Former Qatari culture minister Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari came out ahead in Monday's first-round vote for the new chief of UN cultural agency UNESCO.

Al-Kawari got 19 out of 58 votes, followed by French nominee Audrey Azoulay on 13 and Egyptian Moushira Khattab on 11.Moushira Khattab on 11.

Members of the agency's executive board have until Friday to select a successor - by the overall majority - to outgoing director-general Irina Bokova of Bulgaria.

The victor then has to be confirmed by a vote by the general conference of all member countries on November 10.