The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) concluded its program aimed at training youth on creating and developing small-scale projects in technology and innovation in Mali. The announcement highlighted the three winning national-level teams out of 63 participating in the program carried out by ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector in Mali, in collaboration with the business incubators “New Innovation Space” and “DoniLab.”
During the final phase of the event held in Bamako on Friday, 22 December 2023, participants presented their technological project ideas before a jury comprising local experts and representatives of the “New Innovation Space” business incubator. During his address via video conferencing at the opening session, Dr. Mohamed Sharif, advisor in ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, commended the efforts of Islamic world youth in the fields of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, emphasizing their role in contributing to sustainable development in their respective countries.
The first-place winner was the “Jibo Services” team, presenting a project aimed at improving living conditions for rural residents by developing climate change adaptation mechanisms. The second-place winner, “Speak Mali”, proposed a project to convert waste into organic fertilizers through a specialized biodigester system. The third-place winner was the “Bololo Bop” team, introducing a digital advertisement platform which serves their ads through cultural shows.
It’s worth noting that ICESCO’s program for training youth on creating and developing small-scale technology and innovation projects was implemented in 10 Member States during its first edition in 2022, while the second edition will include 10 more countries by the end of 2023. This program is part of ICESCO’s strategy aimed at supporting startups in the field of innovation and technology within its Member States.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with Mr. Ahmed Sayed Ahmed Agg, Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament, President of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, to discuss developments in the partnership between ICESCO and Mauritania in cultural fields.
The meeting, which was held at the Ministry’s headquarters, came as part of ICESCO’s Director-General visit to Mauritania to attend the International Conference on the Role of Women Leaderships in Empowering Women in the Digital Field, the closing of Nouakchott Celebration as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2023, and the appointment of Her Excellency Dr. Maryam Mohamed Fadel Al-Dah, First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, as the Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the results of the reception of His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to Dr. AlMalik, the developments in the partnership between the Organization and Mauritania in the fields of education, science and culture, and ways of consolidating the outcomes of the celebration of Nouakchott, Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2023.
The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the proposals and mechanisms for developing a strategic plan to develop and promote the Mauritanian Mahdara, thus continuing its enlightenment role as the pillar of original education system in Mauritania and a beacon of its cultural identity throughout history.
The meeting saw the attendance of Mr. Mohamed Ould Sidi Abdallah, Secretary-General of the Mauritanian National Commission, while ICESCO was represented by Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector, Dr. Ahmed Saeed Abah, Advisor to the Director-General in charge of partnerships and international Cooperation Communication Sector and Dr. Nami Salehi, Supervisor of ICESCO Centre of Heritage in the Islamic World.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) met with Ms. Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President of Nouakchott Region in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
At the beginning of the meeting, held at the Region’s headquarters, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks and appreciation for the Region’s tireless efforts to contribute to the success of the Celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2023, a year-long festivity that showcased the city’s diverse and unique cultural heritage.
For her part, Ms. Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick commended ICESCO’s roles in ensuring the success of the celebration and taking part in the implementation of its activities throughout the year. She also commended the participation of ICESCO’s delegation in the closing ceremony.
The two parties reaffirmed their keenness to sustain coordination and cooperation to consolidate the cultural gains scored during the celebration year.
At the end of the meeting, the Director-General and Region President exchanged commemorative shields.
Prior to the meeting, the two parties visited the Permanent Cultural Diplomacy Exhibition, which was inaugurated at the Place de la Liberté in front of the Mauritanian Parliament, during the Celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic World. The Exhibition features photos of Mauritanian figures across a variety of fields, in addition to information on the country’s institutions.
They also visited the plaque placed in the same square bearing the poem, “Flower of Culture Capitals”, which Dr. AlMalik wrote and read out at the opening of the Celebration.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announced the appointment of Her Excellency Dr. Maryam Mohamed Fadel Al-Dah, First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, as the Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador, in recognition of her leading humanitarian roles, constructive social efforts and initiatives at the national and international levels.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, presented Her Excellency the First Lady with the certificate and medal of accreditation at the close of the celebration of Nouakchott, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2023, held on Friday (December 22, 2023), in the presence of high-level ministers, senior officials, and a number of ambassadors accredited to Mauritania.
Dr. AlMalik stressed that the appointment of the First Lady of Mauritania as ICESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador culminates her outstanding career in the fields of social, humanitarian and cultural action aimed at enhancing the status of women and achieving equality and social cohesion with her firm and belief that the progress and prosperity of societies is closely tied to the opportunities provided to women to fulfil leading role.
He added that Her Excellency Dr. Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah has been supporting ICESCO’s initiatives, highlighting that the Organization is endeavoring to implement many activities and programs for the benefit of women and youth in Muslim countries, with Her Excellency’s generous participation. “Dr. Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah will give new impetus to ICESCO’s Goodwill Ambassadors Program to disseminate the Organization’s goals and highlight its new vision towards educational, scientific and cultural development in the Islamic world,” stressed Dr. AlMalik.
The ceremony also featured a video produced by ICESCO on the First Lady’s sustained efforts in launching initiatives and programs as well as participation in international fora.
Following the accreditation ceremony, Her Excellency Dr. Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah expressed her happiness to be honored by ICESCO, stressing that it is an honor for Mauritanian women and an incentive for their creative efforts, conjunctly with the close of the Celebration of Nouakchott, Culture Capital in the Islamic World, which makes it even better, concluding her address by expressing her thanks to ICESCO.
It is noteworthy that within the framework of its new vision and strategic orientations, ICESCO has adopted a new framework for its Goodwill Ambassadors Program that takes into consideration the geographical distribution of ICESCO’s Member States and seeks to ensure the appointment of pioneering and influential women leaders, in their countries and abroad, and diversify the specialties these figures.
The activities of the celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2023 have officially concluded under the esteemed patronage of His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. This celebration was organized as part of the program of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) to honor the cities of the Islamic world. Over the course of the entire year, more than a hundred cultural activities were implemented, including exhibitions, intellectual forums, as well as a considerable number of training sessions and workshops.
The closing ceremony, held on Friday 22 December 2023, was attended by Dr. Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah, First Lady of Mauritania, along with several ministers and senior officials. The event began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a film showcasing the key moments of Nouakchott’s celebration as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2023.
Subsequently, a poem was presented to introduce the treasures of embedded within Mauritania’s cultural heritage and its rich components, which have fused together to give rise to a unique culture that incorporates all its diverse elements. Furthermore, a film was presented, offering a glimpse into the proceedings of the International Conference on the Role of Women’s Leadership in Empowering Women in the Digital Field, organized by ICESCO and its Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) in Nouakchott.
In his remarks, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, commended the remarkable success of the celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital. The event exemplified sophistication, beauty, diversity, and richness in activities and programs, emphasizing authenticity, literature, poetry, sports, and the development of the capabilities of children, youth, and women. Moreover, the celebration aimed at professional and digital training, and foresight.
Dr. AlMalik underscored that the conclusion of the celebration symbolizes the perpetuation of the global cultural journey, expressing gratitude to the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and all entities that contributed to the celebration. Dr. Al-Malik also shared a poem titled « Sun of Chinguetti », which he specifically composed for this occasion.
In her speech, Mrs. Fatima bint Abdelmalik, President of the Nouakchott Regional Council, affirmed that the designation of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2023 was a source of great pride for all. This recognition served as a valuable opportunity to spotlight Mauritania’s cultural heritage and the intellectual richness of the country, embodying what Mauritania represents as a convergence point for various African cultures.
Mr. Mohamed Sidi Abdallah, Secretary-General of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, praised the fruitful collaboration with all entities that contributed to the success of the celebration. He noted that this collaboration marked a significant milestone in valuing culture and cultural economy at the national level.
In the closing remarks, Mr. Ahmed Sid’Ahmed Dié, Mauritanian Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports, and Relations with Parliament, extended gratitude to ICESCO for its commendable efforts, starting from the designation of Nouakchott as Culture Capital to the continuous support throughout the year-long festivities. Mr. Agg pointed out that Mauritanian authorities gained valuable experience in organizing diverse activities during the celebration.
Following this, Dr. Mariem Mohamed Fadel Dah, First Lady of Mauritania, was declared ICESCO Goodwill Ambassador. For this, Dr. AlMalik presented her with a medal and an accreditation certificate.
The International Conference on the Role of Women Leaderships in Empowering Women in the Digital Field issued a set of recommendations, at the close of its proceedings, on Thursday, December 21, 2023, in Nouakchott, capital of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, following rich discussions and constructive interactions. The Conference was held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and its Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), and saw high-caliber women participation and experts in the field of digital transformation from ten countries.
The Conference, held under the patronage and in the presence of Dr. Maryam Fadel Al-Dah, the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, recommended focusing on digital governance, organizing intensive training sessions for girl dropouts, and promoting digital entrepreneurship. It also recommended bridging the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of Internet services, training children and young people in the fields of digitalization and AI ethics, and setting up digital networks for women and digital university centers.
Following the opening session, the Conference held its first panel, which focused on digitalization and gender, where Dr. Youssra Al-Jazairi, Associate Professor at the College of Dentistry at King Saud University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressed the importance of empowering women in the digital field, especially in the health sector, and providing opportunities to benefit from mobile technologies in service of remote areas.
Speaking next was Dr. Zeinebou Abdel Jelil, President of the National Youth Council in Mauritania, who highlighted her country’s efforts to bridge the gender gap in the field of technology and digital transformation, followed by Dr. Amal El-Fellah Seghrouchni, Executive President of the International Artificial Intelligence Center in the Kingdom of Morocco, who talked about the role of AI applications in promoting women’s presence in the digital field.
Moreover, Dr. Sonia M’Barek Assistant Professor and former Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tunisia, called on the developing countries to exert joint efforts to support women’s presence in the field of technology, while Dr. Khadijetou Mint Mohamed Salem, Deputy Director of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Digital Transformation in Mauritania, addressed her Ministry’s strategy and mechanisms to achieve digital transformation.
The first session was moderated by Dr. Sally Mabrouk, Expert in Institutional Development, who commended the quality of the discussion and the ideas and proposals put forth to contribute to bridging the gender gap in the digital field.
During the second panel on, “Digitalization: Challenges and Opportunities,” participants stressed the importance of access to information and Internet services. As for the last panel, the participants reviewed key success stories of women leadership in the digital field, major initiatives and successful experiences to promote the presence of women in the digital field, and mechanisms to address the challenges through building digitalization capacities.
At the close of the Conference, Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World, expressed his thanks to all participants for the rich discussions and constructive ideas to address the challenges facing women in the digital field, stating that the Federation will work towards implementing the Conference recommendation on building a digital network of women working in the field.
His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Thursday (December 21, 2023), at the Presidential Palace, in Nouakchott, one day before the close of Nouakchott Celebration as the Culture Capital in the Islamic world.
At the beginning of the meeting, the ICESCO Director-General expressed his great thanks and gratitude to His Excellency the President of Mauritania for granting his high patronage to this year-long celebration, which featured a wide range of cultural and artistic activities, and the organization of international conferences and workshops, adding glow to the city of Nouakchott, which demonstrated its ancient, unique and diverse cultural heritage.
He also commended the efforts of all parties that contributed to the success of the celebration, which is implemented within the framework of ICESCO’s program to celebrate the cities of the Islamic world, particularly the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.
For his part, His Excellency the President of Mauritania hailed the roles of ICESCO and its remarkable achievements in recent years, especially in safeguarding and promoting the Islamic world heritage, praising the inscription of the Mauritanian Mahdara on the Islamic World Heritage List, and calling on ICESCO to pay special attention to the promotion of the Mahdara as a unique human heritage.
Dr. AlMalik welcomed this call, indicating that Mauritania is one of the countries that has inscribed most historical sites and cultural elements on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List. Besides, he reiterated the Organization’s willingness to further develop the outstanding partnership with the Mauritanian parties in the fields of education, science and culture.
The meeting saw the presence of Mr. Mokhtar Ould Ajay, Minister in charge of the Cabinet of the Presidency, Mr. Ahmed Sid Ahmed Dié, Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament, and Mr. Mohamed Sidi Abdallah, Secretary-General of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, as well as Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector, and Dr. Nami Salehi, Supervisor of ICESCO Center of Heritage in the Islamic World.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and its affiliated Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) held the International Conference on the Role of Women Leaderships in Empowering Women in the Digital Field, under the patronage and in the presence of Dr. Maryam Fadel Al-Dah, the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The event aims at exploring ways to enhance women’s capacities in the digital transformation and economy, and sharing the relevant best practices.
The opening of the conference, which kicked off on Thursday (December 21, 2023), in Nouakchott, witnessed a high-level participation, including first ladies, ministers, women leaders and experts in the fields of technology, innovation and digital transformation, most notably Ms. Marieme Faye Sall, First Lady of the Republic of Senegal.
The conference began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a documentary about the Mauritanian experience and efforts to enhance digital transformation through the establishment of a number of bodies and platforms to protect data and encourage innovation.
In her address, the First Lady of Mauritania stressed that the advancement of societies and the achievement of development are linked to the empowerment of women and the achievement of equality in all fields, stating that additional efforts must be made in the field of education, training, scientific research and innovation to ensure women access to digital and entrepreneurial fields to which the conference’s sessions and discussions will contribute significantly.
In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, FUIW Secretary-General, underscored that empowerment is an act that anticipates the future, identifies needs, determines priorities, predicts risks and incorporates new developments, adding that the digital transformation has become the key to modern areas, which all women leaders must be equipped with.
“Women worldwide have achieved a significant leap in digital entrepreneurship, which would open new prospects for startups. However, there are many challenges facing women on the path to their digital empowerment, particularly the lack of innovation, the limited ability to develop new ideas and projects, lack of knowledge about the society’s needs, and the poor financial and administrative awareness” underscored Dr. AlMalik.
For her part, Ms. Fatima bint Abdelmalek, President of the Nouakchott Regional Council, reaffirmed that the conference is in line with the orientations of the Mauritanian government, which endeavors to integrate women into the economic sector and provide them with job opportunities in the digital field.
In his address, Mr. Mohamed Abdallah Louli, Minister of Mauritanian Digital Transformation, Innovation and Modernization of Administration, highlighted the major objectives and axes of the digital transformation strategy in the Republic to provide an appropriate environment for women in the digital field. For her part, Ms. Safiya bint Intah, Minister of Mauritanian Social Affairs, Children and Family, indicated that nearly four thousand projects of women have been funded and more than five thousand girls have been trained in the digital field, in addition to a number of other development programs.
Following the opening session, the Mauritanian First Lady and the Director-General of ICESCO along with the conference guests visited the exhibition, in which the entities and companies operating in the field of digital transformation in Mauritania provided explanations about their efforts to enhance the role of women in digital transformation and provide them with job opportunities.
Afterwards, the conference started its working sessions. The first session discussed ‘Digitization and gender: towards bridging the gender gap in the field of technology’. The second session addressed the topic of ‘Digitization: challenges and opportunities’ while the third session tackled ‘Women for information technology: the path toward success stories of women leaders in digital field’.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited the 3rd edition of “Joussour” Exhibition, being held in Casablanca, from 13 to 31 December 2023, by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Hassan II Mosque Foundation. This exhibition comes after its first edition in Thailand and the second in Albania.
During the visit, the exhibition organizers provided Dr. AlMalik with a detailed explanation of the rare books and manuscripts displayed at the exhibition. They also presented a hall illustrating the historical journey of Hajj throughout the ages, the role of the King Fahd Glorious Qur’an Printing Complex, Library of the Great Mosque of Mecca, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts in serving Muslims worldwide, as well as a pavilion dedicated to highlighting the historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
ICESCO Director-General commended the “Joussour” exhibition, affirming that all three editions of the Exhibition demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s efforts in building bridges with various countries worldwide, in line with the Kingdom’s vision, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister, promoting openness and communication with all, in consolidation of the values of coexistence and global peace.
Dr. AlMalik commended the Exhibition for showcasing the depth of historical relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Morocco. He also noted the importance of its presentations on Quranic competitions, care for Quran, in addition to historical, archaeological, and civilizational mosques, as well as rare manuscripts, serving as rich material for researchers. Moreover, the virtual Hajj journey allowed visitors to explore the rituals of Hajj’ and their performance, and a virtual visit to Mecca.
at the close of his visit, the Director-General extended gratitude to the exhibition organizers for the invitation and appreciated the initiatives by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance to present the true image of our compassionate religion, promoting coexistence, love, and peace.
Today, Tuesday 19 December 2023, knew the delivery of certificates for the inscription of historical sites and cultural elements on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Lists. The recipients were representatives of the states where these sites and elements were inscribed. The Event took place in the presence of high-level dignitaries including ministers, ambassadors, and representatives from accredited diplomatic missions in the Kingdom of Morocco.
In his opening remarks, ICESCO Director-General, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, emphasized the Organization’s commitment to safeguarding and valuing the Islamic world heritage, highlighting the cultural wealth it abounds with, and integrating culture into its rightful place; thus, ICESCO espoused a proposal to adopt this initiative as its 18th sustainable development goal.
He further noted that ICESCO’s inscription of historical and cultural sites on its lists came in response to the numerous elements threatening their continuation. By 2025, the Organization aims to register 1000 elements on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Lists, while continuing the training and qualifying of youth for the preparation of nomination files, conducting awareness campaigns, initiating heritage site protection measures, and adopting modern technology to preserve heritage.
Dr. AlMalik concluded his speech by reaffirming ICESCO’s keenness to collaborate with relevant institutions in Palestine to contribute to the reconstruction and restoration of our enduring heritage in Palestine, which has suffered great damage due to the aggressive, indiscriminate and ruthless destruction at the hands the Israeli occupation.
Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector at ICESCO, highlighted that the establishment of the Islamic World Heritage Center aims to manage, protect, and harness both tangible and intangible heritage.
Following this, Ms. Haifa Najjar, the Minister of Culture of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, delivered a lecture on Arab and Islamic initiatives in intercultural communication, wherein she touched upon the importance of repositioning the Islamic world on the global map through the inscription of tangible and intangible heritage. She also spoke about the “Amman Message” initiative, which aims to present Islam in a rational light, with a view to dispel misconceptions, honor humanity, and promote values of tolerance and coexistence.
In his lecture on the future challenges of heritage in the Islamic world, Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, shed light on the multitude of challenges facing the preservation and appreciation of heritage, including climatic, geopolitical, and ethical challenges. Dr. Benarfa also emphasized that heritage encompasses cultural and national values that must be safeguarded and reevaluated from new perspectives.
Following that, the new members of ICESCO’s Heritage Committee were introduced, chaired by Mr. Mohammad Al-Aidrous, the representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Subsequently, the Director-General of ICESCO, accompanied by the Jordanian Minister of Culture, and the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Communication, Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, delivered certificates for the inscription of historical sites and cultural elements on ICESCO’s Islamic world heritage lists to the attending country representatives.
