Irina Bokova
Former Director, General of UNESCO
Irina Bokova is a Bulgarian politician and diplomat who served as Director-General of UNESCO from 2009 to 2017, becoming the first woman and first Eastern European to lead the organization.
She began her diplomatic career at Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later served at the country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. She was twice elected to the Bulgarian Parliament and served as Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Bokova also served as Ambassador to France, Monaco, and UNESCO, and played a key role in advancing Bulgaria’s integration into the European Union.
During her tenure at UNESCO, she championed global priorities including education, gender equality, and intercultural dialogue, earning broad international recognition.
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