Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), announced the organization of an international conference at the Organization’s Headquarters in Rabat on May 10, 2023, on the occasion of the International Day of Argania, with the participation of a group of researchers and scientists in the field, to develop scientific research and issue recommendations to strengthen the socio-economic status of the Argan tree.

Dr. AlMalik made this announcement during his participation on the second day of the Cultural Forum on celebrating the International Day of Argania, in response to an honorary invitation from the Essaouira Women’s Foundation for Economic Development in the Kingdom of Morocco, which is organizing the three-day Forum in the city of Essaouira, with the participation of an ICESCO delegation.

ICESCO DG stated that the Organization established ICESCO Chair for the Argan Tree at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, in cooperation and coordination with the concerned authorities in the Kingdom of Morocco, through the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, to adopt scientific research aimed at preserving the argan tree and fostering its socio-economic position.

He commended the great action of the Essaouira Women’s Foundation for Economic Development to organize the Forum and its role in training and accompanying cooperatives to contribute to valorizing the role of the argan tree.

During the second day of the Forum, participants explored the necessary steps to inscribe the argan tree on ICESCO’s lists of intangible heritage in the Islamic world, safeguard and valorize the heritage associated with it and promote traditional industries related to the argan tree, through preparing files and submitting them to the Islamic World Heritage Committee.

Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Center of Strategic Foresight participated in the activities of the first day of the Forum where he highlighted the importance of foresight studies for the different regions, as an approach to cast light on local development factors while taking into account the characteristics of each region. He stated that ICESCO is in the process of completing a prospective study for the future of the city of Essaouira.

In her intervention, Dr. Hoda Abdullah Al-Muqairhi, Expert at ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, highlighted that societies’ social, cultural and civilizational diversity represents an advantage that contributes to promoting unity, peace, love and harmony. She reviewed several initiatives and programs through which ICESCO aims to integrate the values of love and compassion into the educational curricula of its Member States, address peace issues in their comprehensive dimensions and qualify women and youth and train them on leadership for peace and security.