Africa: Amadou Mahtar Mbow – former Unesco Head and 1st African to Lead a Major International Organisation

Amadou Mahtar M’Bow, who served as the 6th Director-General of Unesco and the first African to head an international organisation, is being remembered for his leading role in advocating a New World Information and Communication Order.  Mbow died in Dakar on September 24th at age 103.

As head of the UN agency responsible for promoting education, science, culture and communication and information worldwide, Mbow elevated Unesco’s profile during the 13 years he served as DG, beginning in 1974. Following the issuance of a report by the Unesco commission headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Seán MacBride, which focused on the dominance of western media in global news coverage, Mbow championed initiatives tackle the inequalities, efforts that strired controversy and met resistance from the United States and others.

A tribute issued by Unesco chronicles a number of long-lasting initiatives during the M’Bow era including the International Programme for the Development of Communication, the World Heritage Convention, the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation, as well as  the first biosphere reserves –  protected areas recognised by UNESCO to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Born in Dakar on March 20, 1921, he attended both Koranic and French colonial schools before becoming a clerk in the colonial administration. He served in France and North Africa during World War II and studied geography at the Sorbonne. After the war, Mbow joined the fight for independence in Senegal and later served as that country’s Minister of National Education (1966-1968) and then of Culture and Youth (1968-1970) and as a member of the National Assembly.

“The person whose centenary we are celebrating today is a fighter, a leader who can inspire all generations and in all areas,” said Ibrahima Fall, a prominent international civil servant, who spearheaded the international symposium to mark the Professor Mbow’s 100th birthday with a year-long series of webinars led by African intellectuals to showcase his life and numerous contributions.

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