Category: Director General

In a bid to promote the role of the civil society institutions in promoting and protecting cultural heritage, exchanging expertise in this field, and addressing its issues from a global standpoint, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Rabat Salé Mémoire Association organized a colloquium on “Role of Civil Society in Cultural Heritage Policy.” The event saw high-caliber participation including heritage officials and experts and a large number of heritage protection associations in the Kingdom of Morocco and other Arab and African countries.

This symposium was held at ICESCO Headquarters, today, Tuesday, July 5, 2022, as part of the Programme of the celebration of Rabat as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022. The Colloquium reflects ICESCO’s vision and working strategy in the field of safeguarding and promoting the heritage of the Islamic world through opening up and cooperating with the competent parties in the Member States and the civil society institutions concerned with protecting tangible and intangible heritage.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), addressed the participants at the opening session and noted that civil society is a key element in the effective planning and implementation of heritage protection activities, given its functional abilities to support government authorities in this field. He added that guided by international standards, ICESCO accords special attention to building the capacities of professionals working in the various fields of cultural heritage.

In addition, the DG announced that ICESCO will soon publish a collection of textbooks and guidebooks on the various forms of heritage and ways to deal with them, stating that ICESCO works on developing university heritage curricula and training programs, in cooperation with civil society institutions active in the field of heritage.

In his address, Mr. Mohammed Fikri Benabdallah, President of Rabat Salé Mémoire Association, expressed his delight at the fruitful partnership between the Association and ICESCO, noting that urban heritage is key in light of the rapidly changing international context. He also highlighted the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco to promote heritage.

For his part, Mr. Mohamed Mahdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, highlighted the event’s importance, reaffirming the status of Rabat as a city of coexistence between various cultures.

Taking the floor next, Mr. Abdelkrim Bennani, President of Ribat Al-Fath Association, talked about the role of the civil society in casting light on shortcomings in dealing with historical and civilizational landmarks and intellectual productions, stressing the need to adopt a participatory vision that engages all stakeholders in heritage protection.

As for Mr. Noureddine Chemaou, President of Bouregreg Association, he highlighted the roles of the civil society in promoting cultural heritage and talked about his association’s efforts to safeguard heritage and promote its cultural components, stressing the importance of fostering cultural heritage industries.

At the close of the opening session, a framework agreement was signed between ICESCO and the Rabat Salé Mémoire Association for cooperation in the field of heritage.

The first session of the colloquium discussed the role of civil society in the Kingdom of Morocco in promoting cultural heritage, while the second focused on leading experiences in cultural heritage promotion in the Islamic world.

The Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC), during the final report of its 10th meeting, held at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, on Monday, July 4, 2022, decided to inscribe 141 historical sites and cultural elements on the Final and Tentative Islamic World Heritage Lists (IWHL). The total number of inscriptions on ICESCO’s IWHL has reached 473 historical sites and cultural elements from 34 countries.

After examining the files submitted for inscription on ICESCO’s IWHL, IWHC decided to inscribe 49 historical sites and cultural elements on the Final List, including 21 historical sites (tangible heritage) and 28 cultural elements (intangible heritage), from 10 ICESCO Member States, and 80 files on the Tentative List, including 61 historical sites (tangible heritage) and 19 cultural elements (intangible heritage) from 8 countries.

The decisions issued by the Committee at its 10th meeting also included the establishment of a new list under the name: “List of Best Practices for Safeguarding the Elements of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage,” the adoption of an IWHC achievements report between the two sessions of 2019 and 2022 and the adoption of the vision of the Islamic world Heritage Center (IWHC) for the valorization of heritage within the 2022-2023 action plan. The Committee also adopted the “ICESCO Young Ambassadors Program for the Islamic World Heritage” and decided that the duration of the first cycle of the Program would be two years, aiming to train 3000 young men and women and selecting 30 ambassadors from among them, provided that they will represent the three geographical regions of the Organization’s Member States.

The Committee’s Members authorized the IWHC Head to review the book “Heritage of the Islamic World”, the first part of which was prepared by the Committee’s General Secretariat based on a previous decision, and to make the necessary amendments to it, with the help of the expert of the Scientific Assistance Committee and to prepare the final version for printing and distributing to the Member States.

The IWHC’s 10th Meeting brought together representatives of the following Member States: The State of Kuwait, the Republic of Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the Scientific Committee from the Kingdom of Moroccan). Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia and the Federal Republic of Nigeria did not attend the Meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), presided over, on Monday 4th July 2022, the closing ceremony of the training session on project management, held by ICESCO in partnership with the Institut des Hautes Études de Management (HEM) in Casablanca, for the benefit of the experts and staff of the Organization’s Departments and Centers, with a view to developing their skills and strengthening their capacities in preparing and proposing projects.

The DG presented to the participants the certificates of completion of the five-day session that included training on the basics of project management, scheduling action plans for their implementation, identification of ways to create an appropriate environment for their success, and the necessary financial and human resources, preparation of reports and evaluation and follow-up documents, and allocation of the project budget, determining stakeholders, as well as identification of potential risks and challenges.

In his speech at the ceremony which was attended by the heads of ICESCO’s Sectors and Departments, Dr. AlMalik expressed his appreciation of the efforts made by the experts of HEM and the participants in the session aimed at enhancing the skills of the Organization’s human resources.

For her part, Mrs. Amira El Fadil, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector at ICESCO, stressed the importance of the training session to enhance the skills of ICESCO staff to train them to submit project proposals that the Organization could adopt as future projects, indicating that the session is the first in a series of upcoming training sessions.

In his turn, Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of ICESCO’s Strategic Foresight Center, welcomed the partnership initiative between the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, the Strategic Foresight Center, ICESCO’s Department of Administrative Affairs and HEM, pointing out that there is a need to continue the training sessions that combine theory and practice.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. El-Mansour Veten, Executive Secretary of the Issoufou Mohamedou Foundation (IMF) in the Republic of Niger, to explore ways of strengthening cooperation between ICESCO and the Foundation, headed by His Excellency the former President of Niger Mohamedou Issoufou.

During the meeting, held on Monday, July 4, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s eagerness to cooperate with civil society institutions in the Member States to contribute to social development, build the capacities of women and youth, consolidate the values of coexistence, tolerance, peace, civilizational dialogue and respect cultural diversity, reviewing ICESCO’s activities and programs in these fields.

For his part, Mr. Veten valued ICESCO’s role in contributing to the development and promoting forward-looking visions in the countries of the Islamic world, highlighting the diversity and richness of prospects for ICESCO and IMF cooperation in the future, whether in terms of holding seminars and workshops or through fieldwork to contribute to achieving sustainable development.

The meeting brought together Ms. Amira El-Fadil, Head of ICESCO Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the Director-General for Partnerships and International Cooperation and Supervisor of the Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences.

On Monday (July 4, 2022), the 10th meeting of the Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC), which will continue over two days, kicked off yesterday. The agenda of the meeting includes a review of a number of reports on the achievements of the Committee between the 2019 and 2022 sessions and the vision of the ICESCO Center of Islamic World Heritage, and an examination of nomination files of sites, heritage monuments and cultural elements submitted for inscription on the Islamic World Heritage List.

During the reception of the members of the Committee before the start of the meeting, Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, stressed that the valorization and protection of the Islamic world heritage rank high among the priorities of the ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations, focusing on the special attention the Organization gives to training, capacity building of heritage professionals and cooperating with the Member States in this field.

Dr. AlMalik praised the work the Committee has done over the past three years, and its inscription of more than 350 historical sites and cultural elements on the Islamic World Heritage List, wishing it success in its current meeting.

For his part, Dr. Walid Alseif, IWHC Chairman, thanked ICESCO DG for the care and support the Committee receives from him and the General Directorate of the Organization, stressing that the committee will play its full role in promoting ICESCO’s new vision by documenting and recording the Islamic world heritage.

Thereafter, the Committee meeting started with an opening speech by Dr. Mohamad Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, in which he welcomed the attendees, stressing ICESCO’s keenness to ensure the success of the Committee’s action, and reviewed the procedures undertaken by the Organization in the field of heritage preservation under its new vision.

Before the first session of the meeting, Dr. Alseif reviewed the agenda of the 10th meeting, which features the presentation of a report on the achievements of the Committee between the two sessions of 2019-2022, and reviewing the inscription of heritage sites and monuments and cultural elements of Member States on the Islamic World Heritage List, and discussion of the proposal to adopt the list prepared by the scientific committee assisting the Islamic World Heritage Committee, and the proposal to adopt an amendment to the Committee’s rules of procedure.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, Minister of Basic Education and Chairman of the Cameroon National Commission for UNESCO, explored ways to strengthen cooperation between ICESCO and Cameroon in areas of mutual interest.

During the meeting, which took place today, Friday, July 1, 2022, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Basic Education in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé, the two parties reaffirmed their eagerness to sustain the distinguished partnership between ICESCO and Cameroon, especially in light of the celebration of Yaoundé as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for a whole year, as well as to explore several programs and projects in the fields of education, science and culture.

The meeting touched upon the challenges facing education and the visions related to its transformation, before the Transforming Education Summit to be held next September in New York, during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as the importance of taking into account the preservation of cultural identity and the specificities of each country during the transformation process.

ICESCO DG confirmed that the Organization will provide all the necessary support to Cameroon in the educational fields as the two parties agreed to arrange a visit of an ICESCO delegation to Yaoundé to review the new Cameroonian education strategy and to present some proposals in this regard.

The Celebration of Yaoundé, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022, officially kicked off in a major ceremony, held under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, President of Cameroon, who presided over the ceremony, on Thursday 30 June 2022, at the National Museum in Yaoundé. The ceremony also brought together Mr. Joseph Dion Ngoti, Prime Minister of Cameroon, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector, senior Cameroonian officials and religious leaders, public figures and accredited ambassadors as well as thousands of citizens.

The launch of the year-round celebration, in coordination between the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Arts and Culture of the Republic of Cameroon, falls within the framework of the new edition of ICESCO Programme of Cultural Capitals in the Islamic World, which aims at promoting heritage and consolidating the values of peace, coexistence and civilized dialogue.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks to the President of the Republic of Cameroon for his generous sponsorship of the celebration and his continuous support for cultural development, commending the role of Yaoundé in the production of oral literature in the African continent, contemporary arts and music.

He also commended the linguistic, ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of Yaoundé, the City of the Seven Hills, pointing out that it is a model of religious moderation, tolerance and spiritual and moral values. “The celebration of Yaoundé will contribute to achieving sustainable development in the fields of culture and scientific research and building the capacities of women and youth,” added ICESCO DG.

Dr. AlMalik stressed the Organization’s willingness to cooperate with the relevant Cameroonian authorities to ensure the success of the celebration, which will contribute to the promotion of tourism in the city, highlight its heritage and natural sites, enhance its regional and international reputation, attract investments in the cultural field and promote coexistence and tolerance.
“ICESCO will assist the Cameroonian authorities to inscribe heritage sites in the Al-Halouf region, Goto Golfi Tower and Bidzar archaeological site on the Islamic World Heritage List. It will also hold workshops on the inscription process of cultural elements on the heritage lists,” underlined Dr. AlMalik.

Moreover, he pointed out that the ICESCO Chair on Cultural Diversity, Peace and International Cooperation at the Institute of International Relations in Cameroon will be strengthened to develop scientific research and hold an international conference on cultural heritage and local development in Yaoundé in addition to several activities in coordination with the Cameroonian National Commission.

At the close of his address, ICESCO DG lauded the achievements of a number of Cameroonian figures in the fields of politics, literature, culture, arts and sports, stressing that they constitute a source of inspiration for new generations in Africa and all continents.

AlMalik: Transforming Education and Developing its Systems Require Cooperation between Countries and Specialized Organizations

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stated that in light of digitization’s fast-tracking pace, the right to education must entail comprehensive digital education that strengthens the involvement of individuals in various fields of cultural, economic, political and social life. ICESCO DG noted that education is constantly evolving, which in turn will transform the schools of tomorrow into advanced digital schools that rely on artificial intelligence technologies.

ICESCO DG made this statement in an address he gave during a reception hosted by ICESCO on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, for Member States’ delegations taking part in the UN Transforming Education Pre-Summit.

In his address, ICESCO DG called for taking advantage of the potential of digitization to promote free education, adopt teaching methods that meet learners’ needs, respect diversity and inclusion and update legal frameworks to protect data.

He added that transforming education and developing educational systems require serious and continuous cooperation between countries and specialized international organizations, to strengthen partnership, regardless of the differences in interests since the destiny of humanity is one. He added that ICESCO seeks to support its Member States in developing comprehensive, sustainable and equal educational systems, through investing in education in the Islamic world, exchanging experiences, implementing programs and projects and holding workshops, in order to find solutions based on modern technologies and innovation to provide education for all.

Following the address, the reception witnessed rich discussions between the participants and the ICESCO delegation headed by Dr. AlMalik, in an effort to draw a practical vision on the key educational issues, which can be proposed for discussions at the UN Transforming Education Summit in New York in September 2022, as well as the initiatives that can be proposed through the Summit, to be part of the global action program for the development of education.

For their part, the participants stressed the importance of sustaining coordination between ICESCO and its Member States to address education challenges, exchange experiences and best practices in facing these challenges. They stressed the need to develop an in-depth understanding of ways to transform educational institutions to keep pace with developments that the world is witnessing, ahead of their participation in the UN Transforming Education Summit.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Marwan Awartani, Minister of Education of the State of Palestine, held a meeting to explore prospects of cooperation in various fields, especially education.

During their meeting, held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, on the sidelines of their participation in the Transforming Education Pre-Summit, which kicked off today at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the two officials reviewed the major programs and projects implemented in cooperation between ICESCO and the competent parties in the State of Palestine.
The meeting also addressed the cooperation proposals for the upcoming period and agreed on designing programs and activities that are in line with the Palestinian priorities and contribute to promoting the educational process, all in conformity with ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations.
For his part, the Palestinian Minister reiterated his thanks to ICESCO, represented by its Director-General, for its sustained support in promoting the Palestinian school system, especially with regard to mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador Mr. Mounir Anastas, Permanent Delegate of Palestine to UNESCO, and Dr. Dawas Dawas, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, and Chairman of ICESCO’s Executive Council. The ICESCO delegation consisted of Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to the Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), and Ms. Somia Djakta, Director of ICESCO Office and Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held a series of meetings with several heads of delegation taking part in the UN Transforming Education Pre-Summit, which kicked off on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The Director-General highlighted ICESCO’s strategic roadmap and explored with the heads of the delegation the prospects of cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture, as well as coordination regarding the Transforming Education Summit, to be held next September in New York during the 77th General Assembly.
During his meeting with the Iranian delegation, chaired by Mr. Mahdi Fayyazi, Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, Director of the Center for International Affairs and Schools Abroad at the Iranian Ministry of Education, Dr. AlMalik and the ICESCO delegation explored the latest cooperation development between the Organization and Iran and discussed the major programs and activities of ICESCO’s Regional Center in Iran. The two parties also expressed their keenness to promote cooperation and partnership in implementing new programs within the framework of ICESCO’s strategic orientations.

The Iranian delegation renewed the invitation extended to the Director-General to visit Iran and stressed their country’s sustained support for ICESCO and its various initiatives, programs and activities.

Moreover, the Director-General met with Dr. Adel Al-Busaisi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Iraq, and together they explored cooperation prospects between the Organization and Iraq in the fields of education, science and culture by agreeing on the implementation of a number of joint programs and projects that meet the priorities of Iraq within ICESCO’s areas of competence and in line with the Organization’s strategic orientations as contained in its strategic roadmap 2022.

The two parties also discussed cooperation between ICESCO and the competent Iraqi authorities in organizing international conferences, seminars, workshops and specialized training sessions to contribute to building the capacities of women and young people in areas of education, science and culture.

In addition, Dr. AlMalik met with Mr. Salah Khaled, Director of UNESCO Doha Office for Gulf States and Yemen, UNESCO Representative to Gulf States and Yemen, and together discussed the prospects of building strong cooperation relations between the two parties in cooperation with the Gulf States. They also discussed cooperation in the fields of Arabic, heritage, education programs, statistics and other areas of common interests.

These meetings were attended by Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to the Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), and Ms. Somia Djakta, Director of ICESCO Office and Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.