Writer:at a hozyen
T
he UNESCO functions and purposes :
UNESCO was founded at a defining moment in history with one aspiring mission; “to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture”. Over the years, this organization has been touching billions of lives and creating positive developments around the world. It represents uplifting opportunities on which we can collectively build with renewed enthusiasm and innovation to benefit humanity.
We are yet, again witnessing another defining moment. In today’s world of continuous turmoil from extremism, poverty, inequality, global warming, and violation of human rights, massive forces are striking at the very heart of UNESCO’s mission. People are in desperate need -more than ever- for our immediate and impactful intervention.
The Relationship between Egypt and UNESCO:
• In 1945, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded, with Egypt as one of its founding members, on 4 November 1946. The organization opened an office in Cairo, as the Regional Bureau for the science Sector in the Arab States region, representing the organization in Egypt, Yemen and Sudan in 1947.
• Egypt and the organization have strong relations, according to the official website of the Organization. Egypt participated in the organization various activities and sectors, for example, Egypt’s active participation in the preparation of the International Convention for the Safeguarding of the intangible heritage, and the Centre for Nubian Studies which was established at the Nuba Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian civilization in Cairo.
• The organization also contributed to the revival of the famous Alexandria library, which was destroyed more than 2000 years ago, as a focal point in the areas of culture, education and science.
• There is another vivid example of this intellectual cooperation, apparent in the campaign to salvage the monuments of the Temple of Abu Simbel and the island of Isla, known as the campaign to salvage the effects of the Nuba, which was the organization’s first international campaign in this field, including the launching of the World Heritage of UNESCO.
• Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, visited Egypt and met with Egyptian officials, led by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, to express her pleasure in visiting Egypt, and emphasizes its leading role in the Arab and Islamic world.
Egypt Cultural Role:
1. Egypt has embraced various roles to empower the execution of the instruments and exercises contributing to the social area. The Egyptian Ministry of Culture set up a stockpile of instruments/exercises to help the creation, generation and appropriation of social exercises and has set diverse approaches to encourage the spread and access of social exercises around the nation.
2. Egypt has endorsed the most imperative traditions of UNESCO:
• Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict – Hague-(1954)
• This Convention was the primary worldwide arrangement went for ensuring social legacy with regards to war featuring the idea of basic legacy and prompting the making of the International Committee of Blue Shield.
• Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970).
3. .
• Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972).
• Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003).
Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is promoted by UNESCO as a partner to the World Heritage that spotlights for the most part on unmistakable parts of culture.
The Egyptian Ministry of Culture has developed a special policy for export-driven (promoting cultural expression abroad). Scholarships are offered for young creators in various domains, like sculpture, painting, commix, video art, critique artistic, lighting, costume, etc…. aiming at assuring the dialogue with other western schools.
To reinforce the import-driven techniques, the Ministry of Culture receives strategies that empower the dissemination of assorted social articulations in their individual markets.
Egypt has an essential action in respect to Festivals and Art Symposiums. The most vital is the International Film Festival held each November in Cairo with a wide cluster of Directors/on-screen characters and cineaste who share their encounters with the Egyptian culture.
Egypt arranges additionally, two worldwide Art symposium, the first and most established is the one in Luxor committed for Art painting and the second one in Aswan for Sculpture. Craftsmen from various parts of the world come to appreciate the social affair and productive trade that are acknowledged within those two worldwide occasions.
Egypt contributes too, the International Biennale of Venezia (Italy) through the extraordinary Pavilion.
4. The Ministry of Culture seeks to encourage the consideration of culture not only on the international stage, but also on the local level.. As evidenced by, the spread of the “Les Maisons de la Jeunesse et de la Culture” (MJC) under the name of (Qossour el Saqaffa el Gamahiria) guaranteeing the accessibility of culture to all general public levels with the appropriate dialect. Social Houses (Qossour el Saqafa el Gamahiria): are mainly cultural spots designed for the spreading of culture in the towns, groups and the remote regions. These spots are of huge significance in the rural zones where the families cannot achieve a fair culture source, because of neediness, absence of communication with huge urban communities around and lack of transportation..
The Egyptian efforts to fill in these gaps were exceptional as highlighted by the venture of the CDF 100 libraries (Maktabat al Qora): This venture was propelled with the point of battling the absence of correspondence between towns and the countryside regions to perform physically the requesting errands of groups.
Arab school of cinema and television through internet (Sabil Qayetbay) is a considerable development of technology that is under way in the field of culture allows substantial changes to take place in the creation, production, distribution and dissemination of cultural content.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a focal point of greatness in the creation and dispersion of learning. The Bibliotheca Alexandria looks to recover the soul of the first old Library of Alexandria.
It tries to be: • the world’s window on Egypt.
Egypt’s window on the world.
A main organization of the computerized age.
A middle for learning, resilience, Cultural exchange and comprehension.
Cultnat (Center for the documentation of the social and common Heritage) is the most recent innovation in archiving the legacy of Egypt, and underlines its abundance and decent variety through the media.
Along these lines, an exceptional instrument of spreading culture is through Culturama; which is a cultural panorama more than nine screens. It is an imaginative orchestrated blend of social and common legacy data, utilizing an interactive media program and the most recent show innovation. The Culturama, was created by the Egyptian Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT). It is considered to be an astoundingly educational multi-media introduction of Egypt’s legacy crosswise over 5000 years of history up to present day times.
On the regional map:
Egypt is very active in the Middle East region in the exchange of expertise and specialists in the domain of Culture and art.
Egypt participates in a large number of cultural events in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Arab Emirates, Lebanon and several other countries.
Recently, the General Organization of the book (Ministry of Culture), has actively participated in the book fair held in Tunisia.
Egypt had a significant place and an essential role to convene in the Meeting of the Arab Ministers of Culture held under the auspices of the Arab league which took place in 2012 in Manama (Bahrain). The resolutions and strategies that came up from this regional meeting had a direct impact on the national policies everywhere in the Arab world.
Egypt’s efforts in countering the regional and global threat of terrorism:
Given the central and strategic role placed by Egypt not in the Middle Eastern region only, but also in the world, besides its historical and cultural heritage, Egypt has spared no effort to combat terrorism and extremism. This fight against terrorism involved several dimensions which will be briefly highlighted below:
Immediate short term efforts:
Egypt’s immediate approach includes a direct confrontation to wipe out terrorists in the Sinai which is currently under a state of emergency to be renewed every three months. The army has guaranteed a high level of military presence in the Sinai and deployed rapid intervention forces when necessary. A strong example of the military confrontation with terrorists is the Jabal Al-Halal (Al-Halal mountain) operation in 2017.
Another example of Egypt’s direct confrontation with terrorism is the Egyptian military air strikes targeting groups affiliated with the Shura Council for Mujahideen of Derna in eastern Libya. These intensive air strikes were carried out in response to the gunfire attack on a bus carrying more than 50 Copts in Upper Egypt’s Minya which killed at least 29 Coptic Christians on Friday May 26, 2017. The strikes were coordinated with the Libyan Air Force and represent the first of many to pave the way for Libyan ground forces to enter Derna and liberate it from terrorists, as stated by the Libyan Air Force.
In addition, Egypt focuses on securing and protecting its border zones, whether with Sudan, Libya or the Gaza Strip. These efforts include addressing weapon and terrorist smuggling and destroying, leveling and sinking the tunnels with the Gaza Strip. These tunnels are negatively impacting the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Also as part of their vision for short term interventions, Egypt is keen to remain one of the biggest military forces in the Middle East and to increase its armament force to be able to deal with terrorists groups in the Sinai who receive developed resources from Islamic State (IS) to engage the Egyptian army. This was reflected in data from Global Firepower (GFP), a website dedicated to the provision of analytical data concerning modern military powers, showing that Egypt places 8th among countries’ Total Aircraft Strength and 7th in Total Attack Aircraft.
Furthermore, the Egyptian administration is dedicated to informing the Egyptian people and the world about their battle against terrorism. These efforts are translated through regular updates and media material developed and published by the Egyptian Army’s Department of Moral Affairs. The published information assists in explaining the real situation to the public and to counter cyber-terrorism by IS who publish videos and statements to spread fear, hate and sectarian strife.
Long term efforts:
Egypt realized that the confrontation should not be limited to military operations only, thus a strategic dimension should be included as well. Bringing to light
the activation of Al-Azhar’s role in countering terror, especially regarding terror speech and misconceptions about Islam that affect young people and coming generations. Al-Azhar’s ‘Religious Observatory’ initiative comprises three centers; an observatory center working in five international languages, a center for translation, and a center for electronic fatwas. The three centers work in harmony to deliver the message of Al-Azhar, especially regarding terrorism, to the international community. It aims to spread the true Islam and to prepare qualified professionals in the Islamic sciences and theology to reply and disseminate an unambiguous religious message. It also fights extremism and terrorism through monitoring misconceptions over social media and working to correct these misconceptions.
Another strategic approach is concerned with development and inclusiveness. Specifically, the inclusion of young women and men and other vulnerable groups in future initiatives and adopting a human rights-based approach to political and economic empowerment. This approach contributes to countering terrorism that targets youth, especially in areas where a lack of opportunities has allowed radicalization to take root. This approach also raises awareness among youth on their potential and essential role in future society.
Administrative efforts:
In reference to Egypt’s bitter fight against terrorism, Egypt has been battling against the Islamic State or Daesh in the Sinai Peninsula, which is an international transitional terrorist organization posing a noticeable threat in every corner of the world. This insurgency caused hundreds of casualties among soldiers, police officers and innocent civilians since 2013. Hence, Egypt established a national council for combating terrorism, giving it a broad authority to set policies and strategies aimed at “fighting extremism”. The council is moreover, charged mobilizing the institutional and societal resources in order to curtail the causes of terrorism and treat its effects. Formulating a comprehensive national strategy to combat terrorism and proposing amendments to existing legislation, creating job opportunities in areas with high levels of extremism and promoting moderate religious discourse are considered as well from these council goals.
Egypt chairmanship of UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) is another pillar in its restless efforts against terrorism. The CTC is comprising all 15 Security Council members, tasked with monitoring implementation of Resolution 1373 (2001), which mandates UN member states implement a number of measures to enhance their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home. The choice of Egypt to head such a fundamental committee channels the world and Security Council members trust in the Egyptian attempts in conserving peace.
Efforts to overcome cultural terrorism:
The destruction of cultural heritage, the cultural cleansing, is being used as a tactic of war to terrify populations, to finance criminal activities and to spread hatred. UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova praised Egypt’s efforts against this “war crime” stating, “Egypt has succeeded in proving to the whole world its capability to protect its cultural heritage.”
Egypt is developing and implementing political and diplomatic solutions to preserve its own cultural heritage as well as help protect antiquities across the Arab world. As evidenced by Egypt’s negotiation of the Memorandum of Understanding agreements on a bilateral basis with many western countries to impose restrictions on exhibiting and trading in stolen Egyptian antiquities. As well as, Egypt efforts in securing the repatriation of stolen artifacts from the U.S., U.K., Germany and France, including dozens of ancient pieces and a sarcophagus as part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Operation Mummy’s Curse.” Egypt has also, increased security around the museums and archaeological sites.
Egypt has set a concrete example in countering terrorism with a holistic and inclusive approach. This is an example to be adopted by other countries to take serious steps in countering the number one international threat: “terrorism.”
The Power of Women :
Khattab’s nomination was strongly promoted by the National Council for Women (NCW) which announced its support following the announcement that Irina Bokova had been nominated by her country to become the next UN Secretary General.
The president of NCW, Maya Morsy, said that Khattab’s nomination is a milestone in the history of Egyptian women in highly influential international positions, and is a testament to her honorable career. The nomination should be held up as an example, she said, proving that Egyptian women have the qualities to compete for the highest national and international positions.
“We support women in all political fields, and Khattab’s nomination signifies an achievement for an Egyptian woman who has succeeded politics,” said Ghada Sakr, secretary of the parliament’s Culture and Media Committee.
Why Moshira Khatab :
Moushira Khattab is -in no respective order- an Arab, African, Mediterranean, woman born in a 7000 year-old civilization, and developing country; Egypt.
Every part of this unique mix blessed her with wide-ranging opportunities to work very closely with those most in need of an organization like UNESCO.
Ambassador Moushira Mahmoud Khattab, Ph.D is an Egyptian human rights activist, former politician & diplomat. She is the former Minister of Family & Population of Egypt, Former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of Egypt to the Republic of South Africa, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well serving in Egypt’s diplomatic missions in Australia, Hungary, Austria and the United Nations (New York and Vienna). She is also a human rights activist advocating the rights of children and women and the former Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child based at the UN Headquarters in Geneva.
Moushira Khattab holds a PHD on the rights of the child from Cairo University, an M.A. in International Relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA and a B.A. Political Science from Cairo University, Faculty of Economics and Political Science.
Diplomatic career– A career diplomat serving as Egypt’s first Ambassador To Nelson Mandela’s South Africa and before it Czechoslovakia during its peaceful separation to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Khattab ended her diplomatic career as Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Cultural Relations.
Ministerial career –In 1999, Moushira Khattab shifted to the sphere of defending Women and Children’s rights as Secretary General of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM). The success of NCCM was crowned by its transformation into the Ministry of Family and Population and the appointment of Moushira Khattab as Minister. Since 1999, she has engineered a paradigm shift in the respect, protection, promotion & monitoring the implementation of the rights of women and children in Egypt. Ambassador Khattab coordinated national efforts targeting the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against children with special emphasis on girls. Combatting gender based violence including female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage are some of the achievements engineered by Moushira Khattab with heavy involvement of civil society. This was brought about through a number of interventions including the Girl’s Education Initiative, providing quality active learning to poorer and marginalized girls; adolescents’ reproductive rights and combatting child labor and child abuse and neglect. She initiated, led and coordinated a national movement to support the most comprehensive rights based legal reform for children; crowned by the adoption of Law 126 in 2008 bringing Child Law in closer harmony with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The amended law criminalized trafficking in children, FGM, and most forms of violence and discrimination. It raised the minimum age for criminal responsibility from 7 to 12 years establishing a new system of child protection including a restorative juvenile justice system. As a Muslim woman she played an instrumental role in bringing Muslim countries together to support the global movement for the rights of children and women and adopting a human rights approach. A highlight of such efforts is the conference she organized in Cairo in 2009 in cooperation with the Organisation of Islamic States on Islamic Shariaa and the rights of the Child.
Khattab coordinated, in close collaboration with civil society, the formulation of key national policy documents including national strategies for the protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of street children, the elimination of Child Labor, and combatting violence against children. Key action plans were formulated including that on Girls’ Education, and Combatting Violence against Children, an “Egypt Fit for Children”, Rights Based Tracking of Public Budgeting for Children (for the first time ever in Egypt), and the National Survey on Street Children.
From March 2009 until February 2011 Khattab served as Minister of State for Family and Population of Egypt. She also holds the position of Vice-President of the International Bureau for Children’s Rights “IBCR”. Khattab represents the MENA Region on the Board of Child Helpline International and Chairs both the National Committee & the steering Committee of Middle East & North Africa on Violence against Children. Khattab served as Vice Chair, Rapporteur and member of UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 2002–2010. She is also a member in several associations such as the Women Leadership Council to combat trafficking in persons including children, UNGIFT- Vienna 2008. She Chaired the ad hoc UN intergovernmental expert group that formulated the UN Guidelines on Justice Matters related to children victims and witnesses to Crime adopted by ECOSOC in 2005. Moushira Khattab is Vice president of “Aflatoun Child Savings International” (Amsterdam) and is a regular lecturer on children’s rights to police officers, judges, women organizations and the media.
Academic career– Since obtaining her doctorate degree and retiring from diplomatic and public life, Ambassador Khattab has been a regular contributor to several renowned academic and research institutions worldwide. In addition to a brief university teaching experience at home in Egypt, Dr Khattab has been a visiting professor at Wellesley College in Switzerland, University of Foreigners in Perugia (Italy) on gender and human issues as well as conducting research and delivering a number of lectures at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC, which she has also represented at a number of conferences across Europe
In addition to that she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and a board member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs where she founded and currently chairs the Women in Foreign Policy Group. She chairs ENACTUS; Egypt’s Advisory Board and is a jury member of the Global Inclusion Awards of Child & Youth Finance International and a member of the Advisory Committee of Defense for Children International. Dr. Khattab received international acclaim as an expert on children’s rights.
The candidate of Africa, Moushira Khattab is a firm believer that prioritizing women, youth, and children as catalysts for change is the key to the successful implementation of UNESCO’s mandate. Her vision for UNESCO reform is driven by her extensive experience as a career diplomat and a human development orchestrator shuttling between the UN and grassroots, who harbor big aspirations. Khattab’s management style has always been inspired by closely working with people, even if it took her to the remotest villages, where she had closely listened to the concerns of people who were unable to send their kids to schools. She strived to give those voiceless millions the platform to enable them to become vehicles for change and to allow their voices to be heard all the way to the top of Egyptian legal system.
This led to a much-needed legal reform, which has since been enshrined in Egypt’s rights-based legal reform. Thus, a third world life experience coupled with a diplomatic one, is what Moushira Khattab will bring to UNESCO.
Experience in Conduct of Bilateral International Relations & UN
Taking into consideration her honorable diplomatic career, Moushira Khattab has built strength in international experience. This includes multilateral and bilateral experience with various UN organizations as well as serving her country during several events of historical significance. At the bilateral level, Khattab has lived two processes of profound transformation: as Ambassador to Czech and Slovak Federative Republic during its historic dissolution (1992-1994) and as Egypt’s first Ambassador to South Africa during its transformation to democracy under Nelson Mandela (1994-1999).
At the multilateral level, Moushira started her diplomatic career at the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in New York where she sat on the General Assembly’s Third Committee on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues. She later joined the Egyptian Embassy in Vienna (1973 – 1977) where she oversaw bilateral relations as well as serving at the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) during Egypt’s membership of its Executive Council.
She bolstered her multilateral experience upon joining the Department of International Organizations and Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo. At that time, she participated in various conferences and meetings at UN bodies and chaired Egypt’s delegation to several meetings on many occasions.
As Expert, Reporter and Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child:
• Linked UNICEF with the committee and Forged closer cooperation between UN national and regional activities on the ground
• Represented the Committee at various meetings including those on the Reform of UN Treaty Bodies
• Member, Advisory Group on Children without Parental Care CWPC, drafted UN guidelines on the protection of CWPC
UNSG study on Violence against children played a proactive role within the framework of the Study:
• Chaired MENA Regional Steering Committee and Egypt’s National Committee on Violence against Children (until 2011)
• Organized three MENA Regional Conferences (2005), follow-up (2006, 2007)
• Chaired roundtable discussion following presentation to GA of the UN Study on VAC (New York – 2006)
• Mobilized the MENA & League of Arab States around the issue of Violence against children.
Leadership and Managerial Skills
Moushira Khattab has a proven track record of adopting a participatory approach in the formulation of the vision, planning, implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation.
She has an established record of working in partnership, building consensus with diverse stakeholders including governments, UN, civil society, private sector, grassroots and donor community.
Commitment to UNESCO Purposes and Objectives
• Prioritized education and culture as pre-requisites and pivots for sustainable development.
• Pioneered several key programs with the aim of reforming Egypt’s education and improving its quality
• Spearheaded legal reform that put the State under legal obligation to guarantee the right to education and making the deprivation of such a right a punishable offense
• Led efforts to harmonize pre-university education with the Convention on Child Rights to include human dignity, human rights, tolerance, culture, solidarity, equality, realization of peace, respect for human rights and freedoms, respect for others, non-discrimination based on gender, religion, race, origin, social status, disability or any other grounds
• Sponsored a law which criminalized the abuse of scientific research, computers, the Internet or cartoons to commit or instigate exploitation of children in prostitution or pornography and protects the rights of children of imprisoned mothers
• Within the framework of the UNESCO “Education for all initiative”, Khattab engineered Egypt’s “Girls Education Initiative” (EGEI), which aims to eliminate gender bias and other kinds of discrimination within the education system and cultural bias that impedes girls’ education. UNICEF dedicated one of its publications to the case of Egypt and EGEI
• Led the formulation of a five-year national action plan in a participatory manner. She mobilized resources and established of over 2200 girl-friendly schools providing quality active learning for thousands of girls
• Prioritized combating adult illiteracy. Special programs were organized for women with the aim of combating all forms of gender based discrimination and violence such as FGM, human trafficking and child marriage. The program emphasized life skills and principles of religious and cultural tolerance, gender equality, environment protection and sustainable development. A hundred thousand men and women benefited from the illiteracy programs. (1999-2011)
• Launched regular programs in cooperation with (UNFPA), on adolescent health in secondary schools. The program succeeded in raising awareness and mitigating cultural resistance and continues to be mainstreamed in public schools
• Launched a program in cooperation with NGOs on early childhood development to increase enrollment in pre-school education
• Initiated a study on school violence in Upper Egypt as part of an effort to tackle school violence and bullying.
• Led and coordinated national efforts to combat school dropouts feeding into child labor and street children in cooperation with the Ministry of Telecommunication, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and the Population Council
• Led the implementation of a program to make ICT accessible to marginalized children in rural and impoverished areas. This program also aimed to protect children from trafficking and sexual exploitation via the internet
• Prioritized education for refugee children as a pivot to ensure their human rights. She pioneered a program that provides educational, cultural and recreational activities for refugee children, in cooperation with the High Commissioner for Refugees.
• Led the implementation of a national program “Children at risk” in cooperation with the European Union which improved the lives of many children and their families and is considered by the EU as one of its most successful projects in Egypt.
• Khattab initiated and led over a period of five years (2003-2008) the most comprehensive rights based legal reform process in the region. The process included diligent negotiations, communication, consensus building, lobbying and alliance building at various levels. It was crowned by the adoption of Law 126/2008, which amends three laws bringing them into closer harmony with international human rights standards. The revised laws prohibit Female Genital Mutilation FGM and the sale of children, the exploitation of children in pornography, sexual abuse and trafficking. In addition, the Civil Status Law that raised the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years with provisions for penalizing offenders. This process spanned over 5 years of work at the grass roots to raise awareness of the need for reform. It was followed by awareness rising among decision makers, parliamentarians, media professionals and opinion leaders.
In her capacity as Minister of State for Family and Population, Khattab established and chaired a committee on ethics and moral values. The committee was diverse and included representatives from the Church, Al-Azhar, media professionals, and universities, representatives of civil society as well as the Ministries of Education, culture and other line ministries. The committee focused on dealing with gender and religion discrimination, harmful traditional practices and disseminating a culture that respects human rights and the rule of law.
Introducing a Cultural Legacy
• Moushira Khattab organized various programs, popular gatherings and interviews to raise awareness of certain cultural challenges. She regularly met with hundreds of university students within their summer camps to discuss issues of public concern
• As the chair of Family Committee within the Egyptian Radio and Television Union, she contributed to the dissemination of constructive cultural values, and raising awareness with various aspects of human sustainable developments
• Khattab is credited with garnering the support of both state-owned and private media to tackle education and culture issues in a constructive manner that would improve Egypt’s rating on the global human development index
• Chaired for 10 consecutive years an annual workshop during Cairo’s international Child Film festival with topics usually focusing on cultural issues of concern to the family
• Planned and supervised the implementation of a social marketing project “Think Twice” which encouraged constructive change on cultural issues. The project was implemented in cooperation with UNDP and the Italian cooperation.
• Khattab succeeded in dealing with sensitive topics and resistance to what was perceived as invading family privacy. She led the establishment of 3 national toll free help lines as monitoring mechanisms supported by remedy and rehabilitation services
• She initiated and led the first national rights based budget tracking (2006), which monitored the size of public spending on implementing and advancing the rights of children
• Worked with the Cairo University to conduct a study mapping child poverty.
Communication Skills
Moushira Khattab’s credibility and communication skills have enabled her to excel as a diplomat. Her perseverance and warm rapport with the grass roots promoted a change in societal perception of FGM from a socially accepted habit to a crime punishable by law and backed by an amendment to Egypt’s penal code to criminalize the practice.
She championed the creation of an international network against the practice, working in cooperation with UNDP, UNICEF, and Italian and African NGOs. Till this day, she continues to support the African countries afflicted by the practice which witnessed the prevalence of FGM.
Ambassador Khattab was also, invited to participate as an advisor at a childhood and motherhood conference in the Arabian Gulf.
She has also, been decorated twice by the president of Italy for her work by the “Knight of the Grand Cross” of the Republic of Italy and Commendatory Della Republican.
Besides, being the recipient of the Award of Courage by the US Secretary of State for her efforts in women and children’s rights.
Partnerships for a Better Future
Throughout her work, Khattab spearheaded the implementation of a wide range of large scale national projects with many UN agencies such as UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, ODC, WFP, WHO and UNFPA.
She successfully constructed strong partnerships with the private sector, within a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework including activities as: improving environment in marginalized areas, building schools for poor girls, supporting victims of trafficking, and street children with disabilities, among other programs.
She established within NCCM the first Egyptian Unit to combat child trafficking, established shelter for victims in cooperation with IOM and formulated a national database-powered action plan to train professionals, receive complaints about violations and monitor intervention.
Professional Positions:
2009 – 2011 | Minister of State for Family & Population
1999 – 2009 | Secretary General – National Council for Childhood & Motherhood (Ministerial Mandate)
1999 | Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Cultural Relations
1994 – 1999 | Ambassador of Egypt to South Africa
1994 – 1999 | Ambassador of Egypt to Botswana & Lesotho (non-resident)
1992 – 1994 | Ambassador of Egypt to Czech Republic & Slovakia
1992 | Ambassador of Egypt to the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic
1989 – 1992 | Director of Department of Maghreb Countries (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
1985 – 1989 | Consul of Egypt – Melbourne, Australia
1982 – 1985 | Counselor – Department of Economic Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
1979 – 1981 | Embassy of Egypt in Budapest, Hungary
1977 – 1979 | Advisor at the Cabinet of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
1973 – 1977 | Embassy of Egypt in Vienna and Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
1971 – 1973 | Advisor at the Cabinet of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
1968 – 1970 | Permanent Mission of Egypt to United Nations, New York. (General Assembly 3rd Committee on Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Issues)
1968 | Diplomatic Attaché – Department of International Organizations & Multilateral Affairs
1967 – 1968 | Diplomatic Attaché – Institute for Diplomatic and Consular Studies
1966 | Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Current & Recent Activities from 2011 to 2017:
• Senior Public Policy Scholar Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Visiting Professor, Human Rights & Gender Issues, University of Perugia for Foreigners – Italy
• Visiting lecturer – Egyptian Foreign Policy, International Relations, Human Rights and Gender Issues, Misr University for Science and Technology
• Vice President of Aflatoun International for Child Social and Financial Education – Amsterdam
• Board Member of “Women in Diplomacy”, Italian Foreign Ministry
• Vice-President of the International Bureau for Children’s Rights – Montreal
• Member, Board of Trustees of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
• Board Member, Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs
• Chair of Egypt’s Advisory Board of ENACTUS
• Mentor and faculty member of the Women in Public Service Project (established by the US State Department)
• Member of the Advisory Committee of Defense for Children International
• Advisor, Africa Child Policy Forum AFCPF
• Member, Association of “Friends of the Egyptian Opera”
• Member, Association of “Friends of Manial Palace Museum”
• Board Member, Association of Former International Civil Servants, Egypt
Other Activities :
2002 – 2010 | Expert, Reporter & Vice Chair, UN Committee on Rights of the Child
2003 – 2009 | Board member of Child Help International – Amsterdam
2002 – 2009 | Board Member & Consumer Representative, Egyptian Electricity Regulatory Board
2002 – 2009 | Board Member, Vodafone Foundation for Social Development
2000 – 2009 | Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Radio & Television Union & Chair, Sub-committee on Family and children
2000 – 2009 | Board Member of the Egyptian Federation of NGOs
2008 | Women Leadership Council to Combat Trafficking in Persons (UNGIFT/UNODC Vienna)
2004 – 2005 | Chair, Intergovernmental Expert Group mandated to prepare UN Guidelines on Justice Matters for Children Witnesses and Victims of Crimes
2004 | Board Member, Higher Council for Pre-University Education, Egypt
Education
PhD in International Human Rights Law – Cairo University, Egypt
M.A. in Political Science – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
B.Sc. in Political Science – Cairo University, Egypt
Honors
• Knight of the Grand Cross of the Italian Republic (2010)
• Commendatore della Repubblica by the President of Italian Republic (2007)
• Order of Good Hope by the President of South Africa(1999)
• International Women of Courage Award by the US Secretary of State .(2008)
• Moshira Khattab’s Vision :
Her vision for UNESCO is guided by the current state of peril that is besieging the global environment. This state of peril that is not special to a particular country, continent, race, religion, or people.
The daily suffering and loss of human lives have reached unprecedented proportions at the hands of terrorist
groups. This world war is not about wiping out armies of terrorists, or winning back territory,” said Ambassador Moushira Khattab
during a cultural dialogue gathering on UNESCO under the theme “Egypt, UNESCO and international cultural issues” that kicked off atthe Egyptian Museum in Cairo on July 19.
She added that the waron terror is about winning back the minds of people. “We, the global community needs a paradigm shift in how we conduct our business. We need to reconstruct how we as a global community build peace inthe minds of men and women. We must deal with the root causes of terrorism . ”
Terrorism evolved to be an international phenomenon. It is not confined to a certain region or culture or society or certain religious groups. It strikes at every corner of the world affecting the world populations.
Herein, the role of UNESCO emerges as the global community’s weapon against terror through education, culture, science and protection of global heritage. UNESCO is the army empowered to ignite this renaissance,” reiterated Ambassador Khattab.
Egypt’s nominee elaborated “My vision for UNESCO is shaped by
my long experience with the United Nations, my journey with diplomacy and international relations, but above all it is shaped mostly by my work on the ground with the grass roots. The UN’s human rights system ensures States are committed and under legal obligations to implement human rights to its citizens without any discrimination as to gender, religion or any other ground. Rights are equally critical being civil, political, economic, social or cultural rights. Needless to say the agenda for UNESCO must cater for the full implementation of Sustainable Development Goals”.
Moshira Khatab’s Plan as articulated on her official website and stated by her :
As Director General for UNESCO, I will ensure we stay true to our timeless mission, and we will do that with rigorous determination to address the root causes for a sustainable impact. UNESCO’s mandate covers all the right what to meet this need. However, the real challenge resides less in the what, and more prominently in the how; how we implement those choices, how we bring them to life, and how we truly leave a lasting impact on our stakeholders through the right programs and initiatives.
This is precisely where my personal background, experience and passion intersect; leveraging the organization’s deeply rooted strengths while bringing a totally fresh perspective to the equation, I will focus on what works on the ground, rather than what should work in theory.
Inspired by all my encounters throughout the campaign, I concluded that a reformed implementation process is needed through a game-changing approach that is closer to people, and therefore, closer to UNESCO’s mission. And that is why my vision is for a focused, transparent, and effective organization, adequately resourced, empowered by its member states, and embraced by the people.
A DIFFERENTIATED APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATION
The HOW
1. An in-touch UNESCO with its feet firmly rooted in the ground:
• I built my career on the ground, close to the people, fighting many of the very problems UNESCO seeks to eradicate. I have been to the remotest of villages within my region and continue to hear the concerns of marginalized segments of society. Staying closer to the people we serve is crucial if we genuinely mean to touch their lives.
• Staying closer to member states and the Governing Bodies is equally important; rallying their support is essential to empower and enforce the focus on UNESCO’s mandate. In the same vein, I will expand UNESCO’s assistance to empower and build the capacity of National Commissions, and provide them with technical assistance, as they are an indispensable link with the organization.
• Staying closer to our partners is the way to build scale, introducing new partnerships, and strengthening existing ones with philanthropic foundations, private sector, civil society, social entrepreneurs, international donor community, as well as governmental and regional partnerships that will include North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation. Solid partnerships will help reduce financial vulnerability for UNESCO on the long term as well as promoting the transfer of technologies and capacity building for developing countries especially in Africa and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
• We will work closely with other UN Bodies towards a collective delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Synergy with other inter-governmental organizations needs to be better rooted in the planning, implementation and follow up processes to ensure a bigger impact and a more efficient use of funds.
• Internally, as far as the organization’s secretariat is concerned, I will give special attention to the selection of the most competent candidates with an eye on improving geographical distribution and gender balance. I will adopt an inclusive and highly participatory management culture conducive to an environment closer to stakeholders.
2- An accountable UNESCO that delivers on its promise:
• UNESCO needs to maintain effective governance, seamless efficiency, clear choices, focused priorities, and impeccable stewardship, all to deliver on aligned Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as improvements in literacy, equal access to quality education and knowledge, cultural initiatives, freedom of expression, and gender equality. Governance is not about how many forums we have, as much as how effectively and efficiently we conduct them.
• None of this can be achieved without proper and sustainable funding. My vision for a reformed UNESCO is one with fundraising capacities that extend beyond contributions of states, expanding to more diverse revenue streams. This will fuel the organization’s financial health for the long term in contrast to fire fighting remedies for the short term.
• UNESCO is -in fact- the world’s most compelling investment proposition; the closer UNESCO gets to achieve its mission of world peace, the more prosperous the world becomes. It is a very simple equation, yet not leveraged enough. Effective focused and transparent UNESCO leading viable partnerships with consensus on a shared bold vision will attract investments in-line with the credibility we build. Recent external audit reports highlighted important management and governance recommendations, which I will follow in close coordination with member states. An in-touch and accountable implementation .
• UNESCO should be nimble in the face of all challenges and not overwhelm itself by trying to reinvent the wheel in what to do, but focus on how best to implement. I will work largely on consensus building, avoiding biases and divisions.
• As Director General, I will bring to UNESCO a blend of developing country experience coupled with international diplomatic expertise at the multilateral and bilateral levels. It is this combination that allowed me to identify grass-roots problems, and to rally the support of policy makers, donors, and civil society around causes such as girls’ education, youth participation, gender equality and combating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).ADVANCING THE MANDATE
The What
Mission Critical Priorities
• UNESCO’s mandate spans over multiple interdependent and equally critical domains. I will honor the mandate in its entirety, mainstreaming Africa and Gender Equality, in addition to Youth Empowerment in all programs, while prioritizing interventions with the highest returns across sectors. Africa is a global priority that needs more focus. Cooperation and coordination with the African Union within the Framework of Agenda 2063 is instrumental in that regard. I will operate with a multidisciplinary approach in a comprehensive and cost effective manner.
• UNESCO is a key agency that should lead the global efforts on the SDGs with a right-based approach, through its work on Education, Culture, Science, Communication, Oceans, Water, Gender Equality and recently Climate Change as multipliers for sustainable development.
• We must enhance measures to combat extremism and radicalization, and the ease with which they are infiltrating societies, posing the most dangerous threat to mankind with loss of life, cultural erosion, and destruction of irreplaceable heritage. An epic challenge, yet a call of duty for UNESCO to step up and reassert its leadership as the organization that can build sustainable peace and development.
• Education is the core mandate that hallows its benefits on all priorities.
1- Quality Education for all
• UNESCO must honor its primary mandate and lead the UN on Education. It is a prerequisite for empowerment, global citizenship, socio-economic welfare, poverty alleviation, respect and protection of the environment, as well as fighting extremism, violence and radicalization. Education is a fundamental human right and a vehicle for realizing other rights. Investing in education, especially for women, children and youth will generate the highest return on all UNESCO programs.
• I believe that access alone is not enough, and quality is crucial. UNESCO shall work to ensure equitable and inclusive quality education as a lifelong learning process for all as well as technical and vocational education and training in addition to higher education.
• I am proud to have successfully initiated and coordinated a Girls Education initiative in Egypt that established 2200 girl-friendly schools and was hailed by UNICEF as a flagship model. This milestone created a paradigm shift in education, culture and legal reform, which today continues to work.
• I will adapt such experiences to transform UNESCO’s take on education, starting by growing education’s share of Corporate Social Responsibility (including developing the Business Backs Education program). Bridging the educational divide will be a priority, by making sure equitable education transcends gender bias and caters to vulnerable segments of society.
• Education is the leading path to a culture of peace, human dignity and sustainable development, and while it takes time to reap fruits, this should not weaken our resolve on investing in education as a strategic priority.
2- Science for sustainable development
• UNESCO must work with states to bridge the gaps in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). I will work together with member states to further bring access to knowledge, science, research, technology and innovation to those who are most in need.
• In this digital era, UNESCO should use latest technologies to give unprecedented insight into the efficacy of the organization’s development initiatives. ICT is an indispensable tool in supporting UNESCO’s diverse actions, such as distance learning, heritage preservation, and environmental protection.
• UNESCO’s role as an international forum for scientists, philosophers and academia is highly valuable and needs to be reinvigorated. UNESCO is also playing a leading role through its many specialized programs such as The International Hydrological Programme (IHP), Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) and The International Geoscience Programme (IGCP). Increased coordination between these programs will achieve synergies and enhance their respective results on the overall outcome.
• Never before have natural sciences been more necessary to establish a solid base for sustainable development, to enable better management of shared resources including water and the oceans, and to address the adverse effects of climate change. In this regard, I will give special attention to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), not only in science but also across sectors.
• Social sciences and humanities field should remain an active pillar of the organization, enabling UNESCO to play the leading role in today’s intellectual challenges.
3- Inclusive Culture that shapes minds and hearts
• The rise of extremism is a war on cultural diversity and cultural heritage, where UNESCO is in a unique position to help stop its progression through dialogue, educational systems, media and art. I will leverage my experience to assist states in translating respect for cultural diversity to national policies, and implementation of cultural rights for all.
• The promotion of culture diversity and the “rapprochement of cultures” as well as the preservation and protection of heritage, tangible and intangible, are a hallmark of UNESCO and I commit to build on the immense work achieved in this domain, and to inspire the people to be the guardians of diversity and heritage.
• Coming from Egypt, a country that gained UNESCO great fame in heritage protection, I appreciate all the achievements made in the field, but despite those efforts, valuable and irreplaceable heritage is destroyed and trafficked every day. I will focus on building the capacities of member states to promote, manage and protect cultural, natural and intangible heritage. Moreover, I will make sure UNESCO’s assistance is extended to countries in need for registering their cultural heritage on relevant lists.
4- Free-flowing Communication
• Every individual has the right to access information and be informed. I will build on UNESCO’s pivotal role in setting standards guided by the right of promoting the “free flow of ideas by word and image” as well as promoting freedom of expression and ensuring the safety of journalists.
• Access to ICT has become an undeniable right and an empowerment tool. I will ensure its inclusion in UNESCO’s programs while combating negative aspects, such as radicalization of youth, and cyber bullying.
• As media plays a key role in helping UNESCO achieve its goals by serving as a powerful information tool, UNESCO will need to develop a comprehensive communication strategy for external outreach and better visibility of the organization and its activities. a focused, transparent and effective UNESCO that delivers “Together we will be closer to people, closer to our mission.”
