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 politician and government worker. Since 2017, she has been the Director-General of UNESCO. UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It works to protect important places, support education, and encourage science around the world. Azoulay is the second woman to ever lead the organization.
Before her work at UNESCO, she was France's Minister of Culture from 2016 to 2017. This means she was in charge of supporting art, music, and history in France. In 2024, she was named Alumna of the Year by Paris Dauphine University.
Early Life and Schooling
Audrey Azoulay was born in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, a town near Paris, France. Her family is Moroccan Jewish and originally from the city of Essaouira in Morocco. Her father, André Azoulay, is a top advisor to King Mohammed VI of Morocco. He also advised the previous king, Hassan II.
Azoulay went to several famous universities. She earned a master's degree in business management from Paris Dauphine University in 1994. She also received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. She later studied at two very important French schools, Sciences Po and the École nationale d'administration (ENA).
Becoming Active in Politics
While in college, Azoulay worked at a bank but said she "hated" it. During her studies, she said she discovered that there was still prejudice against Jewish people in France.
She became involved in social issues by joining protests. In 1986, she protested against a proposed law about universities. In 1995, she protested against changes to the government. In 2002, she joined demonstrations against the political candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen. She has said that her role models are the famous French politicians Simone Veil and Jean Zay.
Career Journey
Working for the Government
In 2000, Azoulay began working for the French government. She started in the office of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. From 2000 to 2003, she was in charge of the office for public television and radio. She helped decide how these organizations would be funded.
In 2006, Azoulay joined the National Center of Cinematography and the moving image (CNC). This is France's main agency for movies and TV shows. She held several important jobs there, including Deputy Director-General. From 2014 to 2016, she was an advisor on culture and communication to French President François Hollande.
Minister of Culture
On 11 February 2016, Azoulay became the Minister of Culture. During her time in this role, she increased the money for arts and culture to €2.9 billion. This was the largest amount the French government had ever set aside for the arts.
She also worked with other countries to protect historical and cultural sites in war zones. In March 2017, she helped create a United Nations resolution to protect cultural heritage during armed conflicts. It was passed by all members of the UN Security Council.
Leading UNESCO
In 2017, Azoulay was chosen to be the new Director-General of UNESCO. She won a very close election against a candidate from Qatar. She became the leader of the organization on 13 November 2017. In 2021, she was re-elected for a second four-year term.
When she started, she said her main goal was to restore trust in UNESCO. Her top priorities were to support projects in Africa, promote gender equality, and improve education for all.
Major Projects and Achievements
Rebuilding the Old City of Mosul
In 2018, Azoulay launched a project called "Revive the Spirit of Mosul." The goal was to rebuild the historic center of the city in Iraq, which had been destroyed by the Islamic State. UNESCO raised over $100 million for this project. The rebuilding effort created more than 6,000 jobs for local people.
Rules for Artificial Intelligence
Azoulay believes it is important to have rules for how we use artificial intelligence (AI). In 2019, she started a global discussion on the topic. She said that AI must be fair, transparent, and responsible. She wanted to make sure it did not have biases, especially against women.
Helping During the COVID-19 Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools around the world in 2020, Azoulay created the "Global Education Coalition." This group brought together over 200 partners to find ways to help students and teachers continue learning. The program helped 400 million students and 12 million teachers in 112 countries.
Rebuilding Beirut After the Explosion
After a massive explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, in 2020, Azoulay visited the city. She promised that UNESCO would help rebuild the 280 schools that were damaged. UNESCO raised nearly $35 million, and the schools were fully repaired 18 months later. The organization also helped repair cultural sites, like the Sursock Museum.
Other Work and Awards
Besides her work at UNESCO, Azoulay is a member of other important groups. She is on the board of Generation Unlimited, a global partnership that helps young people. She is also a member of the International Gender Champions, a group that promotes gender equality.
In September 2024, Azoulay received the Sustainability Award at the Premios Vanguardia ceremony in Barcelona, Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Audrey Azoulay para niños
