APA- Rabat (Morocco) The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) general conference has elected Morocco member of the organisation’s executive board, diplomatic sources disclosed to APA on Thursday.

During a Wednesday session in Paris, the 193 member-states of the UNESCO general conference selected Morocco from 30 countries to join another 27 members of the executive council, the organisation’s decision-making organ, which is elected for four years.

Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Bahamas were elected in 2005 for a four-year mandate, but they have waived the rest of their terms to allow for country rotations.

The UNESCO executive board meets twice a year to examine the progress in implementing the programmes adopted by the general conference.

Morocco’s representative at the UNESCO Aziza Bennani was elected chairperson of the executive board last November, after winning 58 votes.

She was elected Wednesday to chair the 16th general assembly on the Convention on the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage.

Morocco has also fielded Bennani to contest the position of UNESCO director against Egypt, represented by its culture minister Farouk Housni.