The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Heydar Aliyev Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a sponsorship agreement for to implement ICESCO’s ‘Educational and Social Support Project for Internally Displaced Girls and Boarders in Burkina Faso’, within the framework of the partnership between ICESCO and Azerbaijan to promote the fields of education, science and culture in the Islamic world.

The signing is part of the visit of Ms. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, along with her delegation to ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, on Monday, October 14, 2024. The agreement was signed by Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Mr. Anar Alakbarov, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, in the presence of Mr. Nazim Samadov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Morocco, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director General, and several heads of sector and directors of department at ICESCO.

In his statement following the signing, Dr. Al-Malik commended the outstanding partnership between ICESCO and Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which is one of the institutions contributing significantly to socio-economic development in Azerbaijan and internationally, stressing the importance of the MoU signed between the two parties in May 2024, concurrently with the launch of the Celebration of Shusha, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2024, to enhance cooperation and exchange of expertise in areas of common interest.

He also thanked the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for sponsoring this major project, which will boost girls’ education in Burkina Faso and contribute to the development of the educational system, stressing that girls’ education is one of ICESCO’s top priorities, considering the essential role of girls in building a prosperous and more sustainable future.

Under the agreement, ICESCO’s “Educational and Social Support Project for Internally Displaced Girls and Boarders in Burkina Faso” aims at empowering girls in the cities of Kaya, Ouahigouya, Gaoua, and Banfora, by providing equipped and adequate sanitation facilities to 20 schools, supporting the development of educational outcomes for 500 displaced and boarding school girls, building girls’ capacities, improving health, developing vocational and digital skills for 120 girls, and intensive awareness raising among local communities on the importance of girls’ education and empowerment.

Following the signing, the Azerbaijani delegation made presentations on the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s educational, cultural and social initiatives and projects, as well as the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), to be hosted in Azerbaijan, next November, and the ongoing preparations for this global event. The heads of ICESCO’s sectors also reviewed the major current programs and projects of the Organization.