Représentant permanent de Djibouti puis membre du Conseil exécutif de l'Unesco, l'auteur évoque la construction politique de son pays, la coopération internationale qu'il a menée au nom de son pays dans divers domaines et son action au sein de l'organisation internationale. ©Electre 2025

An Ambassador at the Centre of Events

While the South represents a big part of humanity, why are the leading figures from these countries not at the head of the big international organisations ?

Candidate for Director-General of UNESCO, Rachad Farah comes from Djibouti, a country at the crossroads of Africa and the Arab world, a region which reveals the future challenges that exist for education and development after having seen wars and fundamentalism, with its dramatic consequences such as refugees.

A Diplomat, an actor in peace negotiations, Rachad Farah was posted in various Asian countries during 15 years, before being sent to Paris to represent his country at UNESCO and at the International Organisation of Francophonie, as well as in various European capitals and the Maghreb.

In An Ambassador at the Centre of Events, Rachad Farah shares with us his life story. He has driven all his efforts towards developing cooperation, in all the domains (education, health, etc.), between Djibouti and the countries to which he was posted, between the North and South, as well as among the countries of the South.

This book is not only about the path of a man at the centre of history but also a discovery of a country that has acceded to independence barely 35 years ago, of a region where the current state of affairs are big geostrategic questions (piracy, terrorism).

This book is also about a vision of the future of UNESCO, rooted in a strong commitment from Rachad Farah and his wife to NGOs in the fields of education, culture, and health.

This book explains the stakes and the means needed for changing the world. This book offers an understanding of the existing challenges in the wake of globalisation, where it is imperative to build a society of knowledge and education for all. UNESCO must revive the aim of its founders, in embracing education, science, and culture as the means to bring together and educate men and thereby generate more tolerance, the capacity to accept differences that exist between each other and an ability to live together.