Turkish envoy Cengizer picked for presidency of UNESCO

Turkish ambassador Ahmet Altay Cengizer has been selected for Presidency of the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference on Tuesday.

"During the voting [...] for the Presidency of the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference, to be held in Paris on Nov. 12-27, 2019, Ambassador Altay Cengizer has been selected against his Spanish competitor," Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The selection is a recommendation and the General Conference, which will initiate its proceedings on Nov. 12, 2019, will approve the decision, the ministry noted.

"The President of the General Conference, together with the post of Director-General and Chairmanship of the Executive Board, is one of the top three UNESCO assignments and ranks at the top of the protocol," it said.

The ministry highlighted that the result of the election is a reflection of Cengizer's activities and fair attitude as well as his personal qualities.

"We believe that Ambassador Cengizer, who will serve for the period of 2019-2021, will make valuable contributions to UNESCO and we wish him every success," it said.

Ambassador Cengizer has been representing Turkey in the Executive Board of the UNESCO for the 2017-2021 period.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference held biennially is the organization's highest decision-making body.