Category: Director General

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is participating with a pavilion in the first edition of the International Children’s and Youth Book Fair, organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco, in Casablanca, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him. The book fair was inaugurated today, Wednesday 15 November 2023, and is scheduled to run until the 22nd of the same month.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, received Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaïd, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco, along with several senior figures attending the fair’s inauguration, at the Organization’s pavilion. Furthermore, he provided them with an overview of the said pavilion, showcasing publications in both print and digital formats, and key activities planned throughout the book fair days. These activities are primarily designed for children and youth, aligning with the ICESCO Year of Youth Program.

Dr. AlMalik also participated in the opening of the “Marvel” creators’ pavilion at the fair, which hosts seven Marvel graphic artists with significant contributions to the world of comic books.

ICESCO’s pavilion will host a diverse cultural, artistic, and entertainment program, encompassing numerous activities, discussion sessions, and dialogues tailored for children and youth, which will feature a distinguished gathering of thinkers, intellectuals, writers, and poets. Of particular note is an open dialogue session with Dr. AlMalik on Saturday 18 November 2023 to discuss crucial issues affecting the youth of the Islamic world, and present the Organization’s programs and projects to nurture their skills for future professions. Furthermore, the dialogue aims to promote a culture of strategic foresight and provide a platform for their opinions and suggestions on this matter.

Moreover, heads of sectors, directors of departments and centers, and experts from ICESCO will participate in the pavilion’s daily activities. Their involvement will entail an overview of the Organization’s efforts in the fields of education, science, and culture, especially those focused on children and youth. Additionally, seminars will be held on topics such as the Arabic language, heritage preservation and valorization, literary and artistic production for children and youth, and digital culture. The pavilion will also feature competitions and creative drawing workshops.

It is worth mentioning that this edition of the International Children’s and Youth Book Fair sees the participation of 255 exhibitors representing 33 countries, displaying thousands of books dedicated to children and youth across seven major exhibition halls, along with spaces for distinctive cultural and entertainment activities.

The third session of the International Conference on Combating Violent Extremism kicked off, on Tuesday (November 14, 2023), at ICESCO’s headquarters, in Rabat. This event, being held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence, and in cooperation with the Moroccan General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, the Mohammadia League of Scholars and the Policy Center for the New South, brings together high-level officials and representatives of international and regional organizations, in addition to an elite group of experts and researchers in the field of countering extremism.

The two-day conference, being held under the theme “Scientific Knowledge in Countering Violent Extremism,” began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an introduction delivered by Ambassador Khaled Fatahalrahman, Director of ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue.

During the opening session, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, gave an address, wherein he stressed that violent extremism did not appear out of thin air, but rather has many roots, adding that confronting this phenomenon begins by eradicating these roots, and indicating that extremism is not exclusive to a specific faith, region or nationality.

Moreover, the Director-General of ICESCO warned of the growing use of communication technology by violent extremist groups, especially artificial intelligence applications, explaining that children are affected by the consequences of the violent behavior nurtured through video games, which facilitate their recruitment by extremists in the future. He concluded his address by condemning the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian territories, which disrespect all international laws and norms.

In his address, Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi, Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Morocco, stressed that scientific knowledge is capable of immunizing people against extremist ideas, indicating the Kingdom’s keenness to adopt a national approach to combat terrorism and confront the causes of extremist ideologies.

Mr. Weixiong Chen, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Executive Committee at the Security Council, explained that terrorist and violent extremist groups seek to exploit environmental crises, poverty, weak governance and human rights violations to recruit more members.

For her part, Ms. Amina Bouayach, President of the National Council for Human Rights in Morocco, reaffirmed that the phenomenon of violent extremism represents a real threat to the democratic value systems and human rights. Dr. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Harfash, Vice-President of Naif University for Security Sciences for Foreign Relations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, praised the conference, which is consistent with the university’s efforts in the field of combating extremist ideology.

In his address, Mr. Hakim Bendaoud, representative of Morocco General Directorate of National Security, stressed that the security approach to confront terrorism cannot succeed alone, stressing that a comprehensive approach is needed to address and prevent all aspects and causes of extremism. Ambassador Mohamed Lolishki, senior researcher at the Policy Center for the New South, indicated that the spread of terrorism imposed the need to address this phenomenon in a comprehensive manner based on national strategies and international cooperation.

In his statement, Mr. Abdelouahed Jamali Idrissi, coordinator of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reintegration of Prisoners in Morocco, tackled the difficulties and challenges facing former prisoners in their reintegration into society. Mr. Carlos Alexandre Montrio Reyes, Head of the Office of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism and Training Program in Africa, stressed the importance of education as a tool for combating extremism.

In his address, Dr. Mustafa Al-Razrazi, head of the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence, highlighted the topics that the conference will discuss throughout its sessions with the aim of exchanging national and international expertise and experiences on confronting violent extremism.

After that, the first session of the conference began on the behavioral and psychological aspects related to recruitment and rejecting extremism. The second session discussed the role of knowledge in confronting extremism. The second day of the conference includes exchanging national and international experiences and expertise on extremism rejection programs and the danger of using technology and artificial intelligence in extremism, as well as experiences and good practices sharing on the return of foreign fighters and their families.

On Monday, 13 November 2023, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, accompanied by an Azerbaijani delegation including Dr. Murad Huseynov, Deputy Minister of Culture, and Ambassador Nazim Samedov, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Morocco.

At the outset of the meeting, attended by several heads of sectors and departments within the Organization, Dr. AlMalik welcomed Mr. Bayramov, stressing the distinguished partnership and cooperation between ICESCO and Azerbaijan, noting the crucial role of the latter as one of the Member States actively supporting ICESCO’s initiatives, programs, and activities. Dr. AlMalik expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to President Ilham Aliyev for his continuous support of ICESCO.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister commended ICESCO for supporting its Member States within its areas of expertise. He affirmed the deep appreciation of Azerbaijan’s political leadership for the Organization and its commitment to bolstering its programs and initiatives in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The meeting discussed the prominent initiatives and programs implemented by ICESCO, including the Young Professionals Program launched in 2022 with financial support from Azerbaijan. This program provides young talents in the Islamic world with the opportunity to undergo 24 months of professional training in ICESCO’s sectors, departments, and centers. Furthermore, the meeting also reviewed upcoming joint programs and projects, notably the celebration of Shusha as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic world 2024

Following the meeting, Dr. AlMalik and Mr. Bayramov met with the first group of participants in the said Program coming from 10 countries. The Minister congratulated them on their selection for this distinguished program, emphasizing its potential to develop their leadership and professional skills, which would contribute to the advancement of education, science, and culture in their countries.

Subsequently, the ICESCO Director-General, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, and the accompanying delegation visited the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at ICESCO Headquarters. The exhibition utilizes modern presentation techniques to narrate and document in detail the life of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and is part of the partnership between the organization, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammedan League of Scholars.

The Financial Control Committee of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) concluded its annual meeting, on Monday (November 13, 2023), held at the Organization’s headquarters, in Rabat, and issued its final report, which approved the financial reports submitted by the General Directorate of ICESCO and the closing accounts for the financial year 2022.

At the close of its meeting, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, met with the Committee members, namely Mr. Yussuf Ali Najar, representative of the State of Kuwait, as Chairman; and Mr. Abdulaziz bin Saad Addabas, representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as rapporteur; as well as Mr. Hazrul bin Ali, representative of Malaysia, Mr. Araz Baghirli, representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Mr. El Hadji Habib Kébé, representative of the Republic of Senegal, who participated via videoconference.

Dr. AlMalik commended the work and efforts of the Committee to develop financial governance of ICESCO by examining the financial reports submitted by the Organization and expressing its opinion thereon aimed at improving the Organization’s financial performance, stressing ICESCO’s keenness to establish a financial system marked by transparency and credibility towards its Member States. He also reviewed the development of the Organization’s action plans and budget by ensuring extra-budgetary resources for a set of programs and projects and urging several countries to pay their arrears to ICESCO’s budget.

For his part, Mr. Najar, Chairman of the Committee, commended ICESCO’s efforts and remarkable development, stressing the Committee’s keenness to cooperate closely and give recommendations, considering that the Committee’s work is likely to boost the Organization’s work.
The Committee’s meeting kicked off on Saturday (November 11, 2023), where Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, highlighted the importance of the meeting of the Financial Control Committee as an opportunity to review the Organization’s achievements in following up on and implementing the recommendations of previous meetings of the Committee.

The Committee’s agenda featured a follow-up on the implementation of its recommendations for the past year, an examination of the financial report of the General Directorate of ICESCO and the closing accounts for the financial year 2022, as well as the review of the report on Member States’ contributions to ICESCO’s budget for 2022, and the audit company’s report for the financial year 2022.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, the Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The two officials discussed ways to strengthen partnership and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, chief of which are education and its quality assessment, as well as the arrangements for jointly organizing the conference on the Program for International Student Assessment “PISA,” in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, held on Friday 10 November 2023, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, in the presence of officials from the two organizations, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the strategic partnership and fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and OECD since the signing of the memorandum of understanding, in November 2020, aiming to develop the education sector and improve education systems in the Islamic world. He also praised the joint initiatives and activities, particularly the PISA conference, held at ICESCO Headquarters, in November 2022.

The meeting also discussed details for implementing future programs between the two organizations in the field of education. This includes the arrangements for holding the “PISA” conference at the beginning of 2024, in the Republic of Azerbaijan, to assess education systems in the Islamic world, promote knowledge exchange, improve education systems’ quality, and find solutions to common challenges.
They also discussed efforts to keep up global requirements and develop education policies in Africa, bridging the glaring gap in educational systems between ICESCO Member States, and assisting them in developing their education systems by enhancing skills, building youth capacities, and developing their cognitive skills.

Mr. Mathias Cormann commended ICESCO’s efforts in its areas of competence and its outstanding collaboration with OECD, reviewing its implemented initiatives with a group of ICESCO Member States in the field of human resource development and strategic planning.
In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik presented the OECD Secretary-General with the ICESCO shield and invited him to be the guest of honor at the next session of the Conference of Ministers of Education in the Islamic world.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education signed a cooperation agreement to exchange technical expertise and knowledge in the preparation and implementation of research and programs related to quality, excellence and innovation in education, the development of educational policies, and the joint organization and implementation of a number of regional projects and activities in this field.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday (8 November 2023) in the French capital, Paris, by Dr. Salim Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General, and Dr. Abdulrahman Almedaires, Director-General of the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education, in the presence of Mr. Yousef Bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Minister of Education of the Kingdom Saudi Arabia, in conjunction with their participation in the 42nd session of UNESCO General Conference of, held from 7 to 22 November 2023.

Dr. Al-Malik expressed his happiness with signing of the agreement, noting that this agreement will strengthen partnership between ICESCO and the Centre, thus positively impacting the quality of education in Member States. For his part, Dr. Al- Almedaires stressed that the signing of the agreement is part of the Centre’s keenness to develop cooperation with ICESCO in areas of common interest. The agreement, which will cover a period of five years, stipulates the implementation of several joint projects between the two sides, including: the Arab model project for quality and excellence in education, and the educational leadership training project, in addition to holding regional workshops to support the quality and excellence of educational systems in Arab countries and the Islamic world.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, held a meeting to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in order to contribute to the development of education systems in the countries of the Islamic world.
During the meeting, held on Wednesday 8 November 2023 in the French capital Paris, on the occasion of the participation of both officials in the 42nd session of UNESCO’s General Conference, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, its efforts in activities, programs and initiatives to improve the educational process, strengthen open education and blended learning, as well as to ensure quality, equitable and inclusive education for all, empower women and girls and hone their skills.

The meeting also touched on mechanisms for developing the partnership between ICESCO and the Ministry, as well as cooperation to build the capacities and skills of young people in the Islamic world, drawing on the successful experiences of qualified Saudi human resources. In addition, they agreed to cooperate in supporting ICESCO’s fields of action, and to recruit Saudi executives who contribute to the enrichment of knowledge and the sharing of experience and expertise in the fields of education and teaching.

The Director General and the Saudi Minister of Education also discussed the hosting by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the next edition of the Conference of Ministers of Education in the Islamic World, and underlined their willingness to pursue joint action and partnership in the coming period to implement a set of joint programs and projects, and to coordinate efforts aimed at developing education policies and systems in the countries of the Islamic world, notably by encouraging them to integrate new technologies and to use open educational resources in teaching activities.