Arab Disunity Cost Egyptian Top UNESCO Job - Newpaper

A lack of solidarity among Arab nations caused Egypt to lose its bid for the presidency of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, a September 24 editorial in the official newspaper al-Thawra said.



In the final round of voting last week, the Egyptian candidate and culture minister, Farouk Hosni, lost the contest for the job to Irina Bokova, a former Bulgarian foreign minister.



Hosni said that the results were influenced by “the United States and the Jewish lobby” following his controversial comments in 2007 advocating burning Israeli books.



Al-Thawra’s editor-in-chief, Asaad Aboud, argued that the real reason for Hosni’s defeat was that Arab states had failed to join efforts to back one Arab candidate, instead presenting three Arab officials to compete for the position.



Aboud said that Syria was deploying “immense efforts” to create unity among Arab and Muslim states while other Arab nations were only looking after their own interests.



He said that all international bodies were politicised which, he said, explained why very few Arab nationals made it to top positions in big organisations.