Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Ghada Wali, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, discussed ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and the United Nations agencies in the in areas of common interest.

During this meeting, held on Saturday (November 12, 2022), as part of their participation in COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, the two officials stressed the importance of joint action and cooperation to achieve the objectives of international and regional organizations.
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main lines of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, especially safeguarding heritage, as well as the Organization’s endeavor to sign a new international agreement to fight the illicit trafficking of cultural property, calling on the United Nations to cooperate with ICESCO in this matter.

He stressed that ICESCO supports the efforts of its Member States in building the capacities of youth and women through a set of programmes and projects, implemented in cooperation with the authorities concerned in these countries, according to the priorities and needs of each country.

The meeting also touched on the importance of cooperation to consolidate the culture of governance and enhance the efforts of Member States to strengthen the mechanisms to combat corruption.