Audrey Azoulay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Audrey Azoulay
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Azoulay in 2016
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| Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization | |
| Assumed office 15 November 2017 |
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| Deputy Director-General | Xing Qu |
| Preceded by | Irina Bokova |
| Minister of Culture | |
| In office 11 February 2016 – 10 May 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Manuel Valls Bernard Cazeneuve |
| Preceded by | Fleur Pellerin |
| Succeeded by | Françoise Nyssen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 August 1972 La Celle-Saint-Cloud, France |
| Political party | Independent |
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| Education | Paris Dauphine University Lancaster University Sciences Po École nationale d'administration |
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Audrey Azoulay (born 4 August 1972) is a French-Moroccan government worker and politician. Since 2017, she has been the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). She is the second woman to lead this important organization. Before this, she was France's Minister of Culture from 2016 to 2017. In 2024, she received an award from Paris Dauphine University.
Contents
Early life and education
Growing up and family
Audrey Azoulay was born in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, France. Her family is Moroccan Jewish and comes from Essaouira. Her father, André Azoulay, is a senior advisor to the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI of Morocco. He also advised the previous king, King Hassan II. Her mother, Katia Azoulay, is a Moroccan writer. Her aunt, Éliane, is a journalist. Audrey grew up in a "left-wing" family with her two older sisters, Judith and Sabrina.
Her studies
Audrey Azoulay studied at several universities. In 1994, she earned a master's degree in management sciences from Paris Dauphine University. She also got a master's degree in business administration from Lancaster University. She continued her studies at Sciences Po and the École nationale d'administration (ENA) in 2000.
Her beliefs and activism
During her university years, Audrey Azoulay worked at a bank, which she said she "hated." She has been involved in protests for causes she believes in. For example, she protested against certain government plans in 1986 and 1995. She also spoke out against Jean-Marie Le Pen in the 2002 French presidential election. She looks up to Simone Veil and Jean Zay, who were important figures in French history.
Career
Working for the government
In 2000, Audrey Azoulay became a government administrator. She worked for the office of the Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin. From 2000 to 2003, she managed public broadcasting and helped with media development. She also advised the European Commission on media matters.
In 2003, she taught about media strategy and film financing at Sciences Po. From 2003 to 2006, she worked for a regional audit office. In 2004, she even appeared in a film called "Le Grand Rôle."
In 2006, Azoulay joined the National Center of Cinematography and the moving image (CNC). This organization supports French cinema. She held several important roles there, including Deputy Director.
From 2014 to 2016, she advised the President of France, François Hollande, on communication and cultural topics.
Minister of Culture
On 11 February 2016, Audrey Azoulay became France's Minister of Culture. She took over from Fleur Pellerin. During her time as minister, she increased the budget for culture. In 2017, the budget reached €2.9 billion. This was the largest amount of government money ever given to the arts in France.
She also supported a new art prize for women artists. Internationally, she worked with UNESCO and the United Arab Emirates. They aimed to protect cultural sites in war zones. In March 2017, she helped create a resolution for the UN Security Council. This resolution, number 2347, protects cultural heritage during armed conflicts. It was passed by everyone.
By the end of 2016, Azoulay decided not to run for election herself. She supported Manuel Valls in the 2017 presidential primaries. After his party lost, she supported Emmanuel Macron.
Director-General of UNESCO
In 2017, Audrey Azoulay was one of nine people who wanted to lead UNESCO. She was chosen as the new Director-General. She took over from Irina Bokova. In 2021, she was elected for a second four-year term.
Her election
Many thought her chances were small at first. But she came in second place in the first round of voting. In the final round, she won against Hamad Bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari from Qatar. She became the second woman to lead UNESCO. Her election was confirmed by all member states on 10 November 2017. She officially started her role on 13 November 2017.
Her goals for UNESCO
When she was elected, the United States and Israel announced they would leave UNESCO. Azoulay said her main goal was to make UNESCO stronger. She wanted to build trust with member states again.
On 10 April 2018, she shared her plans for UNESCO. Her top priorities were Africa, gender equality, and education. She also wanted to prevent violent extremism. She started a program to empower young people in Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. She also published a guide to fight anti-Semitism in schools.
First term (2017-2021)
During her first term, she worked on important issues. In 2018, she helped reach an agreement on protecting the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. She also helped North and South Korea work together. They successfully added traditional Korean wrestling to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Rebuilding Mosul
In February 2018, she started the Revive the Spirit of Mosul project. This project aims to rebuild the historic center of Mosul, Iraq. The city was damaged during its occupation by the Islamic State. UNESCO raised over $100 million for this project. The plan is to finish by 2024. This project is rebuilding important sites like the Al-Saa'a Convent and the Al-Nouri Mosque. It has also created over 6,000 local jobs.
Ethics of artificial intelligence
In February 2019, UNESCO released a study on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This was the first step towards creating global rules for AI. Audrey Azoulay believes that trust in new technologies comes from being fair and open. She stressed the need to address issues like fairness and bias in AI from the start.
Notre-Dame Cathedral fire
In April 2019, after the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, she offered UNESCO's help. UNESCO offered to assess the damage to the structure and materials.
UNESCO's budget grows
In November 2019, UNESCO's member states agreed to increase their contributions. This was the first increase in years. This happened even though the United States and Israel had left UNESCO. This showed strong support for Audrey Azoulay's leadership.
Education during the COVID-19 pandemic
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools worldwide. Audrey Azoulay launched a "Global Education Coalition." This group works together to find solutions for students and teachers. Over 200 organizations joined this effort. UNESCO has run more than 230 projects in 112 countries. These projects have helped 400 million students and 12 million teachers.
Li-Beirut initiative
After a large explosion in Beirut in August 2020, Azoulay visited the city. She promised that UNESCO would help rebuild 280 damaged schools. UNESCO raised almost $35 million for this. The schools were fully rebuilt within 18 months. UNESCO also helped restore cultural sites, like the Sursock Museum.
Re-election
On 9 November 2021, Audrey Azoulay was re-elected for a second term. She won by a large majority. This re-election showed that her strategy of focusing on UNESCO's core mission was successful. Many people believe she has improved the organization.
Other activities
- Generation Unlimited: She is a member of the board (since 2018).
- Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): She is a member of a committee (since 2017).
- International Gender Champions (IGC): She is a member of this group.
Recognition
In September 2024, Audrey Azoulay received the Premio Sostenibilidad (Sustainability Award). This award was given in Barcelona, Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Audrey Azoulay para niños
