Jordan has officially joined the UNESCO Executive Board on November 9th, after a total of 153 countries voted for the kingdom to join the board.

This is the first time for Jordan to join the executive board, although it joined the UN’s world heritage body, UNESCO, in June 1950.

The vote was held during the 39th session of the General Conference of the UNESCO in Paris, which meets every two years to determine the policies and the main lines of work of the Organization.

The Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, tweeted on his official account congratulating the Jordanian victory, expressing gratitude towards the international society for voting to Jordan.

The executive board consists of 58 member countries, who are elected for a four-year term, during which they discuss and negotiate key decisions.