Paris: 08/07/2019

As part of his working visit to Paris, ISESCO Director General explores with UNESCO Director General ways to promote cooperation relations in areas of common interest

The Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Ms. Audrey Azoulay, today afternoon in her office in Paris, received the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim Mohammed AlMalik and his delegation, composed of the Director of External Relations and Cooperation, the Cultural Adviser, and a programme specialist from the Directorate of External Relations and Cooperation.

During this meeting, which falls under the working visit programme of ISESCO Director General to Paris, the two parties explored the cooperation relations between ISESCO and UNESCO in the areas of common interest and priority such as the issues of the preservation of natural tangible and intangible heritage, particularly the endangered heritage in Member States; capacity building in this field; education, in general, and girls’ education in Africa, in particular; ethics of science and technology, especially the ethics of Artificial Intelligence. Besides, they agreed to hold a meeting of the Joint Committee before the end of this year to review the procedural and implementation details of the proposals of cooperation activities for 2020-2021; and to promote their channels of coordination and consultation.

It is worth noting that in 1984, ISESCO and UNESCO signed a cooperation agreement, which was renewed in 2010. They also signed a framework agreement on 5 June 2012 to promote long-term cooperation, and ratified a new partnership programme in 2017. As part of these agreements, the two organizations implemented a substantial number of programmes and activities in the fields of education, science, culture and communication for the benefit of Member States.