Golda El-Khoury, UNESCO Director and Representative for Morocco, has been discharged from her position for insulting employees, Moroccan media has reported.
The move came after four Moroccan employees filed in July a complaint against El-Khoury, accusing her of creating an “aggressive work environment” and allegedly insulting them with labels such as “failures” and “uneducated.”
Other reasons that contributed to her removal from her position reportedly include comparing the Moroccan UNESCO office to a “zoo,” which caused outrage from both Moroccan and international employees, who called for her dismissal.
El-Khoury has led numerous social and community development initiatives throughout her over 20 years of experience in her fields of work.
Before starting her position as the head of the Rabat office in 2018, she was the Chief of the Section for Inclusion and Rights in the Social and Human Sciences Sector at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, France.
She has also played various roles with UNESCO and, before joining the organization, was the first UNICEF Regional Advisor on Youth for the Middle East and North Africa Region.
According to Moroccan media, Austrian Alexander Schischilk, who has headed numerous programs related to music, arts, culture, and human rights over his many years with the organization, is expected to replace El-Khoury in Rabat.
