Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Qatar’s candidate for the post of Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), may become the first diplomat from an Arab country to lead the organisation.
Dr Al-Kawari, a diplomat and statesman, serves as an Adviser at the Amiri Diwan (Royal Palace of Qatar), and was formerly the country’s Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage.
He visited Ghana this week and met with President Nana Akufo-Addo on his UNESCO ambition, as well as prospects of Ghana-Qatar relationship.
Dr Al-Kawari, as part of his visit to Ghana, had an exclusive interview with DAILY GUIDE (DG) on a wide range of relevant issues.
Excerpts of the interview are published below:
DG: Why should the candidature of the Director-General for UNESFO be of interest to an average Ghanaian?
Al-Kawari: I think everyone in the world has to be interested in UNESCO and who becomes the director-general.
Q: Because?
Al-Kawari: Let me tell you. UNESCO is a very important organisation that deals with the noblest objectives in humanity; education, culture, science, gender equality, freedom of the media, justice for all, peace and we cannot avoid talking about the work of UNESCO and….
DG: Hold on. We know all that. But why should we be interested in who becomes the director-general? Whether or not we are interested and whether or not we want to know, someone would become director-general anyway.
Al-Kawari: No. No. No. No. I would tell you why. Every country has to know who takes the big responsibility of becoming the director-general. Now more than ever, UNESCO is passing through very dire financial crisis and you cannot deal with the crisis by normal ways and succeed. You have to get a director-general who understands the organisation very well and who has the background that makes the person able to meet that challenge.
EDUCATION & CAREER
DG: What makes you believe you have the requisite background?
Al-Kawari: That is a professional question. I would tell you so you judge me because in our culture, the Arab culture, you cannot talk about yourself; you let others talk about you. But I have always told my people that if I have to do this job, then I have to let people know who I am so they are convinced whether I am the right person or not.
Let me talk about my education and career briefly. I was an ambassador for 21 years and a minister for 14 years.
I finished secondary school in my country and then I graduated from the Cairo University. Then, I became an ambassador at an early age of below 20 in Beirut. I studied in St Joseph University and had my PhD degree. Then I moved to Paris for my master’s degree at La Sorbonne University. Then I went to New York for my PhD in Political Science from the Stony Brook University.
I have worked as an ambassador in Beirut, I have worked as an ambassador in Syria, I have worked in Paris and five European countries and I worked at the same time as ambassador to UNESCO for five years so I know UNESCO from within. Then I moved to New York as ambassador for some six years at the same time dealing with the United Nations as the vice president of the 40th Session of the General Assembly, vice chairman of the Apartheid Committee, chairman of the Special Political Committee (4th Committee) at its 42nd session which deals with the Arab-Israeli conflict, and then I moved to Washington as ambassador to the United States and Latin America.
I returned to my country and was minister for Information and Culture for eight years. I have my books in English, French and Arabic. I have 12 decorations from three presidents. I worked also as president for UNCTAD until three months ago. That is briefly my education and career background.
DG: That is impressive.
Al-Kawari: I did not mean to impress you. I was only telling you.
DG: Well, it impressed me except for you minimal experience in Africa and the third world.
Al-Kawari: Africa? I have worked in Africa in my very early times. When I was at the UN, we dealt with every nation in the world. I was the vice chairman of the Apartheid Committee and I worked closely in South Africa and before then Rhodesia that became Zimbabwe. So I know Africa. When I decide to become director-general, the first country I visited was South Africa and so far I have visited 10 out of the 12 countries from Africa that would be voting at the conference.
DG: You visiting all these countries simply because you want the job of director-general?
Al-Kawari: Let me tell you something. I am not looking for a job. I have enough jobs. I am on a mission to help people and to help the United Nations. I want to help them and I have to near the people to listen to them so I know what they want but not what we think they want.
I just returned from Asia. Before then, I was in the Caribbean Islands. I visit them, listen, to them and have meetings with their presidents, prime ministers of ministers for culture. If I want to succeed on my mission, I have to meet the people and know what they want.
DG: Many persons in third world countries have absolutely no knowledge about UNESCO yet you claim you are working for them.
Al-Kawari: Congratulations for this question. When UNESCO was founded, it was a big success. It was known in the international community for its achievements. Now, the story has changed. I was surprised when I went round and people asked me where the headquarters of UNESCO is or what UNESCO does. Dynamic communication regarding UNESCO’s infinite potential is a prerequisite to the solidarity required for any financial mobilisation.
Part of my programmes would be to rebrand UNESCO and make it attractive and known to the people. After visiting the countries, it was amazing to know to what extent people ignore UNESCO and it is clear public relations and the rebranding of UNESCO has become critical.
There are many experts and professional out there who may want to help but they simply cannot help something they do not know. This is one of my main targets; to re-introduce UNESCO and make it better recognised and appreciated by younger generations, large corporations, charities and philanthropic associations and all.
WHOSE CULTURE?
DG: When you talk about culture at UNESCO, whose culture are you talking about? Is it the culture of every member state or the culture that is accepted by Europe?
Al-Kawari: I breathe culture. I have been minister of culture for 14 years. I have a book on this subject; 300 pages talking about my whole experience and assessments on this subject of culture.
DG: My culture makes it normal to eat with my fingers. Someone’s culture frowns on it. Which one does UNESCO promote and which ones does UNESCO limit?
Al-Kawari: In my culture, we also eat without hands. Recently, I went to a five-star restaurant in Bangladesh and I saw people eating there with their fingers. We are paying a very heavy price for not respecting one another’s cultures. If we respect one another, we can live in harmony and in peace. You cannot have peace at the expense of others.
DG: What have you observed about Ghana?
Al-Kawari: Ghana has a lot of things in common with other African countries. But the country has something that distinguishes it from others. I saw a different culture in Ghana. I can feel the hospitality of the people, the good infrastructure and the nice places that country has which could make it a good city for tourism and business investment.
When I return to Qatar, this is one of the things I would be telling everyone about Ghana. When I was with President Akufo-Addo, we spoke about relationships between Qatar and Ghana. You have a beautiful country and investment should be of a mutual benefit. I hope the best for Ghana.
DG: Is there something you may want to add?
Al-Kawari: Yes, I want to say that the biggest challenge UNESCO is facing now is financial and if we do not adopt creative and innovative ways of addressing this challenge, UNESCO would suffer and cannot do anything for education or anything to help anyone.
I also insist very strongly that UNESCO has to be reintroduced to the world and its people.
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