The Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG Africa) and other partners to develop a joint action plan to implement the recommendations of the symposium that the Organization held on 3-4 June 2021, on smart, sustainable and resilient cities.

The videoconference meeting held on Thursday, September 9, 2021, brought together officials from the Smart City and Community Innovation Center at Bandung Technology Institute, in Indonesia, the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization, Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, Katara Cultural Village, in Qatar, in addition to several academics and experts in the field of smart cities.

The participants considered the possibility of implementing awareness-raising activities on the importance of smart and flexible cities to achieve sustainable development and preserve the environment by providing a digital course on the topic to introduce the best practices for establishing such cities in the Islamic world.

The participants agreed on developing a joint action plan to promote smart cities and expand this concept to include rural areas. The partners expressed their interest in cooperating with ICESCO to design activities and programs in the field of smart, sustainable and resilient cities, within the framework of strengthening south-south and south-north partnerships to benefit from civil society organizations, contribute to the international effort to raise awareness, preserve the environment and ensure a better future for next generations.