Portugal’s Association of Diplomats has demanded that the government reconsiders its appointment of the former candidate for the Presidency of the Republic to be its UNESCO representative.
The Association reacted to the announcement of the Government's intention to appoint Sampaio da Nóvoa as Portugal’s ambassador to UNESCO, stating that it was a "complete surprise” and a very strange choice.
In a communiqué sent to newsrooms, the Association stated that "the values of Portuguese diplomacy can be suspended by the appointment of a political ambassador to a diplomatic post."
For the Association, Portugal’s interaction with other countries and international organisations, through its external network of embassies, permanent missions and consular posts, "must be based on the professional practice of the diplomatic mission," which is learned during a life "dedicated to public service."
António Manuel Seixas Sampaio da Nóvoa is a Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Lisbon, and its former Rector. He was defeated as a candidate in the January 2016 Portuguese presidential election and is seen, at least by the diplomats, as a political appointee, rather than someone from within the diplomatic network.
The news that Sampaio da Nóvoa had been chosen by the government was released last Friday, with Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of Foreign Affairs, explaining that the appointment was based on three reasons: he is an internationally recognised authority in the field of education; he is a person who combines his experience as an education academic with relevant management experience in cultural, scientific and academic institutions and, lastly, he knows and understands the how UNESCO works.
António Manuel Seixas Sampaio da Nóvoa
