The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, called on all organizations and competent authorities concerned with heritage issues to cooperate and partner with ICESCO to fully implement its new vision on heritage preservation, build networks, and share expertise. The goal is to make heritage, with its various elements, one of the levers of sustainable development. He stressed ICESCO’s willingness to put its technical expertise at the disposal of its regional and international partners.

The statement came during the DG’s address at the opening session of the international forum under the theme: “Memory Preservation and Transmission for Mutual Enrichment,” that the Mohammedan League of Scholars in Morocco held, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the “Mémoire pour l’Avenir” Foundation, and the “Archives du Maroc.” The videoconference kicked off today and brought together high-profile participants for a two-day debate.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik explained that ICESCO pays great attention to cultural memory and seeks to ensure the preservation, promotion, and rehabilitation of cultural heritage in its Member States as one of its priorities. Dr. AlMalik added ICESCO, under its successive action plans, has dedicated many activities and programs to heritage whose importance is emphasized in the relevant reference documents of the Organization.

The DG also pointed out that ICESCO has established the Islamic World Heritage Committee which has to date inscribed more than 200 heritage sites from the various tributaries of civilizations and cultures that have succeeded and coexisted in the Member States, including sites and elements of ancient civilizations and divine Christian and Jewish religions. He underscored that the Organization aspires to register the largest number of possible heritage elements in the coming years.

ICESCO DG praised the spirit of tolerance in Morocco while appreciating the country’s civilizational model of coexistence, which testifies the long-standing and unique traditions of preserving the right of all religious groups.

At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s utmost willingness to inscribe the tangible and intangible heritage of religious groups in the Member States to enhance the culture of coexistence for future generations and preserve the historical and cultural memory in the Islamic world countries.