Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ In a significant diplomatic achievement, Bangladesh has been elected president of the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO. It is the first time the country has held this prestigious post in its 53-year membership with the organization. The election took place on Tuesday, October 7, during the 222nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris. Accordingly, Bangladesh’s candidate, Ambassador Khondker M Talha, won the vote by a narrow margin, defeating Japan’s Ambassador Takehiro Kano 30 to 27.
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Four countries had initially entered the race: Bangladesh, Japan, India, and the Republic of Korea. However, both India and South Korea withdrew their nominations in September, leaving Bangladesh and Japan in a head-to-head contest. Ambassador Talha, who currently serves as Bangladesh’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO and Ambassador to France, Monaco, and Côte d’Ivoire, will officially assume the presidency during the upcoming General Conference set to take place later this month in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He will take over from the outgoing president, Ambassador Simona Mirela Miculescu of Romania.
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Following the election results, senior officials from Bangladesh, including Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, and Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, welcomed the outcome. Yunus described the victory as a “landmark moment” and extended his thanks to all those involved in the campaign, including the education and cultural teams and the country’s permanent mission to UNESCO. “This is a proud day for Bangladesh on the world stage,” he said. Ambassador Talha expressed his gratitude to the members of the Executive Board for placing their trust in Bangladesh’s leadership. In his remarks, he said, “This election is a historic achievement for our country and reflects the international community’s recognition of Bangladesh’s commitment to UNESCO’s values.”
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A career diplomat with over 30 years of experience, Talha has played an influential role within UNESCO over the past few years. Since he was appointed Permanent Delegate in 2021, Bangladesh has seen several key victories in the organization, including winning six important elections, such as to the UNESCO Executive Board and the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. His track record also includes serving two consecutive terms as Sherpa for the High-Level Steering Committee on SDG 4 (education), where he was instrumental in developing innovative financing strategies for least developed and lower-middle-income countries. He has chaired a number of important UNESCO committees, including the Intergovernmental Committee on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the Committee for Non-Governmental Partners. Talha also served as chair of the Asia-Pacific Group at UNESCO.
In a statement following the announcement, Talha thanked the Chief Adviser and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their confidence in him, as well as Education Adviser Abrar and Cultural Adviser Farooki for their support throughout the campaign. He described the election result as “a reflection of the global community’s confidence in Bangladesh’s active and constructive diplomacy.” Pledging to serve with integrity and purpose, he said he would work “relentlessly to uphold and promote UNESCO’s mission during this critical moment for global cooperation.” Ambassador Talha concluded by dedicating the achievement to the people of Bangladesh, both at home and abroad, stating, “This victory belongs to every Bangladeshi who believes in the power of education, culture, and international solidarity.”
