H.E. President Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, decorated Dr. Salim. M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) with the Title of Commander of the National Order of the Lion, the highest decoration offered by the Senegalese President to international figures.
The decoration came in recognition of Dr. AlMalik’s efforts to develop the fields of education, science and culture in the countries of the Islamic world, promote peace, anchor the values of coexistence and civilizational dialogue, and lead ICESCO to become a beacon of global outreach.
The decoration ceremony took place during the reception of the Director-General by H.E. The Senegalese President in the Presidential Palace in Dakar, on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. The reception was attended by Mr. Cheikh Oumar Anne, Minister of National Education, Special Advisor to the President, Secretary-General of the Senegalese National Commission, and the ICESCO delegation.
During this audience, Dr. AlMalik expressed his heartfelt thanks and appreciation to H.E. President Sall for his sustained support of ICESCO, stressing his keenness to maintain the great partnership relations between ICESCO and Senegal in the fields of education, science and culture.
For his part, H.E. the Senegalese president commended ICESCO’s efforts to support its Member States within its areas of competence, reaffirming his support for ICESCO and keenness to further develop cooperation relations with the Organization.
At the close of the audience, President Sall gifted the ICESCO Director-General a handmade rug made by Senegalese craftsmen, which reflects an aspect of the creative abundance of the heritage crafts in the Republic of Senegal. Dr. AlMalik presented the President with ICESCO’s Honorary Shield and Kaaba Door miniature.
His Excellency President Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, has approved the proposal put forth by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, appointing His Excellency as ICESCO Goodwill Ambassador, in appreciation of his leadership, constructive efforts, and recognized contributions to promoting the values of coexistence and peace in Senegal and across the African continent.
This announcement unfolded during the reception hosted by His Excellency President Macky Sall for Dr. AlMalik at the Presidential Palace in Dakar on 9 January 2024. The event was attended by Mr. Cheikh Oumar Anne, Senegalese Minister of National Education, the Special Advisor to the President, the Secretary-General of the Senegalese National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, along with the accompanying delegation from ICESCO.
Dr. AlMalik expressed deep gratitude and appreciation to President Sall for not only accepting the proposal, but also for his ongoing support to ICESCO.
Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited the historic island of Gorée in the Republic of Senegal, and the House of Slaves Museum there, where he was received by several members of the municipal council and Mr. Eloi Coly, the museum’s curator who provided some details about the history of “Slavery Island,” that was discovered in the fifteenth century A.D. and registered on the World Heritage List in 1978.
During the visit, on 9 January 2024, ICESCO Director-General toured the different sections of the Museum, which embodies the history of the charming island located off the coast of the Senegalese capital, Dakar, whose strategic location was the reason for its successive occupation by four colonial powers: Portugal, France, the Netherlands, and England. Its unique buildings still bear witness to this colonial era.
Dr. Al-Malik expressed his admiration for the Museum and the historical importance of the island, which, despite its small surface, was the largest center for the slave trade on the African coast, as more than 15,000 Africans were deported from it to Europe and the Americas between 1726 and 1848. He urged the museum curator to submit a file to register the Island on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.
At the conclusion of the visit, Dr. AlMalik expressed the Organization’s readiness to cooperate in developing the Island, as part of partnership with Senegal in the cultural fields, and signed in the golden record of the Museum.
Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to host the meetings of the 44th session of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and the second consultative meeting of the Organization from 16 to 18 January 2024. These meetings, organized by ICESCO and hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, will see the participation of delegations from the Organization’s Member States, as well as representatives from major regional and international organizations and bodies.
The ICESCO Executive Council agenda includes an inaugural session featuring speeches by Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, and President of ICESCO General Conference; Dr. Dawas Tayseer Dawas, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, Chairman of ICESCO’s Executive Council; Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General; Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Bulahid, Secretary-General of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science; Additionally, guests of honor Mr. Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and Dr. Nicholas Peter, President of the International Space University in France, will also deliver speeches.
Moreover, the agenda will involve the award ceremony of the ICESCO prize for girls’ and women’s literacy to the 2023 edition winners. The prize is awarded to civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations working towards achieving women’s and girls’ literacy. It will also include a presentation on the Cultural Indicators for Islamic world countries, the signing of agreements between ICESCO and several international organizations and institutions, and working sessions to review reports on ICESCO’s achievements and activities of 2023, the Organization’s action plan and budget for 2024-2025, progress made in drafting the Islamic World Charter for Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse, in addition to the periodic reports on the Organization’s work.
The second consultative meeting of ICESCO will precede the Executive Council session under the theme: “From Quality to Excellence: ICESCO’s New Strategy.” This meeting, which brings together the Organization’s General Directorate and representatives of the National Commissions for Education, Science, and Culture, aims to identify the priorities and needs of Member States, and devise action plans and programs that align with these priorities and needs. The Meeting will include a presentation on the challenges and opportunities facing the Islamic world, brainstorming sessions and idea generation with several themes, including “Let’s Shape ICESCO’s Future Together: The ICESCO You Want,” “Innovation in ICESCO’s Strategy,” “Major Global Events Affecting Member States,” “Building Scenarios and Formulating Common Strategic Directions for the Future of the Islamic World,” and “Inter-generational Dialogue.”
In the presence of His Excellency Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated in the opening ceremony of the twelfth session of the National Festival of Arts and Culture, in Fatick, Senegal. The ceremony also saw the presence of Mr. Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, which is the guest of honor, along with a number of ministers and representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations.
During the grand opening ceremony, organized on Monday evening (January 8, 2024), His Excellency President Macky Sall welcomed the participants, stressing the importance of culture, heritage and arts in achieving sustainable development, and announced the inauguration of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which is supervised by the Muslim World League, in Dakar, scheduled on February 5, 2024.
In his address, Dr. AlMalik expressed his great pleasure at participating in the festival, which aims to promote cultural heritage, noting the efforts of President Macky Sall to develop the economy, promote entrepreneurship among youth and women, and develop a model for peace, social cohesion and civilizational dialogue, in order to consolidate the values of coexistence, peace and stability in the African continent and worldwide.
At the end of his address, ICESCO Director-General congratulated Senegal on its election as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, underscoring ICESCO’s keenness to strengthen partnership with its Member States, including the Republic of Senegal.
In the address of the Kingdom of Morocco, the festival guest of honor, Mr. Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid highlighted the deeply-rooted historical relations between Morocco and Senegal, stressing the role of culture and heritage in preserving African identity, especially among young people.
It is noteworthy that the current session of the festival, which spans over four days, is held in Fatick, the birthplace of the President of the Republic of Senegal, under the theme, ‘Macky, Arts and Heritage’. The program includes a national book fair, lectures on culture and arts, forums and workshops, in addition to a number of artistic and folklore performances to introduce the rich cultural heritage of Senegal.
The program also features artistic and folklore performances from the Kingdom of Morocco, the festival guest of honor.
Dr. Salim. M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Amb. Li Changlin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Morocco, and together they explored prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and China in the organization of a number of cultural activities.
During the meeting, held on Thursday, January 4, 2024, the two parties expressed their keenness to build fruitful cooperation relations between ICESCO and China and reviewed the measures taken to achieve this goal since their last meeting.
In this regard, the Chinese Ambassador stated that during his last visit to China, he held several meetings with a number of Chinese officials to discuss the prospects of cooperation with ICESCO. The Ambassador reported that he has received positive response on their end and readiness to open up to the Organization as a gateway to promote cooperation with the countries of the Islamic world, welcoming the participation of ICESCO’s delegations in some of the cultural activities in China.
The meeting discussed cooperation proposals with regard to the organization of a number of cultural activities of common interest. Dr. AlMalik proposed the organization of a Chinese cultural week as part of the year-long celebration of Marrakesh as the 2024 Culture Capital in the Islamic World. He stated that this celebration is held in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, within the framework of the ICESCO program to celebrate historical cities in the Islamic World.
Following the meeting, the Director-General accompanied the Chinese Ambassador and his delegation on a visit to the various sections and pavilions of the Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at ICESCO headquarters, as a result of trilateral partnership between the Organization, the Muslim World League and the Muhammedia League of Scholars.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Khalid Salim Bamakhalif, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom of Morocco, and together they discussed ways to enhance the outstanding partnership between ICESCO and the Sultanate in the educational, scientific and cultural fields.
At the outset of the meeting, held on Thursday (January 4, 2024), at ICESCO’s headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Ambassador Bamakhalif on his appointment as Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Morocco, wishing him every success in his mission.
Dr. AlMalik also reviewed the salient aspects of the Organization’s vision and its strategic orientations, which are based on openness and cooperation with all parties for the benefit of Member States and Muslim communities around the world, stressing ICESCO’s keenness to promote foresight culture, consolidate the values of peace, civilizational dialogue and coexistence, build women and youth capacities, and encourage Member States to invest in space sciences and support its efforts geared towards leveraging modern technologies to achieve sustainable development.
The meeting, which saw the presence of many heads of sector and department at ICESCO, touched on the major activities implemented within the framework of the outstanding partnership between the Organization and the Sultanate of Oman, and the upcoming period cooperation, in coordination with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, particularly the Conference of Ministers of Education in the Islamic World, due to be hosted by the Sultanate, in 2024, and the agreement to establish ICESCO Chair for Artificial Intelligence Ethics at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, due to be signed at the upcoming Executive Council of ICESCO in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
For his part, Ambassador Bamakhalif commended ICESCO’s roles in supporting its Member States in its areas of competence, hailing the qualitative leap the Organization has witnessed over the past four years, and the recruitment of competent staff, who have strengthened its presence at the international level.
Afterwards, ICESCO Director-General took the Omani ambassador on a tour of the Organization’s headquarters, and the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at ICESCO’s headquarters, in partnership with the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.
Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Sami bin Abdullah Al-Saleh, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Kingdom of Morocco and both discussed several topics of common interest and touched on the distinguished partnership between ICESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Al-Malik began the meeting, which took place on Thursday, 28 December 2023 at the embassy headquarters in Rabat, by congratulating Dr. Al-Saleh on the royal trust and his appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Kingdom of Morocco, wishing him success in his mission.
He stressed the depth and distinction of relations between ICESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and affirmed the Organization’s great appreciation for the support it received from the Kingdom under the wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and of the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister.
ICESCO Director-General stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the Organization’s Executive Council next month in the city of Jeddah, commending the cooperation of Saudi authorities and institutions working in the areas of ICESCO’s competence, in coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
For his part, the Saudi Ambassador to Rabat appreciated ICESCO’s roles and efforts to support its Member States in its areas of competence, stressing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness to develop cooperation with the organization.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), convened with 120 master’s students in International Law and Diplomatic Advocacy at the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock, Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco. The meeting took place at ICESCO Headquarters and was attended by the dean of the faculty, the master’s program coordinator, faculty members, along with several sector heads, department and center directors at ICESCO.
During his opening remarks at the meeting on Wednesday 27 December 2023, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of the Legal Affairs and International Standards Department at ICESCO, welcomed the research students and underscored the importance of professions and disciplines associated with international law as catalysts for the functioning of international organizations. Mr. Shili highlighted that this meeting marks a new milestone in ICESCO’s commitment to fostering collaboration with universities.
Afterward, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main aspects of the key developments that ICESCO has undergone over the past four years, in terms of organizational and administrative structure, strategic and forward-looking vision, and openness to Member and non-Member States. Additionally, he pointed out the notable advancement in ICESCO’s activities, attributing it to the recruitment of experienced experts and young talents from 35 countries to work or undergo training at the Organization.
Dr. Almalik explained that ICESCO’s new vision embraces collaboration with universities and higher education institutions, recognizing them as incubators for creativity and innovation. Furthermore, he affirmed the Organization’s unwavering dedication to advancing fields of education, science, culture, heritage preservation, and promoting peace and security. In this context, ICESCO has launched and implemented various ongoing programs and initiatives and established scientific chairs in esteemed international universities that have yielded valuable research and studies.
For his part, Dr. Abdellatif Komat, Dean of the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock, expressed appreciation for ICESCO’s noteworthy efforts in furthering the fields of science, education, and culture. He commended the Organization’s initiative to offer students opportunities to understand its work and highlighted its focus on the training and development of youth skills.
Subsequently, the students were allowed to pose their questions to Dr. AlMalik, who provided responses and confirmed that the Organization has established numerous partnerships with various international entities to contribute to sustainable development. He reiterated the ongoing focus on foresight, positioning youth and women as pivotal elements in future plans and emphasizing the importance of digitization and leveraging artificial intelligence for technological progress and digital transformation.
Dr. Komat and the faculty members presented shields from Hassan II University and the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock to Dr. AlMalik as an appreciation for steering ICESCO and supporting its Member States in their respective fields of expertise.
By the end of the meeting, the students and faculty members visited the International Exhibition and Museum on the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at the ICESCO Headquarters, as part of the partnership between the Organization and the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.
As part of its celebration of the World Arabic Language Day, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the International Conference, Diplomatic Outlook on the Arabic Language, on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at its headquarters in Rabat. The Conference brought together high-caliber participation including officials, ambassadors and members of foreign diplomatic missions in a number of countries, for whom Arabic has played a key role in advancing their careers. The Conference discussed the importance of developing programs for teaching Arabic for diplomatic purposes and raising awareness of this language’s civilizational significance and great impact in the political and diplomatic scene.
The Conference opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an address by Dr. Majdi Hajji Ibrahim, Head of the Center for Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, who welcomed the participants, commending their efforts to promote and disseminate the Arabic language.
In his address, Dr. Salim. M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, stated that the Conference is held at the end of a year full of achievements and initiatives, including the leading initiative to coin the concept of civilizational diplomacy, stating that language communication is one of the pillars of the civilizational diplomacy ICESCO seeks to anchor.
Dr. AlMalik added that the creative contributions of the Arabic language in computer and digital applications remain scarce, noting that foresight studies indicate that Arabic can score more outreach on the global linguistic scene, which calls for according more attention to strategic linguistic planning to disseminate Arabic and consolidate its global status.
Afterwards, Amb. Dr. Abdulaziz Ahmad, Ambassador of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, talked about his journey learning Arabic, which started with memorizing the Holy Quran, calling for providing modern Arabic dictionaries. Speaking next, Amb. Mohammad Sami Rahman, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the Kingdom of Morocco, stated that language is one of the key tools to reflect nations’ cultures, noting that a language’s beauty is manifested through its strong expressive abilities and rich vocabulary.
For his part, Dr. Rachid Lahlou, Former Moroccan Ambassador to the UN, highlighted the history of adopting and using Arabic in international diplomacy, starting with its first use in the United Nations in 1955, up to its adoption as an official UN language as the General Assembly held in 1973.
The Conference featured a video screening on ICESCO’s series, Diplomatic Outlook on the Arabic Language, which included meetings with a number of foreign ambassadors who talked about their experiences and interesting journeys learning the Arabic language.
Following the opening session, the first working session was held under the theme, “Challenges to learning Arabic in the international diplomatic and political sphere”, with the participation of a number of diplomats from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Chad and Spain.
Afterwards, the names of the winners of ICESCO Youth Contest for Digital Arabic Content were announced. The ICESCO Director-General presented the prizes to the three winners, namely, “International Open Arabic Platform” from Türkiye (first prize winner), Shuruq Library App from Kuwait (second prize winner) and the Arabic Garden App from Morocco (third prize winner).
The second working session discussed the theme, “Prospects of the Arabic language in the fields of politics and diplomacy”, which saw the participation of a host of experts from Morocco, Japan, Jordan and Türkiye. The Conference concluded its proceedings by holding a specialized training session on modern methods to teach Arabic for diplomatic purposes, moderated by the international expert, Dr. Mohamed Alaoui from Sultan Moulay Slimane in the Kingdom of Morocco.
