Mounir Bouchenaki, who was elected as Director-General of ICCROM at the XXIVth General Assembly in November 2005, has now taken up his post with the organization.

'I am looking forward to working in an organization that has a global reputation as a centre of excellence in the field of cultural heritage and in helping it to deliver a high level of service and support to its Member States,' Dr Bouchenaki stated in an inaugural address to ICCROM staff.

He joins ICCROM after a long career at UNESCO where he was most recently Assistant Director-General for Culture. Previously, he was the Director of Antiquities, Museums and Historic Monuments in the Ministry of Culture and Information, Algeria. Dr Bouchenaki holds a Doctorate in Archaeology and Ancient History from the Faculty of Letters of Aix-en-Provence, France.

He has been awarded the titles of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and of Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and, in 2002, was raised to the rank of Commendatore of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity by the President of the Italian Republic.

updated on: 27 July, 2006