Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Ms. Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at the Office’s headquarters in New York City, United States.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s key initiatives and programs and their tangible results across its Member States. He underscored the Organization’s commitment to expanding its international partnerships and sharing successful expertise in support of sustainable development efforts and a stronger standing for countries of the Global South in shaping future solutions.

For her part, Ms. Al-Khatib expressed appreciation for ICESCO’s qualitative programs and commended the rapid progress it has made across its areas of action. She also invited ICESCO to join the “Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation,” an international platform that connects development needs with available expertise and opportunities and scales up successful solutions across countries of the Global South.

The meeting also addressed ICESCO’s potential membership in the “South-South Global Thinkers” initiative, a global coalition of think tank networks that enriches public policy dialogue, facilitates knowledge exchange, and promotes perspectives from the Global South on international development issues.

Both sides stressed the importance of building institutional cooperation that harnesses ICESCO’s capacities and extensive network across its Member States, contributes to youth and women empowerment, strengthens development solidarity, and transforms shared knowledge into initiatives with sustainable impact.

At the close of the meeting, Ms. Al-Khatib thanked Dr. AlMalik for his visit and expressed her anticipation of fruitful cooperation between UNOSSC and ICESCO.