Today, in Abu Dhabi, States of the United Arab Emirates, the 40^th session of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held its closing session. This session adopted the Final Report of 40^th Session, which was marked by the start of a new phase in ICESCO’s history. The Council adopted many decisions, plans and amendments presented by the Organization’s General Directorate. This Session also enjoyed the powers of the General Conference, the highest authority supervising ICESCO’s action, by virtue of the powers vested in it by the 3^rd Extraordinary General Conference, held in the Area of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, on 9 May 2019.

The opening session kicked off with the adoption of the Final Report of 40^th Session. Then, Dr. Salma Al-Darmaki, Secretary General of the National Commission, gave an address on behalf of Dr. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development of the United Arab Emirates, wherein she conveyed her congratulations on the adoption of the new start of ISESCO, while reaffirming the commitment of the United Arab Emirates to support ICESCO so as to attain its desired objectives based on the belief that achieving a better future for the progress and prosperity of the Islamic world requires combining efforts and achieving a cultural and educational resurgence based on solidarity and collective thinking for the good of Muslim peoples.

Thereafter, H.E. Dr. Boubakar Doukouré, Chairman of the Executive Council of ICESCO, took the floor and expressed his sincere thanks and deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for hosting the 40^th session of the Executive Council, and to the Council members for their active interactions with the plans and decisions presented by the General Directorate as well as the constructive discussion throughout the sessions. He also stated that, for special conditions, he sent his resignation to the National Commission of Burkina Faso, and waits for the appointment of new Secretary General while stressing that he will continue to support ICESCO.

Besides, Dr. AlMalik delivered a closing address in which he expressed his thanks to the United Arab Emirates for the generous hospitality offered to the Council members and ICESCO’s working team. He also thanked the Council members for their enlightened opinions, ideas and proposals expressed while examining ICESCO’s strategic vision and future action plans.

Dr. AlMalik also underlined that the support of the Executive Council to ICESCO’s consolidates belief in in a better future for the joint Islamic action in the fields of education, science, technology, culture and communication while stressing that the Organization will provide all its efforts to serve Member States and Muslim communities outside the Islamic world, focus on the priorities and needs expressed by the national competent parties, and pay special attention to the most vulnerable and needy regions and groups.

On his part, Dr. Ali Zeidan Abu Zuhri, President of ISESCO General Conference, in a short address, expressed his thanks to the United Arab Emirates for hosting the 40^th session of the Executive Council, which he considered as pivotal in the history of the Organization as it adopted important decisions that will impact its action over the coming period and enable it to implement its new vision for the benefit of Member States.

He also thanked Dr. Boubakar Doukouré for all the services he gave to ICESCO throughout his membership and chairmanship of the Council.

Afterwards, Dr. Boubakar Doukouré received a commemorative medal from Dr. AlMalik under huge applaud of the Council members. He also received a certificate of thanks and appreciation from Lalla Malika Issoufou, First Lady of Niger, Guest of Honor of the 40^th Session.

The morning session of the Council’s second day adopted the Project on the Establishment of a Development Waqf Fund for ICESCO, Project on the Establishment of ICESCO International Consultative Council, the New Audit Company, and Election of the Financial Control Committee Members, including Republic of Senegal, State of Kuwait, Republic of Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Council also announced the date and venue of the 41^st Session, to be held at the beginning of next year at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, before the General Conference, to be held in Malaysia, in 2021.

During this session, the delegate of the Kingdom of Morocco called on all the national commissions to attend the workshop organized by Morocco in cooperation with ISESCO this year so as to share expertise in order to develop the action of these commissions in line with ICESCO’s new vision.