Bulgaria's Ambassador to France, Irina Bokova, has been nominated for the UNESCO Director General post. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency
The race to lead the UN's culture and education agency UNESCO kicks off Monday amid expectations that Egypt's Faruq Hosni, who caused a scandal with his anti-Israel comments, will secure the top job.
Bulgaria's nominee for the position is ambassador to France Irina Bokova.
Representatives from 58 nations who make up UNESCO's executive council begin meeting in Paris on Monday and a first round of voting to elect a successor to Japan's Koichiro Matsuura is set for September 17.
Hosni's main rival for the post is European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, but the choice of Egypt's candidate has won much support in Europe as an attempt to reach out to the Muslim world.
A former Austrian foreign minister, Ferrero-Waldner has acknowledged that she does not have the full backing of European governments, some of which support rival bids by Lithuania's UNESCO ambassador Ina Marciulionyte and Bulgarian ambassador to France Irina Bokova.
France must remain neutral on the issue as it is the host country for UNESCO but officials have said privately that Paris favours Hosni for the job.