Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and develop joint working mechanisms, especially in supporting cultural indicators and launching programs to strengthen the capacities of local communities in the field of culture.

During the meeting, held on Wednesday (January 15, 2025), at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik commended the educational, scientific and cultural efforts of UNESCO as a major international organization, and lauded its continuous support for outstanding initiatives and partnerships in its areas of competence. He also highlighted the main lines of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, as well as its programs and projects, which are in line with the relevant international efforts, especially in the fields of heritage preservation and promotion, stressing the importance of fostering joint efforts at all levels, and launching joint projects to build the capacities of experts and specialists in academic and cultural fields and space science, and develop capacity-building programs for local communities.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik stressed the pivotal role of ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Center in protecting cultural elements through their inscription on the Organization’s Islamic World Heritage List, highlighting the Center’s workshops organized to build the capacities of workers in the field of heritage preservation and promotion.

For his part, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Culture commended ICESCO’s remarkable achievements over the past years in its areas of competence, calling for complementarity between the two organizations in the field of culture to support Member States’ efforts to achieve their cultural goals. He also expressed his aspiration to establish a joint research chair between ICESCO and UNESCO, and jointly identify cultural indicators likely to help grasp and enhance Member States’ cultural development.

The meeting also discussed joint action mechanisms to launch programs in the field of creative and cultural industries, and support efforts geared towards removing heritage sites from the List of Heritage in Danger.

The meeting saw the presence of Mr. Eric Falt, Regional Director of UNESCO Office for the Maghreb in Rabat, and Mr. Karim Hendili, Head of Culture Program at UNESCO Maghreb Office, as well as Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of ICESCO’s Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Ms. Sally Mabrouk, Director of ICESCO Director-General’s Office.