Audrey Azoulay
Audrey Azoulay is a French-Moroccan civil servant and politician currently serving as the Director-General ofUNESCO, a role she has held since 2017. She succeeded Irina Bokova, becoming the second woman to lead the organisation. Her leadership focuses on restoringUNESCO’scredibility, promoting education, safeguarding cultural heritage, and addressing global challenges such as digital transformation and ethics in artificial intelligence. Azoulay was re-elected for a second term in 2021.
Before joining UNESCO, Azoulay was France's Minister of Culture from 2016 to 2017. During her tenure, she increased the ministry’s budget to a record €2.9 billion and supported initiatives such as safeguarding cultural heritage in conflict zones and advocating for gender equality in the arts. She also presented UN Security Council Resolution 2347, which focused on protecting cultural heritage in armed conflicts.
Azoulay launched several significant initiatives at UNESCO, including the "Revive the Spirit of Mosul" project to rebuild historical sites in Iraq and the "Global Education Coalition" during theCOVID-19 pandemic, which supported over 400 million students worldwide. She also prioritised addressing gender bias in artificial intelligence and promoting sustainable development through education and cultural preservation.
Her efforts to depoliticise UNESCO have been praised, promotingcollaborationamong member states and resolving longstanding disputes. Notably, her leadership facilitated consensus on sensitive issues, including agreements between Israel, Palestine, and other nations.
Born in 1972 in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, Azoulay comes from a family with a strong cultural and political background. Her father, André Azoulay, is an adviser to the King of Morocco. She holds a master’s degree in management sciences from Paris Dauphine University, an MBA from Lancaster University, and studied at Sciences Po and the École nationale d'administration (ENA), where she graduated in 2000. Her education laid the foundation for her impactful career in public service and culture.
