Sierra Leone’s erudite Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chairperson of the African Union Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System, Hon. Dr. Samura Kamara is currently leading an AU delegation to galvanize support for the endorsed African Candidate, Her Excellency Dr. Mousshira Khattab for the post of Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during the organization’s election scheduled to be held on 9th October, 2017 in Paris, France.
Dr. Samura Kamara’s mission in Paris is in compliance with the African Union Executive Council and Assembly Decisions adopted in January, 2017 which inter-alia provides that “the Secretariat of the African Union Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System should organize a mission of the Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee to meet with the Permanent Missions of Member States to International Organizations, in order to sensitize and brief them, as well as organize the different aspects and stages of management of African candidatures within the international system”.
Dr. Samura Kamara’s main objectives in Paris is to provide full support to the endorsed African candidate Her Excellency Dr. Mousshira Khattab, the sole African candidate to the post of Director General of UNESCO; to sensitize African Union Member States and the Permanent Representatives in Paris on the need to respect the Decisions of the Executive Council in this regard and consider a mechanism for tracking and follow up on the candidates endorsed so as to give them more opportunities for success.
Hon. Dr. Samura Kamara’s delegation will be composed of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat; His Excellency Ambassador Osman Keh Kamara, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union; the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Her Excellency Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma and Mr. Mbari Calixte Aristide, Focal Person for African Candidature Committee.
Au fait with diplomacy and international politics, the Chairperson of the African Union Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System, Hon. Dr. Samura Wilson Mathew Kamara performed similar functions for the African Continent in May, 2017 during the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) elections in Geneva, which contributed to the successful election of an African candidate, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the position of WHO Director General.
Detailed story of this continental mission will be published in due course.
Abdul Karim Koroma
Information Attaché
Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Addis Ababa
