The UNESCO Executive Committee meeting at the organization's headquarters in Paris soon will have to make a decision about a very controversial Prize, the UNESCO-Teodoro Obiang Award for the protection of life. This prize is funded by Obiang, for 31 years the dictatorial President of Equatorial Guinea, who is trying to use Unesco's values and reputation to improve his international image. In June, UNESCO postponed an award ceremony after an international uproar over the planned "dictator prize."

President Obiang is feeling the sting of rejection after several international bodies rebuked him. In April, a global transparency initiative for petroleum and mining industries (the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) expelled the oil-rich country for failing to meet its most basic criteria. In July, the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries deferred Equatorial Guinea's application to join, also in the wake of controversy over Obiang's record...

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