A candidate for the position of director-general (DG) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Firmin Édouard Matoko has stated that he possesses the key to unlocking the potential for development across various continents.
Speaking during a virtual press conference where he outlined his plans for UNESCO, Matoko, fluent in French, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and currently learning Swahili, called on African presidents and leaders to support his candidacy.
“We have different mechanisms to mobilise resources for the development of diverse continents,” Matoko said, adding that these resources will come through voluntary contributions.
Born on 17 February 1956 in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, Matoko, with a Congolese father and a Vietnamese mother, embodies cultural dialogue and universal human values.
Having joined UNESCO in 1990 and followed a unique career path, rising through the ranks to hold one of the organisation’s most prestigious positions, Matoko revealed that they have successfully mobilised resources to run the organisation by looking inward.
Matoko began at the Regional Bureau for Education in Africa in Dakar as an associate expert in education, funded by an Italian government cooperation programme. He then moved to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where he joined a multidisciplinary team responsible for financing issues in the education sector.
Between 1994 and 2003, he directed several programmes that promoted a culture of peace, education for human rights, democracy, and universal values.
Convinced that the only path to sustainable development is that of peace, Matoko has implemented numerous initiatives in education, the culture of peace, and human rights, and was one of the principal architects of UNESCO’s transdisciplinary programme for a culture of peace, carrying out missions in several countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, including Somalia, Sudan, Burundi, Haiti, Iraq, Cambodia, and Mali.
“We will raise our resources through voluntary contributions,” Matoko said when asked how he would manage the organisation amid cuts in aid from some Western countries.
“We have succeeded in securing resources because we ensure people see the benefits of looking inward. To assist in the development of Africa, we must explore Africa, its people, companies, and organisations,” Matoko stated.
“For the African continent, we must build Africa for Africa. We must collaborate with Asian countries—China, India, Indonesia, and others,” Matoko outlined his plans for success at UNESCO if elected.
Discussing education and other cultural programmes, Matoko said he would work with the government to adopt the Nigerian educational model.
“We will advocate for quality education. Educationally, Nigeria is progressing. We must develop it,” Matoko said, urging African leaders to support his ambition.
“UNESCO will partner with other African organisations if I am given the opportunity. We can develop if we conduct better assessments with the 15 field offices on the continent. Let’s build Africa for Africans. Let’s work together. It’s Africa donating to Africa,” Matoko explained, explaining how he plans to raise resources for UNESCO projects.
Matoko envisions a new UNESCO dynamic based on cooperative solutions, global openness, and the transformative powers of education, science, culture, and communication.
An economist by training, a specialist in international relations, a diplomat at heart, a committed thinker, and a man of both field and vision. Matoko has devoted over three decades of his life to the service of UNESCO and the universal ideals of peace, cooperation, and solidarity.
After graduating with honours in economics and business from La Sapienza University in Rome, Matoko furthered his political science and international relations studies at Cesare Alfieri University in Florence before joining the prestigious Centre for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Paris.
These high-level training courses gave him a solid understanding of global economic issues, geopolitical dynamics, and the strategic role of international institutions.
In 2003, Matoko became the director of several UNESCO multi-country offices. He was appointed Director and Representative of UNESCO in Bamako for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, then in Quito for Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela.
Matoko subsequently headed the UNESCO Representative Office in Ethiopia and acted as a liaison with the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
In cooperation with the African Union, Matoko has contributed to the establishment of pan-African regional institutions such as CIEFFA (International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Burkina Faso), ACALAN (African Academy of Languages in Bamako), the Pan African University (of which he was a member of the Board of Directors), the Network of Foundations and Research Institutions for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace in Africa, and the International Forum for a Culture of Peace in Africa (Luanda Biennial).
Matoko is convinced that Africa must leverage new artificial intelligence tools (AI); he was one of the main instigators of the 1st African Forum on AI, which was held in Benguerir (Morocco) in December 2018.
In January 2015, Matoko returned to headquarters in Paris as Director of the Africa Department, later being appointed Assistant Director-General of the same department. From 2017, he assumed the strategic role of Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations until 2025, with a one-year break between September 2023 and June 2024. During that time, he served as Special Adviser for Africa and Coordinator of the UNESCO-Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize.
Matoko’s knowledge and experience of UNESCO extend beyond Africa; he has served in various regions worldwide, acquiring a multidimensional and multicultural understanding of UNESCO’s challenges and opportunities globally.
As Assistant Director-General for External Relations, Matoko oversaw and managed the field network comprising 54 National and Regional offices, including four Liaison Offices (Addis Ababa, Brussels, Geneva, and New York).
Under his leadership and strategic guidance, the UNESCO Sector for Priority Africa and External Relations has coordinated significant programmes and initiatives, such as UNESCO’s collaboration with the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, the UNESCO Participation Programme and Emergency, the Fellowship Programme, and the Goodwill Ambassadors Programme, among others. He was also responsible for relationships with UNESCO National Commissions and civil society organisations.
As evidenced in his writings, Matoko has distinguished himself through profound reflections on the challenges of the contemporary world.
“There are no greater barriers to progress and peace than those that divide peoples and nations due to their geographical, social, cultural, or ethnic status. UNESCO has the power to dismantle these barriers in the minds of the women and men of this planet. Together, we can make our Organisation even stronger, more dynamic, more inclusive, and more committed to promoting peace and sustainable development,” Matoko stated during an address to the Executive Board of UNESCO on 9 April 2025.
