UNESCO Can Assist UN to Defeat Terror via Education - Director General Nominee

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is capable of helping the United Nations achieve international peace by promoting cultural education and religious tolerance, Moushira Khattab, Egypt's nominee for the post of UNESCO director-general, told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Most violent extremism is caused by ignorance, she stressed, describing UNESCO as an organization capable of defeating the strongest form of violence by educating people about global cultural diversity and helping build stronger cultural identities.

"I think that UNESCO is the only organization that can build international peace and security, especially, during times when we are as a global human community threatened by extremism, radicalization of views and violence. The only fight back is education… UNESCO is needed now more than ever, it is the one organization that can assist the UN system cope with extremism, violence and terrorism," Khattab said.

In July, Egypt announced its nomination of Khattab, the former minister of family and population and ambassador to South Africa, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, for the post of UNESCO director general. She also served as secretary general of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in Egypt.

UNESCO's next chief will be chosen in October 2017 by the General Conference. The mandate of the organization’s current director general, Bulgaria's Irina Bokova, expires this year.