to the founding values of UNESCO.”
This affirmation, our correspondence gathered, is the founding principles of Matoko’s career within the organization. Proven testimonials of his achievements with Priority Africa programme, until the end of his tour of duty in UNESCO, cast no doubts on the fact that his knowledge of the exact state of affairs will engender innovation that will take the organization to a higher place within the United Nations family.
While it is still early to state clearly the tendencies on the possible outcome of the election process, it is important to bear in mind that a candidate with a good perspective on the organization’s growth; who understands the dynamics of global challenges and development potentials for growth and innovation; and who will work for global good while making room for Africa, is not negligible as a suitable candidate.
, come November 2025. Ms. Azoulay has headed the organization since 2017, cumulating two terms of four years each.){kind=link}