39th - President
Activities
Official Ceremony for the launch of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages – 28 January 2019

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Meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis in the Vatican, during an official joint visit with the Director General, Mrs Audrey Azoulay, and the President of the Executive Board, H.E. Mr Lee Byong Hyun - 17 December 2018

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Visit of Mr. Ivan Duque Marquez, President of the Republic of Colombia, to the Conference "Creative Economy/Orange Economy - Creative and Cultural Industries, an opportunity for all", UNESCO, Paris - 12 November 2018

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Visit of Mr. Georges Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, to the UNESCO Headquarters, on the occasion of the Internet Governance Forum in Paris – 12 November 2018

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Visit of Mr. António Guterres - Secretary-General of the United Nations, to the UNESCO Headquarters, on the occasion of the Internet Governance Forum in Paris – 12 November 2018

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Meeting with Ms María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, on the occasion of her visit to UNESCO Headquarters, Paris – 9 November 2018

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Meeting with H.E. Mr. Ezechiel Nibigira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Burundi, on the occasion of his visit to UNESCO Headquarters, Paris – 29 October 2018

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Reception at the Cour des Comptes - 15 October 2018

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Meeting with Mr. Simeón Oyono Esono Angue, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Mr. Jesus Engonga Ndong Eyono, Minister of Education, University Education and Sports of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, on the occasion of the closure of the work of the 205th session of the Executive Board – 17 October 2018

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Meeting with Mr. Xuejun Tian, Vice Minister of Education, Chairperson of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and Representative of China to the Executive Board, on the occasion of the ceremony for the signature of the agreement between the Weidong Group (China) and UNESCO - 11 October 2018

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205th session of the Executive Board - Monday 8 October 2018 - Plenary Meeting
- Visit of H.E. Mr Sebastián Piñera, President of the Republic of Chile

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- Visit of H.E. Mr Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

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- Plenary sessions of the 205th session of the Executive Board

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International Peace Conference - Intercultural and interreligious dialogue and education for a world of peace, harmony and tolerance – 17 September 2018

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Partners’ Forum Structured Financing Dialogue – UNESCO Headquarters– 11 and 12 September 2018

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Revive the Spirit of Mosul - Conference for the Recovery and Rehabilitation of the City of Mosul at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris - 10 September 2018

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Visit Ms. Chan Laiwa, Founder and Chairman of Fuwah International Group and Mr. Long Yuxhiang, Executive Chairman of the China International Cultural Communication Center (CICCC) at UNESCO Headquarters – 10 September 2018

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Press conference of FIMA (Festival International de la Mode en Afrique) - 5 July 2018

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Symposium CEDS – 2 July 2018
The CEDS (Centre for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies) organized, with the support of UNESCO's Africa Department, a symposium on "Diplomacy, Economy and Culture in the Service of Peace in Africa" on Monday, 2 July 2018, at UNESCO Headquarters.
The symposium is being organized within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between UNESCO and the ECSR, signed in October 2017. In particular, the Agreement stresses the need to develop diplomacy in order to consolidate peace and peace studies. On this occasion, the President of the General Conference.

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Meeting with Mr. Daniel Rondeau, former Ambassador of France to UNESCO - 20 June 2018

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Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Mr. Simeón Oyono Esono Angue, on the occasion of his visit to UNESCO for the signing of a Cooperation Agreement with the Director-General of UNESCO – 20 June 2018

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Meeting with the Association of Friends of Master Chin Kung at UNESCO for Peace and Harmony (PAHD) - 19 June 2018

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Celebration of the 70th anniversary of the UNESCO Courier - 12 June 2018
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UNESCO Courier and the first anniversary of its relaunch, the first UNESCO Courier Forum was held on 12 June 2018 at UNESCO Headquarters. A show of traditional arts belonging to the Chinese intangible cultural heritage was also organized in the presence of the President of the General Conference, to close this day of celebration.

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Celebration of the 80th birthday of Mr Koichiro Matsuura, former Director-General of UNESCO - 18 May 2018

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Information Meeting on Lake Chad – 18 April 2018
On the occasion of the visit to UNESCO Headquarters of the Federal Minister of Water Resources of Nigeria, His Excellency Mr Suleiman ADAMU, the Africa Department and the Permanent Delegation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to UNESCO held an information meeting on the situation of Lake Chad on 18 April 2018. The Lake Chad rehabilitation project, recently launched by UNESCO and its African partners, is part of a global approach: by carrying out education and training activities, restoring biosphere reserves and enhancing cultural heritage. The project contributes to addressing the causes of poverty and works for lasting peace and security in the Lake Chad Basin region. His Excellency Mr. Suleiman ADAMU took the opportunity of this visit to present a report of the International Conference for Lake Chad held in Abuja, from 26 to 28 February 2018.
The President of the General Conference recalled the demographic, social, educational and security challenges in this safeguarding project. She also recalled that the success of this project requires not only the active collaboration of the involved governments, local communities and indigenous peoples, but also the mobilization of partners. She also stressed that this project is very representative of the multi-sectoral and holistic expertise and responses that UNESCO is able to bring to major contemporary challenges.

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Welcoming M. Justin Trudeau, Premier Ministre du Canada - 16 April 2018

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204th session of the Executive Board of UNESCO - 4 to 17 April 2018
Plenary session of 10 April 2018
The President of the General Conference sits ex officio in an advisory capacity on the Executive Board (Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board, Rule 9.1). On 9 April 2018, during the 3rd plenary meeting of the 204th session of the Board, H.E. Ms Zohour Alaoui stressed the importance of this session of the Board, being the first session for ten new Member States, for the Director-General, for the Chairperson of the Executive Board and for herself; and also important for the crucial issues that UNESCO must address, such as UNESCO's Reform Strategy, the budgetary situation of the Organization, the viability of the field system, and UNESCO's strategic transformation.
In her role as President of UNESCO's General Conference, she stressed that the real challenge for our organization is to think and interact differently. To "go beyond the culture of the verb and establish a culture of action", we need a climate of trust, modernity and a better articulation between the three governing bodies. “The UNESCO of tomorrow will be what has been decided today”.

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Official visit to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea – 30 March 2018
The President of the General Conference attended the Fourth Ceremony for the award of the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences, held on 30 March 2018 at the International Conference Centre in Sipopo, Equatorial Guinea. The visit to Equatorial Guinea was also an opportunity for the President to exchange views with the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, H.E. Mr Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Mbasogo, as well as to meet several Ministers from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

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ICT Education Prize - 7 March 2018

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Celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights - 11 December 2017
UNESCO launched on 11 December 2017 a year-long campaign to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this occasion, Mrs Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, Mr Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, H.E. Ms Zohour Alaoui, President of the General Conference of UNESCO, and Mr Robert Badinter, former Minister of Justice and former President of the Constitutional Court of France, recalled the importance of this Universal Declaration.

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Ceremony for the signature of the UNESCO contract by Mrs Audrey Azoulay, Director General - 15 November 2017
UNESCO Headquarters, 15 November 2017: The contract of the Director-General was jointly signed with the President of the General Conference, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference (Rule 107). The signature took place in the presence of the six Chairpersons of the Electoral Groups, H.E. Mr José Filipe Mendes Moraes Cabral (Portugal), Chairperson of Group I, H.E. Mr Anguel Tcholakov (Bulgaria), Chairperson of Group II, H.E. Mr Roberto Ramirez Aldana (Honduras), Chairperson of Group III (GRULAC), H.E. Mr Dato' Mohd Zulkifli Mohammed (Malaysia), Chairperson of Group IV (ASPAC), H.E. Ms Rudo Mabel Chitiga, Chairperson of Group V (a), and H.E. Mr Khalil Karam, Chairperson of Group V (b).

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39th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO – 30 October – 14 November 2017
H. E. Mrs Zohour Alaoui, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Morocco to UNESCO since December 2011, has been unanimously elected President of the 39th session of the General Conference of UNESCO.
With more than 30 years of diplomatic experience, H. E. Mrs Alaoui has worked closely with the United Nations. As Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, she has worked tirelessly to promote the Organization's values and advocate for the relevance of its mandate.

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Photo: H. E. Mrs Zohour Alaoui, President of the General Conference, at the 39th session of the General Conference

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From left to right: Mr. Boris Falatar, Mrs. Anna Bonetti, Mrs. Naima Sedrati, H.E. Mrs. Zohour Alaoui, Mrs. Karima Bekri-Lisner, Mrs. Emilie Wagner, Mr. Luis Salamanques
- Address by H.E. Mrs Zohour Alaoui on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 39th session of the General Conference of UNESCO – 30 October 2017
- Address by H.E. Ms Zohour Alaoui on the occasion of the institutional tribute to Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO - 10 November 2017 (French)
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Address by H.E. Mrs Zohour Alaoui on the occasion of the Leaders' Forum (morning) – 31 October 2017
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