In recognition of the determined efforts of its General Directorate to achieve the highest level of quality and implement the requirements of international standards, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) received a certificate demonstrating the compliance of its sectors, departments and centers to ISO quality standards, in accordance with the ISO 9001:2015 international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system, as part of the Organization’s management modernization program aiming to achieve its new vision which rests upon three key elements: digital transformation, investment in people, and innovation in management processes.

ICESCO received this prestigious international certification upon a detailed, extensive and comprehensive external audit by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) of the management transformation and development undergone by ICESCO’s sectors, departments and centers, demonstrating the Organization’s compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015.

On this occasion, Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, stressed that receiving the ISO certification is an important step in implementing plans for promoting institutional excellence and introducing a major shift in the Organization’s working mechanisms. He noted that this project represents one of the mechanisms for developing ICESCO’s internal oversight system and establishing governance principles, adding that, during the next phase, the Organization will work on adopting the highest international standards to promote innovation and ensure continuous improvement of its working mechanisms.

Dr. AlMalik explained that this international certification highlights the Organization’s keenness to provide distinguished and innovative services to its Member States in the fields of education, science and culture, and its commitment to establishing reliability at the highest level with partners and donors, as well as its leadership in setting up a risk anticipation and management system to ensure the continuity of its work under any exceptional circumstances.

To receive the ISO certification for the quality management system, which is valid for three years, ICESCO went through four phases. The first consisted of the preparation of an action plan, implementation mechanisms, and different training programmes to familiarize employees with ISO requirements and establish a culture of quality in the Organization. The second phase was the diagnostic phase, which aimed to analyze the current working system and determine its compliance to the requirements of the standard through the identification of gaps and areas for improving the management system. The third is aimed at documentation, the development of processes and procedures, and the issuance of several documents defining the pillars of the quality management system and its institutional context in terms of planning and developing policies for quality, excellence, and project management. The fourth and last phase consisted of internal audit, senior management review, and preparation for external audit.