The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Thursday (24 November 2022), in Tangier, Morocco, officially launched the 2022 edition of its Leadership Training for Peace and Security Programme (LTIPS) and the International Workshop on Youth Projects Incubator for Peace, in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, with the aim of training and mobilizing youth to contribute to building peace and consolidating social cohesion.

The launch ceremony saw high-level participation, including ministers, experts and representatives of specialized regional and international institutions. The event was an opportunity for the 50 young people, who were selected from 45 countries, to interact with decision-makers and inspiring leaders to become ICESCO Ambassadors for Peace by the end of the Programme.

At the outset of the opening session, Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Head of the Human and Social Sciences Sector of ICESCO, emphasized the Organization’s increasing interest in young people through LTIPs, which places them at the center of the peace-building process. His Excellency Mr. Ghazali Othmani, President of the Comoros, commended the values of peace, security and social cohesion, which are the focus of LTIPS and prove that ICESCO seeks to promote these principles in the Islamic world.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, expressed his happiness to meet future leaders, stressing that this event is an opportunity to enhance the concepts of partnership in the field of youth.

He also pointed out that LTIPS has become a leading programme, which strengthens ICESCO’s vision in the field of peacebuilding and supports the Organization’s “360° Peace Approach.”

For his part, Mr. Mostafa Masoudi, Secretary General of the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Youth Sector), reiterated the Ministry’s support for ICESCO’s programmes on youth and peace-building. Mr. Yayi Boni, former President of the Republic of Benin, commended ICESCO’s efforts and outstanding programmes in the field of security and peace dispatching its ambassadors to bring peace inside and outside the Islamic world.

Mr. Abul Kalam Abdul Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bangladesh, stressed that building security means harmony and social cohesion among members of society, pointing out his country’s initiatives and activities that support policies to advance youth as future leaders.

In his address, Mr. Bakary Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of The Gambia, stressed the need to develop programmes likely to achieve peace and security worldwide. Mr. Ikbog Ikimokode, Founder and President of “Aji Imokhwede” Foundation in Nigeria, said that the role of ICESCO peace ambassadors is to transmit the principles and teachings they receive in LTIPS to their communities.

At the end of the opening session, the representative of the 2022 edition of LTIPS shared a message, stressing the importance of youth and their role in consolidating peace and security through their aspirations and ambitions to build a better future.

Afterward, the participants took part in various sessions on the various dimensions of the 360° Peace Approach, intergenerational dialogue and workshops on how to design and implement peace projects and initiatives.