Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called for renewing the historical and civilizational curricula in universities in line with scientific development and paying special attention to youth initiatives to help young people express the visions of future generation regarding their ancient civilizations and benefit from the developments in artificial intelligence to discover the treasures of those civilizations.

This statement was part of Dr. AlMalik’s address, delivered on Sunday (December 4, 2022), at the opening of the 6th Forum of Ancient Civilizations, held in Baghdad, under the auspices of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Forum brought together the representatives of Iraq, Egypt, Greece, China, Iran, Italy, Peru, Bolivia and Mexico, and witnessed the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Fuad Hussein, and the representatives of Arab and foreign international and diplomatic missions, most notably Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

Dr. Al-Malik appreciated the organization of this Forum in Iraq while the world is going through conditions that threaten human civilizations and the survival of mankind, noting that Allah Almighty has honored mankind and brought him to Earth as he is the only creature qualified to preserve civilizational values, mainly ‘coexistence,’ which connects cultures, spreads the spirit of dialogue and prevents civilizational clashes.

He also pointed out that the world is awakening through concepts that enhance people’s understanding and solidarity to face the calls for hatred and racism, and the escalation of war economies, which are based on the high production and sale of weapons that interrupt human development, considering that such threats include crimes of theft and illicit trafficking of cultural property as well as the narrow interests policies that threaten the treasures of humanity through the depletion of natural resources.

ICESCO Director-General reaffirmed that the Organization is aware of the need to mobilize efforts to preserve the most valuable properties of humanity, explaining that ICESCO established the Center for Civilizational Dialogue to keep pace with the relevant aspirations and held a virtual conference that brought together the ministers of culture, tourism and antiquities, and discussed the most effective ways to reduce the risk of illicit trafficking in cultural property. “ICESCO also held an International Conference on the Civilizational Values in the Prophet’s Seerah, which saw the participation of world leaders, and concluded with the approval of the “Day of Mercy” as an international day. Besides, ICESCO signed an agreement with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities during COP27 to support the use of clean energy in heritage sites, and established the fund for the preservation of heritage sites from climate change, calling on the international community to join its race of civilizational creativity,” added Dr. AlMalik.

Moreover, he declared ICESCO’s intention to establish a special academic chair in an Iraqi university to stimulate studies and research on ancient civilizations and meet the Organization’s plan for the inscription of heritage sites.

ICESCO Director-General concluded his address with poetic verses on Baghdad, the city of civilization and history.