Irina Bokova served as the Director-General of UNESCO from 2009 to 2017. Bokova is also the first female President of UNESCO.
In 1977, Bokova worked at the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she was responsible for human rights and women's equality issues.
Later, she was appointed as the head of political and legal affairs at the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations in New York. Bokova contributed to Bulgaria's accession to the European Union and took an active role in the preparation of the new constitution.

Bokova received her postgraduate education from the University of Maryland and the John F. Kennedy School of Harvard University.

Bokova, who holds honorary doctorates from prestigious universities, speaks Bulgarian, English, French, Spanish and Russian.