Paris - Former Bulgarian foreign minister Irina Bokova, who on Tuesday was elected to become the first woman UNESCO director-general in the 62-year-history of the organization, appears to be the ideal choice for the post. In addition to her mother tongue, she speaks fluent English, Russian, French and Spanish. She began her education at the English language school in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, then received an MBA in international relations at the Moscow State Institute for International Relations.
She was a founder and chairman of the European Policy Forum, an NGO created to promote European identity and encourage dialogue to overcome divisions in Europe, and currently serves as Bulgarian ambassador to France and Monaco.
The 57-year-old mother of two adult children has been a member of the UNESCO Executive Board since 2007.
Although she was considered a long-shot candidate when her campaign for the post began, she worked hard to influence people, traveling to 45 countries to make her views known to leaders and UNESCO national committees.
Bokova no doubt benefited from a backlash against her opponent, Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosny, who has been accused of anti-Semitism for his virulent public denunciation of Israeli culture.
His defeat will leave behind bitterness among the Arab and developing nations who supported him. But Bokova is well qualified to heal the wounds.
"The world needs multilateral diplomacy," she said in a recent interview.
