Category: Director General

At the Beit-Salam Presidential Palace in Moroni, capital of the Union of the Comoros, the signing ceremony for the second edition of ICESCO’s book “Peace 360°: from the Talk to the Walk: Building Partnerships and Strengthening Synergies for Peace” was held by H.E. Mr. Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of the Comoros, chairman of the African Union. The ceremony took place in the presence of H.E. Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG) as well as several ministers and advisors to the President of the Union and senior officials.

The ceremony took place on Monday 24 July 2023, following the reception of the ICESCO DG and the accompanying delegation. The ceremony began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a speech by Dr. AlMalik, who expressed his thanks and gratitude to H.E. President Azali Assoumani for having honored the second edition of the book “Peace at 360°” by writing its preface. He also praised the Comoros’ sincere commitment to development and prosperity and its dedication to improving the living conditions of its citizens.

In addition, ICESCO DG reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to supporting the efforts of the Union of the Comoros in several areas, in particular those concerning the advancement of women and the empowerment of young people, especially in the fields of technology and the development of skills for future jobs. He also announced that ICESCO would renew its delegation in Moroni to become a center for teaching the Arabic language for non-Arabic speakers and a regional unique and influential beacon.

In his speech at the ceremony, H.E. the President of the Union of the Comoros Mr. Assoumani, who is also this year’s chairman of the African Union, expressed his support for ICESCO’s new vision to achieve its objectives by spreading the culture of peace and security, which constitute the keystone for coexistence, progress and development, commending the process of development and renewal witnessed by the Organization over the past four years.

In the same vein, he stressed the Union of the Comoros’ commitment to developing cooperation with ICESCO and supporting its programs and initiatives, calling for the integration of security and peace education in school curricula, and striving together to put an end to wars and conflicts, eradicate poverty and promote unity and cooperation.

For her part, ICESCO’s Young Ambassador for Peace, Ms. Faiznat Mze Issilame, from the Union of the Comoros, also presented a summary of the contents of the second edition of the “Peace 360°” book.

H.E. Mr. Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of the Comoros, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at the Beit-Salam Presidential Palace in Moroni, at the end of the official visit of ICESCO’s DG and the accompanying delegation to the Union of the Comoros.

At the start of the meeting, which took place on Monday 24 July 2023, Dr. AlMalik expressed his warm thanks and deep gratitude to H.E. the President of the Comoros for the warm reception and hospitality himself and the accompanying delegation received, as well as for the interest shown by Comorian ministers and officials in strengthening cooperation with ICESCO, in coordination with the Comorian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

In addition, ICESCO’s DG presented to the president of the Comoros the main programs and projects currently implemented by the Organization, particularly in African countries, as well as its efforts to ensure equal opportunities in terms of access to education, addressing the problem of school girls dropout, combating child labor, striving to reject violence and consolidating the values of coexistence and peace, through a training program of youth and women on leadership for peace and security which trains ICESCO’s Ambassadors for Peace.

For his part, H.E. Mr. Assoumani praised the processes of development and renewal that ICESCO has undergone over the past four years, under the leadership of its Director-General, Dr. Salim AlMalik, who spares no effort to serve the interests of its Member States, reaffirming the keenness of the Union of the Comoros to cooperate with ICESCO to achieve its objectives, and to support its programs and projects aimed at achieving sustainable development in its Member States.

He added that the Comorian people appreciate the Organization’s efforts to reform the education systems and safeguard the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of its Member States, including the Union of the Comoros.

At the end of the meeting, President Assoumani presented Dr. AlMalik with a commemorative medal bearing the emblem of the Union of the Comoros. For his part, ICESCO DG presented the Organization’s shield to the President of the Comoros.

Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) met Dr. Loub Yakout Zaïdou, Minister for Health, Solidarity, Social Protection and Gender Promotion of the Union of the Comoros, and explored cooperation prospects between the two sides in promoting health awareness and supporting women and girls.

During the meeting, held on 22 July 2023 in Moroni, Dr. Al-Malik stressed the great interest ICESCO attaches in its vision and action strategy to health issues as an essential component of the development of society, highlighting the Organization’s efforts in supporting Member States in the field of health through its implementation of numerous programmes and projects in the fields of health and social and human sciences, and the organization of socio-educational and medical caravans.

For her part, Dr. Loub reviewed the challenges facing the Comoros in the areas of physical and psychological health, issues of women, children and youth, stressing the urgent need to benefit from ICESCO’s support to train healthcare personnel, establish mental health centres for the benefit of children with special needs, and rehabilitation centres for drug victims, and commended ICESCO’s socio- educational and medical caravans.

At the end of the meeting, the two parties agreed to continue coordination to support the Ministry’s efforts to enhance the status of women in the Union of the Comoros, contribute to its economic development through income-generating activities and support women entrepreneurs.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) met on 22 July 2023 in Moroni, with Mr. Djaanfar Salim, Comorian Minister of Youth, Employment, Labour, Sports, Arts and Culture to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in culture, arts and youth capacity building.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik reviewed a number of important upcoming events related to culture and youth, including the Conference of Culture Ministers in the Islamic World due to be held in October 2023 in Doha, and the ICESCO Youth Year, which will begin in September 2023 under the auspices of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi of Egypt, thus reflecting the special attention the Organization devotes to youth through pioneering programs, such as the ICESCO Youth Peace Ambassadors Program and the Young Professionals Program.

ICESCO Director-General highlighted the importance of heritage preservation in the Organization’s orientations and action plans through its programme to inscribe historic sites and cultural elements on the Islamic World Heritage List, calling on the Minister to submit files for the inscription of Comorian heritage sites on this list.

In addition, he reiterated ICESCO’s readiness to accompany the Comoros in the field of culture and heritage, through the organization of training workshops and capacity building for the benefit of national officials in the preparation of applications for the inscription of heritage sites.

For his part, Mr. Djaanfar welcomed ICESCO’s vision in addressing cultural issues in the Islamic world and welcomed the efforts of the Organization and the practical mechanisms it provides for Member States to benefit from its expertise and various programmes. He also announced that the ministry is ready to prepare the files for the inscription of Comorian heritage sites on the Islamic World Heritage List. He noted that ICESCO’s proclamation of the Year of Youth is fully in line with the Comoros’ orientations, which give young people a prominent place in its development policies, through the creation of the National Youth Council.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Ms. Kanizat Ibrahim, Vice-President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and discussed cooperation between the Organization and the Federation, particularly in terms of encouraging women in the Islamic world to engage in sports activities, and consolidating values through sport.
At the start of the meeting, held in Moroni in the presence of Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Human and Social Sciences Sector, and Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to the Director-General in charge of ICESCO’s external Arabic language centers, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks to Ms. Kanizat for her valuable participation in January 2023 in ICESCO’s first International Forum: “Women in Sport,” praising her successful professional career, as one of the sports icons in the Comoros and Africa, and the first woman to hold the position of Vice President of CAF.

During the meeting, which was held on Saturday 22 July 2023, ICESCO officials presented the Organization’s initiative to reintegrate street children through sport, in particular football. They also reaffirmed ICESCO’s conviction of the importance of promoting women’s participation in Africa and the Islamic world in sporting activities, including football, and of supporting women leaders at the head of national and international sports structures.

The meeting also touched upon proposals for cooperation between ICESCO and CAF, notably about youth, the integration of women from the Islamic world into sporting activities, the consolidation of values through sport and the promotion of the educational dimension of sport, particularly football.

Both parties agreed to pursue coordination to agree on several specific programs and projects for cooperation between ICESCO and CAF and sign an agreement thereon.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented Ms. Kanizat with the fifth edition of “The Societies We Want” magazine, published by ICESCO on its “Sport for Social Impact: Harnessing the Power of Sport to Build Inclusive and Resilient Societies” initiative.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), began his official visit to the Union of the Comoros with a meeting with Dr. Takiddine Youssouf, Minister of National Education, Scientific Research, Training and Professional Integration, President of the National Commission. The two officials exchanged views on strengthening cooperation between ICESCO and the Union of the Comoros in the fields of education, higher education, vocational training, capacity-building for women and youth, the teaching of Arabic and the integration of the values of coexistence and peace into educational curricula, the use of sport to consolidate these values, and the preservation of heritage sites.

During the meeting, which took place on Friday 21 July 2023 at the Ministry headquarters in Moroni, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, which place Africa at the top of its priorities, and pay particular attention to women and youth issues, heritage preservation and adaptation to the needs of Member States in its action plans, pointing out that the Organization has adopted openness to serve its Member States.

Dr. AlMalik added that ICESCO strongly supports the development of education systems in its Member States, and underlined the Organization’s support for the teaching of Arabic in non-Arabic-speaking countries, through the creation of national training poles of excellence in the field of Arabic language teaching.

For his part, Dr. Youssouf expressed his deep appreciation for the great support the Comorian education sector has received from ICESCO in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which enabled the Comoros to ensure the continuity of the educational process. He also reviewed the projects that the Ministry plans to implement with ICESCO’s support.

The two parties agreed to work together to build the capacities of educational and university institutions in the Union of the Comoros, through ICESCO’s creation of a national center of excellence in Arabic language training, and its technical support for the creation of a PhD program and a faculty of medicine. It was also agreed to pursue coordination to establish appropriate funding mechanisms for cooperation programs.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Human and Social Sciences Sector, and Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to the Director-General in charge of ICESCO’s external Arabic language centers. It also brought together a number of senior education officials from the Union of the Comoros.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the Ministry of Education in the Republic of Yemen and the Benevolence Coalition for Humanitarian Relief (BCHR) Foundation have signed an agreement to implement a remedial education project for out-of-school girls in Yemen. The project is part of the cooperation between ICESCO and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) to provide the necessary educational support and teaching resources and offer a second educational opportunity to girls who have dropped out of school.

The agreement was signed remotely on Wednesday, 19 July 2023, by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, Dr. Tareq Salem al-Abkari, Yemeni Minister of Education, and Engineer Fahmi bin Mansour, CEO of BCHR.

At the signing ceremony, which was attended by Dr. Koumbou Barry, Head of ICESCO’s Education Sector, and Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of ICESCO’s Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks and gratitude to KSRelief for its generous funding of this important project, noting that ICESCO accords major importance to education given its role in achieving sustainable development and for being the best investment to ensure a better future.

For his part, Dr. Al-Akbari welcomed the agreement, which will help develop the education system in Yemen, empower future generations and protect them from destructive ideas, underlining the Ministry’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with ICESCO.

The Foundation’s CEO welcomed the launch of the project, which provides a valuable service to girls who have dropped out of school in Yemen, and thanked the Yemeni Ministry, ICESCO and KSRelief for their support of the project, whose initial phases have been highly successful.

Under the terms of the agreement, BCHR will undertake the implementation of the project in 7 Yemeni governorates over a 12-month period, the KSRelief will fund the project, while ICESCO will oversee its management and monitor all its implementation stages. In addition, the project will equip 21 schools for girls’ education in the beneficiary areas, provide school bags and supplies to 19,000 girls, organize training programs to develop the capacities of 350 professionals in the field of girls’ education and equip 100 alternative classrooms to take in girls who have dropped out of school and in displacement camps. It will also provide professional support for the families of drop-out girls, facilitate procedures for welcoming displaced girls into schools, and create awareness-raising programs that encourage girls’ schooling.

The International Scientific Forum “Culture and Arts and their Role in Combating Crime and Extremism”, held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in partnership with the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the Gulf Cooperation Council States, issued several important recommendations at the close of its proceedings, which saw the presentation of visions, innovative ideas and rich debates among leaders and experts in the fields of justice, security, culture and the arts.

The recommendations, released at the end of the Forum on Tuesday, 18 July 2023, included a renewed call for a global definition of extremism to address it from a perspective of justice and equity, an invitation to intellectuals to contribute positively and effectively to enrich the “dialogue of culture and arts on crime and extremism,” the promotion of the roles of the socio-economic and cultural approach in the strategy of combating extremism and terrorism, and the call for making creative training essential and attractive subjects into pre-university studies.

The recommendations also included the need to empower young people to face major global challenges, the creation of regional centers to provide cultural and artistic services, support for adherence to international conventions and treaties related to the fight against crime and extremism, and the need to intensify official control of all artistic works and visions presented through audiovisual messages to combat ideas that contradict religious and social values.

The participants welcomed ICESCO’s initiative to create a scientific chair on cultural approaches to the fight against crime and extremism, in cooperation with the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The second day of the Forum featured five sessions: 1) culture and the arts as a permanent soft power for coexistence between civilizations and peoples; 2) the importance of cultural and artistic content in the fight against extremism; 3) the importance of supporting coexistence between individuals, peoples and civilizations in the fight against extremism; 4) the impact of some cultural and artistic practices in the fight against extremism and crime; 5) types of best practices of cultural and artistic institutions in the fight against extremism and crime.

At the end of the Forum, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, delivered a speech in which he thanked all of the participants for their commendable contributions during the said sessions and discussions, stressing that they would be examined by the scientific committee of the Forum with a view to including them in the final report.

ICESCO Director-General praised the distinguished partnership between the Organization and the Naif Arab University of Security Sciences, expressing his gratitude to the University’s leadership and his pride in the partnership.