H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Cultural Adviser at the Emiri Diwan and Qatar’s candidate for the Director-General post at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), during the launch of the French version of his
As the candidacy-presentation for post of Unesco Director-General is going to be closed by April this year, the official endorsements by dozens of countries of Qatar’s candidate and Cultural Adviser at the Emiri Diwan H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari has strengthened his position in the electoral race for the post.
Apart from becoming a consensual candidate of GCC countries since his nomination for the position by Qatar in March 2016, Dr Al Kawari has also won support of a number of countries representing various continents Africa, Europe, Asia and Americas.
He kicked off his campaign in April last year from South Africa. The start of his campaign from the country of great Nelson Mandela and “Rainbow Nation” symbolized his firm belief in cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence. "South Africa as a model of reconciliation where there is a resolute belief in the positivity in difference as a common denominator," Al Kawari tweeted during his visit to South Africa.
No candidate from any Arab country has ever held the highest position in Unesco, currently headed by Irina Bokova, a Bulgarian, who was elected in 2009 and reelected for a second term in 2013. Dr Al Kawari is contesting against three candidates representing Egypt, Lebanon and Vietnam. The election for the post is scheduled to be held in November this year.
During his 9-month pause-less campaign, Qatar’s man with a vision has visited dozens of states, delivered lectures at various esteemed forums and given a number of interviews to share his vision and progamme about Unesco. Bangladesh, Tunisia, Kenya, Norway, Nepal, Yemen, Sri Lanka and Caribbean countries, among others, have announced their support for Al-Kawari.
In June last year, he met ambassadors of Paraguay, South Korea, Vietnam, Senegal, Kenya, Chad and Charge de Affairs of Nigeria. Holding a PhD in political sciences from Stony Brook University, New York, he believes in cultural dialogue and exchange to resolve multiple crises the world is facing today. “I’m a strong believer in the role of culture and the problem we are facing today is a cultural one.”
Following the announcement by Oman to support his candidature, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) decided in May last year to support Dr Hamad Al-Kawari as consensual Arab candidate for DG of Unesco. In December, Dr Al-Kawari met the PM of Albania. He is set to visit South American countries this month to muster support for his candidacy and also will visit Pakistan soon.
During his campaign, he also floated a marvelous idea of launching an International Cultural Day, for which he thinks that it will be “a landmark effort against terror”.
In April 2016, Al-Kawari was honoured with "Man of the Year 2016 for Arab Heritage" by the Arab Centre for Tourism Media. The same month, Yemen withdrew its candidate and backed Dr Al-Kawari in favor of Arab unity for the post.
Before officially launching his campaign, he published an authoritative book presenting his intellectual biography. The English version “Global Majlis” was published by HBKU Press in London, and the French version by the prestigious French publisher Odile Jacob with title “Majlis Mondial”.
In November, he visited Chad, Cameroun, Senegal, Ivory-Coast and Russia while he visited Ukraine and Bangladesh last month. Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Timothy Harris, expressed the support of his country and that of the Caribbean community for Dr Al-Kawari during his visit to Qatar in November.
In his address to the European Union on his campaign trip in May 2016 he said that cultural diplomacy was a soft power that strengthened the links between the East and the West & stimulates dialogue amongst its peoples.
He launched the campaign with slogan ‘New Momentum’, and holds education the most important tool for shaping peaceful tomorrow. “Enhancing women’s & children’s access to education & improving gender equality encourages a paradigm of peace.”
Cultural Diplomacy: He emphasizes on cultural diplomacy and says: “Worldwide cultural diplomacy is an essential component for my campaign for the director general position of Unesco. One of the most important tasks of cultural diplomacy lies in providing education for all and above all.”
During course of his campaign, the Science Council of the University of Rome Tor Vergata also awarded Dr Al Kawari an honorary Doctorate degree in the field of culture. In September he made successful visits to Italy and Uganda while in October, Caribbeans announced support for Kawari’s candidature. In October 2016, he also detailed his vision and plan o to Hao Binj, China’s deputy Minister of Education and to Chinese officials involved in Unesco.
An important part if his campaign was his meeting with Pope Francis in June last year. He was also invited by Oslo Peace Institute to deliver a lecture and a banquet speech in presence of eminent persons. "I have a simple philosophy which sees the ultimate goal in every person regardless of one’s private identities,” he said in his lecture.
Being perturbed about present financial crunch of Unesco, Dr Kawari has always promised at every forum that ‘he has the plan to steer the organization out of financial crisis’.
