The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in a symposium titled “Multilingualism in International Organizations,” held on Monday, 15 December 2025, at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. The event, which was organized by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) in cooperation with UNESCO, aims at highlighting the civilizational values and cultural achievements of Arabic language presence in international organizations and launching the “Multilingualism Framework.”

The symposium brought together representatives of international organizations and institutions concerned with the Arabic language, along with a group of experts and specialists in language planning and policy, to discuss the efforts of these organizations and institutions to preserve Arabic within the context of multilingualism.

ICESCO was represented by Dr. Majdi Hajj Ibrahim, Head of the Arabic Language Center for Non-Arabic Speakers, who delivered a presentation titled “ICESCO’s Experience in Promoting the Presence of Arabic.” He noted that the Organization, which adopted Arabic, English, and French as the three main languages for communication with its Member States, treats Arabic not only as a means of communication but also as a cultural objective.

Dr. Majdi explained that through many of its programs and activities, ICESCO advocates for shifting Arabic from being merely a communication tool to becoming a cultural objective, a process that can be described as the cultural globalization of Arabic. He pointed out that ICESCO has established centers dedicated to this purpose, including the Arabic Language Center for Non-Arabic Speakers, the Calligraphy and Manuscript Center, and the Poetry and Literature Center, in addition to the ICESCO-Hamdan bin Rashid Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers Program “Mishkat.”