News

On 17 November, in headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, the joint candidate from the Baltic States to the post of the Director General of UNESCO for the period of 2009-2013 was officially presented. The candidate is the Permanent delegate of Lithuania to UNESCO, Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė.

The letter of three Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States, presenting the representative of Lithuania as a candidate to the position was officially presented to the chairman of Executive Council of UNESCO. It is the highest position in an international organization Lithuania has ever nominated its candidate for.

Ambassador’s I.Marčiulionytė work is very actively engaged in the UNESCO: in 2004 she was elected in the World Heritage Committee, in 2005 – 2006 she presided at this committee. By the present, she is also the vice-deputy of Executive Council of UNESCO, chairman of Headquarters Committee, the vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and also the member and the head of various working groups of the Organization.

Since 2003, when I.Marčiulionytė was appointed as the Permanent Delegate of Lithuania to UNESCO, Lithuania was elected in the Executive Council and 6 committees of UNESCO.

In 2007 the Ambassador was awarded the Cross of Commander of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.

UNESCO is the universal United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, created right after the Second World War, in November 1945. By its activity the organisation aspires to contribute to the strengthening of international peace and safety, develop the cooperation between the people in such areas as education, science, culture and communication.

The elections of the Director General of UNESCO will take place during the 35th General conference of UNESCO in autumn 2009.