The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has launched the development process of the “ICESCO Strategic Foresight Guide for the Islamic World,” which aims to support Member States in strengthening their national foresight capacities and integrating a proactive approach into public policies, strategic planning, governance, and decision-making.

This was announced during the meeting of the Global Foresight Focal Points Initiative, titled “Equipping the Islamic World for the Future: Presentation and Adaptation of the Strategic Foresight Guide.” The two-day meeting commenced on Monday, 27 July 2026, in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, bringing together senior officials, including Mr Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, alongside a distinguished group of policymakers and experts in the field of strategic foresight.

In a recorded address presented during the meeting, Dr Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, stressed that the Guide seeks to lay the foundations of foresight by strengthening anticipatory capabilities within governments, planning bodies, universities, and professional circles. He added that the Guide will also advance the concept of foresight democracy by facilitating future-oriented thinking and making it accessible not only to specialists but also to educators, students, researchers, and young professionals.

Dr AlMalik explained that ICESCO’s initiative is a call for its Member States to move from reaction to anticipation, preparedness, and active participation in shaping the future.

In his remarks, Dr Abdulhakeem AlSenan, Director of ICESCO’s Regional Office in Baku, emphasized that strategic foresight has become a necessity in policymaking and in reinforcing agile governance, describing the event as the beginning of a long-term institutional journey.

For his part, Dr Kais Hammami, Director of the ICESCO Center for Foresight and Artificial Intelligence, stressed that the meeting extends beyond the launch of the Guide to address a deeper question: How can the Islamic world transform its civilizational and intellectual capital into institutional capability that enables it to anticipate and prepare for future transformations?

The meeting’s programme includes a high-level roundtable on “Foresight and Governance,” as well as discussion sessions dedicated to drafting and reviewing the first version of the new ICESCO Guide, identifying regional priorities, assessing national foresight capacities, and formulating practical recommendations to ensure that the Guide effectively responds to the realities and aspirations of Member States.

The Global Foresight Focal Points Initiative is a new collaborative mechanism that seeks, through the establishment of a network of focal points across Member States, to facilitate the exchange of expertise and build a community of practice capable of developing foresight as a permanent institutional function.