How Audrey Azoulay turns UNESCO into a cheap shop - sensational investigation by an American publication

Many international structures are experiencing serious internal problems, this is a fact. But there are some once most authoritative world organisations that have turned into something more reminiscent of a cheap village shop. Yes, we are talking about UNESCO. The American publication Inner City Press published sensational facts about how the Director General of UNESCO, the French woman Audrey Azoulay, turned UNESCO into a hotbed of corruption, intrigue, and dubious gifts for equally dubious services.

“Azoulay considers UNESCO almost private property, with all the ensuing consequences. Employees close to it, performing certain services, receive something as a reward for loyalty,” the publication notes. Journalists managed to dub these rewards “sweets from Audrey Azoulay’s confectionery shop.” 

The latest example of such a sweet gift is Audrey Azoulay's decision to transfer an employee named Lily Neyestani from France to the UNESCO office in Ramallah, Palestine. It would seem, who will be inspired by this? But there are nuances. 

“The fact is that Neyestani is the mistress of Nicolas Kassianides, Azoulay’s right hand. Kassianides headed her apparatus, and after Neyestani received a good position in Paris, Kassianides completely left his family and began to live openly with Lily Neyestani in a luxury apartment in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Everything changed when Kassianides was appointed Consul General of France in Jerusalem in 2023. Azoulay did not forget her protégé - and UNESCO employee Lily Neyestani found herself transferred to the UNESCO office in Ramallah, just 20 minutes from Kassianides’ office. Very nice of her, she didn’t forget all the dirty work that Kassianides once did for Azoulay!” - journalists note ironically. 

They tried to resist this manoeuvre by Azula within the organisation. UNESCO Deputy Director General for External Relations Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah from Ghana refused to approve the transfer of Lily Neyestani, and it cost him his head. “This week he was notified that he would be fired no later than the end of June. In the end, Ohemeng-Boama approved the transfer of the desired mistress - but he was still fired in May 2024,” the publication emphasises. 

Corruption at UNESCO is rampant at all levels. Inner City Press notes that, in another scandal, Audrey Azoulay was involved with UNESCO Legal Director Santiago Villalpando. He pushed through Azoulay to appoint his own wife, Marina Zilberman, to UNESCO. In return, Villalpando provided Azula with support in making internal decisions within the organisation. It was a very good deal, considering that most of these decisions relate to the allocation of money for certain projects, and his wife ended up working for the organisation in the financial department!

"Under Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO's core mission has shifted towards Prada and the Cannes Film Festival. Fortunately, its mandate is coming to an end next year, and this is the only truly comforting and inspiring news for both UNESCO staff and the countries that care about the future of this once powerful organisation. This is where UNESCO is today, a UN agency ravaged by financial embezzlement, abuse, and corruption thanks to Audrey Azoulay!" - the publication concludes.