The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) signed an agreement for cooperation and partnership to implement several programmes, projects and activities to protect and build the capacities of migrants, guarantee their rights in education, science and culture, and contribute to addressing the challenges that hinder the governance of migration.
The parties signed the agreement on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director General, and Ms. Oguchi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General of Operations, along with ICESCO Heads of Sectors, Directors of Departments and Experts and a delegation from IOM.
In his address during the signing, Dr. AlMalik expressed his happiness with this agreement and cooperation between ICESCO and IOM, which protects the human rights of vulnerable groups who have been forced to leave their countries, stressing that this goes hand in hand with ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, and hoping that this agreement will be a starting point for further development of partnership and cooperation between the two Organizations.
For her part, Ms. Oguchi Daniels reaffirmed that ICESCO and IOM share the same humanitarian goal, which is to promote the rights of migrants, noting that the signing of the agreement enhances the role of the two Organizations in improving the conditions of legal and illegal migrants, and providing the necessary protection for them.
The terms of the cooperation agreement included strengthening the partnership between ICESCO and IOM in areas related to migrants, such as health, education, culture, science, innovation, environment and climate change, integrating migrants, building their capacities and qualifying them, enhancing their opportunities in the labor market and promoting awareness of international charters for safe and legal migration to achieve the goals of sustainable development.
The agreement also stipulates that representatives of the two Organizations will convene and attend meetings and conferences related to areas of common interest, exchange of information, experiences and documents related to their initiatives and programmes, support and implement joint activities and programmes, and grant observer status to IOM to attend ICESCO Executive Council meetings.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Nasr El-Din Ahmed Mohamed Khaled, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism in Sudan, in the presence of Ambassador Mawddah Omar Haj Al-Toum, Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the Kingdom of Morocco, to discuss cooperation developments between ICESCO and Sudan in the Organization’s fields of competence.
During the meeting, which took place on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the Organization’s eagerness to communicate and coordinate with its Member States through National Commissions to launch and implement programmes and initiatives that meet the needs of these countries in education, science and culture with maximum benefits.
He pointed out that ICESCO implemented many programmes and projects in Sudan during 2022, in cooperation with several Sudanese authorities, especially in writing local African languages in Arabic script, supporting women’s entrepreneurship, and addressing the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also explained that ICESCO is fully prepared to cooperate with Sudanese authorities in the implementation of new programmes and projects.
The meeting touched upon proposals to enhance cooperation between ICSESCO and Sudan during the next period.
For his part, the Sudanese Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism commended ICESCO’s role in supporting its Member States in the Organization’s fields of action, stressing Sudan’s keenness to continue constructive cooperation with ICESCO, and highlighting his country’s current need for more focus on capacity building and training in education, media and heritage safeguarding.
Following the meeting, Dr. Khaled and the Sudanese Ambassador to Morocco visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which is currently hosted by ICESCO Headquarters, and listened to detailed presentations on the contents of the Exhibition’s various pavilions and the modern display technologies, which virtually take the visitor back to the time of the Prophet (PBUH).
The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) saw the launch of the Ambassador’s Roundtable, a program featuring a series of symposia that host senior figures in the diplomatic corps to talk about their expertise and experiences and hold discussions with ICESCO’s Young Professionals to enrich their knowledge about the field of international relations and diplomacy and allow them to communicate with inspiring diplomatic figures.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, gave the opening remark to the Program, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, where he welcomed the Program’s first guest, Amb. Astana Abdulaziz, Ambassador of Malaysia to Morocco. Dr. AlMalik also stressed that multilateral diplomacy has become the key lever of development, human rights, and world peace and security, and a necessity in light of the global geopolitical changes, climate and health challenges resulting from epidemics, and other transcontinental issues.
Moreover, the Director-General stated that ICESCO seeks to promote civilizational communication among world countries, anchor human values and nurture the sense of belonging and free will, adding that the Organization accords special attention in its Two-Year Action Plan for 2022-2023 to building the capacities and honing the skills of young people and women to address environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Following the opening remark, Mr. Omar Hamed, Head of the Section of Strategic Partnerships at the Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation, gave an overview of the successful journey of Amb. Astana Abdulaziz, Dean of the Asian Diplomatic Corps in the Kingdom of Morocco.
At the beginning of her lecture, the Malaysian Ambassador to Rabat stated that multilateral diplomacy is an international system that seeks to employ knowledge to resolve conflict, which is an opportunity to deal with individuals, bodies and organizations from various backgrounds. She added that the goal behind creating the United Nations was the preservation of peace and human dignity and the prevention of conflicts, wars and challenges we are facing such as violence, extremism and diseases.
She also commended the Young Professionals Program, which provides the Islamic world youth with the opportunity to explore their views on international issues and challenges, recommending that they keep abreast with international issues and relations to get a better idea about the role of diplomats in achieving sustainable development and promoting human rights.
Moreover, Ms. Abdulaziz stated that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the dire need to promote the system of multilateral diplomacy, given its key role in overcoming and recovering from the crisis through international solidarity and cooperation, noting that Malaysia seeks to capitalize on this form of diplomacy to achieve comprehensive progress and success.
Following the Ambassador’s lecture, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Head of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards at ICESCO, moderated a session on the importance of multilateral diplomacy in addressing current world challenges. The Ambassador answered the Young Professionals’ questions and exchanged ideas and views with them on this subject.
A delegation from Dar El-Hadith El-Hasaniah in the Kingdom of Morocco, headed by Dr. Ahmed El Khamlichi, Director of the Foundation, visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, which is hosted by the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, received Dr. El-Khamalishi and his accompanying delegation, where he reviewed the key initiatives, programmes and projects that the Organization is currently implementing, stressing ICESCO’s eagerness to build fruitful cooperation and implement joint activities with Dar El-Hadith El-Hassania during the coming period, in light of the Foundation’s great role in introducing moderate Islam, which is in line with ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations aimed at highlighting the civilizational aspect of the true religion worldwide.
ICESCO DG stated that the initiative to host the first edition of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic civilization outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the fruit of a strategic partnership between the Organization, the Muslim World League (MWL) and Morocco’s Mohammadia League of Scholars.
For his part, the Director of Dar El-Hadith El-Hasania Foundation commended ICESCO’s efforts in recent years in serving its Member States and Muslim communities around the world, praising the Organization’s action in confronting extremist ideology and introducing the civilizational aspect of Islam.
Following the meeting, the delegation of the Dar El-Hadith El-Hassaniah Foundation, accompanied by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, visited the Exhibition and listened to detailed presentations on the contents of the Exhibition’s various pavilions and the modern display technologies, which virtually take the visitor back to the time of the Prophet (PBUH).
At the end of the tour, Dr. El Khamlichi commended ICESCO’s hosting of the Exhibition, pointing out that it addresses its visitors, especially the youth by using the latest virtual and augmented reality technologies to present the Prophet’s Seerah in a simplified, scientific and encyclopedic way.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and a delegation of the Organization’s officials, paid a visit to the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Rabat, on Monday, 13 February 2023, to offer condolences following the devastating earthquake that claimed thousands of lives and injuries in Türkiye.
Ambassador Omer Faruk Dogan, Turkish Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, conveyed his thanks and gratitude to ICESCO DG and his accompanying delegation for the visit, noting that the massive earthquake which struck an area of over 700,000 square kilometers had grievous consequences and affected more than five (5) million Turkish citizens.
Dr. AlMalik, for his part, and on behalf of all ICESCO staff, extended his sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the Turkish government and people, stressing that the Organization stands ready to provide all the needed support and assistance in its areas of competence.
During their participation in the 1st ICESCO Forum “Women in Sport,” high-level officials and internationally renowned champions in various sports unanimously agreed on the importance of strengthening women’s participation in sports and encouraging girls to become leaders in this sector as it plays an important role in achieving social cohesion, combating violence and extremism and supporting vulnerable categories.
The Forum, held on Friday, February 10, 2023, at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat, kicked off with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an opening address by Mrs. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, in which she stated that the Forum aims at encouraging women’s participation, enhancing the role of women’s leadership in sport, promoting the exchange of experiences and highlighting the role of sport in social development, peacebuilding and the fight against all forms of violence.
The Forum’s opening session began with an address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, in which he emphasized that enabling girls to participate in sports is a social responsibility, stressing that the Organization’s vision considers sport as a powerful tool for positive change and for building peace and security. He added that sport-related modules have been integrated into ICESCO’s “Peace 360” approach and the Youth and Women Leadership Training in Peace and Security Programme (LTIPS).
He also highlighted the huge participation in the first edition of ICESCO Marathon and commended the role of the Organization’s programme for the rehabilitation of children in vulnerable situations through relying on football in strengthening the protection of children, providing them with educational opportunities and combating violence.
The Director General concluded his address by announcing that ICESCO has dedicated an award to the most innovative and inclusive community sports initiatives, which aim to support research and awareness efforts in sports. He also expressed the Organization’s intention to launch its International Youth Sports Volunteer Program.
In his address, Dr. Chakib Benmoussa, Moroccan Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, stressed that sport is a cornerstone in building society and training productive individuals. He reviewed the efforts of the Kingdom in encouraging women’s sports activities.
For his part, Mr. Mustapha Messaoudi, Secretary General of the Department of Youth at the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, stressed that the Ministry works to increase the percentage of women’s participation in sport, to enhance their achievements in this field and to allow them to occupy leadership positions in sports federations.
In a recorded speech, Ms. Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General, congratulated ICESCO for holding the Forum, stressing that sport contributes to overcoming barriers, building a more equal world and rehabilitating women at the physical, economic and social levels.
For her part, Ms. Thobi Etame Ndedi, Secretary General of CONFEJES, stressed in her address that the contribution of men is essential to the development of women’s sport, and called for the support of girls in practicing sport, while Mr. Massimiliano Montanari – CEO, International Center for Sport Security, reaffirmed in a recorded address that women’s sport has overcome several challenges, noting that the participation of women in leadership can create a safer sports environment.
In her address, Ms. Kanizat Ibrahim, Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), called for reflection on how to support women in the field of sport in terms of practice, management and leadership.
Ms. Laura Stéphanie Georges, Secretary General of the French Football Federation (FFF), delivered a speech in which she commended the Forum, which was an opportunity to exchange views in support of women’s participation in sport, in the presence of inspiring women who have accomplished several athletic achievements.
Mr. Yankhoba Diattara, Senegalese Minister of Sports, in a speech delivered on his behalf by Ms. Coumba Senghor, Advisor to the Ministry, praised ICESCO’s Forum and stated that it will help support women in sport as a socio-economic lever. Similarly, Mr. Didier Drogba, former Ivorian international footballer, commended the Forum and reaffirmed the importance of sport in consolidating social cohesion and achieving sustainable development. He also stressed the need to train women and youth as builders of the future.
After the opening session, the first session started with a debate with the participation of Ms. Kanizat Ibrahim, CAF Vice President, Ms. Filomena Fortes, IOC member, President of the Cape Verdean National Olympic Committee, and Ms. Honey Thaljieh, FIFA Corporate Communication Manager, first captain of the Palestinian Women’s National Team, in addition to a group of young people. The participants discussed the exchange of experiences to enrich the intergenerational dialogue.
The second session focused on lessons learned from initiatives to encourage the contribution of women in sport, with the participation of Ms. Laura Stéphanie Georges, FFF Secretary General, Ms. Dina Musharraf, Egyptian international table tennis champion, and Ms. Miriam Walker-Khan, international sports journalist.
At the close of the Forum, ICESCO’s Director General called on the concerned stakeholders to work together for the development of women’s sports, underlining ICESCO’s support for these efforts and its full readiness to cooperate with all actors in order to achieve this goal.
The “Mishkat Al-Arabiya” hall at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted the ceremony of distributing certificates to university teachers and students participating in the 1st and 2nd sessions of the Programme for Development of Open Education at Member Universities of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) affiliated to ICESCO, which aims to build the capacity of teachers in using open education resources and tools and integrating them in university curricula.
The ceremony kicked off on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, with a recorded speech by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General (DG) and FUIW Secretary General, in which he commended the Programme for the Development of Open Education and open education resources, which included a series of intensive training sessions, praising the two editions held in 2022, for the benefit of 85 participants from 17 countries, representing more than 60 universities.
Dr. AlMalik added that the Programme for the Development of Open Education comes as part of ICESCO’s vision and strategy to contribute to the development of education in Islamic countries and to strengthen its tools, to find a sustainable engine for the development of open education skills, curricula and strategies and to contribute to bridging the gap between universities, meeting the needs of students and learners and increasing their chances of integration into the labor market and tomorrow’s professions.
Following that, Dr. Khaled Berrada, Professor at Mohammed V University in Rabat and one of the supervisors of the programme, reviewed FUIW Member Universities’ partnership in the field of open educational resources and highlighted the challenges that each beneficiary had to overcome to successfully complete the session. For his part, Dr. Daniel Burgos, Vice Rector of the International University of La Rioja of Research and Technology in Spain and one of the supervisors of the programme, indicated that the practical application of the methods and tools of open education resources begins with recognizing the benefits of such resources.
After that, the certificates were distributed to the beneficiaries of the two sessions, who, during their interventions, commended the programme and its importance and potential to keep up with the evolution of the educational process in universities around the world.
In conclusion, Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO DG for the FUIW, reaffirmed the need to develop the programme, through cooperation with more universities and educational institutions, and encourage its beneficiaries to disseminate knowledge and experiences and supervise sessions, explaining the importance of exploring new methods to obtain and create information from open sources.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. André Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco, Founding President of the “Essaouira-Mogador” Association, on Wednesday, 8 February 2023, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, and together discussed ICESCO’s modernization and development and explored ways to promote cooperation between the Organization and the Association in areas of common interest.
ICESCO DG opened the meeting by expressing his thanks and appreciation to Mr. Azoulay for his participation in several of the Organization’s conferences and activities in 2022, underscoring his keenness to forge a fruitful partnership between ICESCO and the “Essaouira-Mogador” Association in various fields.
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, as well as its development and modernization over the last three years, explaining that the Organization adopts the approach of openness to all, strives to foster the values of peace and tolerance, promotes civilizational dialogue and contributes through its various initiatives, programmes and activities to serving humanity without distinction among the beneficiaries.
For his part, Mr. Azoulay commended ICESCO’s efforts in the areas of peace-building and social cohesion and its youth leadership programmes, praising the positive developments and changes in the Organization and its forward-looking vision.
Following the bilateral meeting, Dr. AlMalik and Mr. Azoulay joined the expanded meeting, which brought together Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, and a host of department and sector directors at the Organization. The meeting touched upon ICESCO’s major programmes currently implemented to support Member States in the fields of education, science and culture.
At the close of the meeting, the two parties affirmed their keenness to promote cooperation between ICESCO and the Essaouira-Mogador Association and agreed on sustaining coordination to organize a joint international conference on the Argan tree and issue a study by ICESCO’s Strategic Foresight Center on the future of Essaouira.
Dr. AlMalik then gave Mr. Azoulay a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization currently hosted at ICESCO in partnership with the Muslim World League (MWL) and Morocco’s Mohammadia League of Scholars.
Mr. Azoulay expressed his fascination with the museum exhibits and the state-of-the-art technologies used to display details of the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), noting that this scientific event contributes to promoting interfaith tolerance.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania signed two cooperation and partnership agreements focusing on promoting cooperation and financial support for the executive program of the Celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2023, and preparing the nomination file for the inscription of traditional checkers games in Africa on ICESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List and UNESCO World Heritage List.
The first agreement was signed on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at ICESCO Headquarters, by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Mohamed Ould Soueidat, Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports, and Relations with Parliament, President of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.
Following the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik commended the agreement which reflects the special cooperation relations between ICESCO and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, represented in the Mauritanian National Commission, and is part of ICESCO’s initiatives to support its Member States through the implementation of programs, activities and projects in the States that have settled their arrears to ICESCO’s budget. He also reaffirmed the Organization’s keenness to ensure the success of the ambitious programs scheduled as part of the Celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2023.
For his part, Mr. Mohamed Ould Soueidat noted that this agreement aims to settle his country’s arrears to ICESCO’s budget, with the understanding that more than 70% of its total amount is to be invested by ICESCO to implement cultural and development projects in Nouakchott, in support of its celebration as Culture Capital.
The second agreement was signed by Dr. Nidal Abuzuhzi, Head of Administrative Affairs at ICESCO, and Mr. Mohamed Ould Sidi Abdellah, Secretary-General of the Mauritanian National Commission.
According to this agreement, ICESCO undertakes to prepare the program for the meeting on preparing the nomination file for the inscription of traditional checkers games in Africa on ICESCO and UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, while the Mauritanian National Commission commits to ensuring the organizational aspects of the meeting.
The agreement is part of the MoU signed between ICESCO and the Emirati National Commission for Education, Culture and Science in November 2022, through which the United Arab Emirates undertook to provide support to ICESCO’s programs geared towards promoting the heritage of ICESCO’s African Member States.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Said Mohammed Albarami, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom of Morocco, and discussed partnership developments between ICESCO and the Sultanate of Oman in the fields of education, science and culture, and ways to strengthen cooperation relations.
During the meeting, held on Tuesday (February 7, 2023), at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the Organization’s keenness to enhance cooperation relations with several Omani institutions and agencies, in coordination with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
The meeting considered the various aspects of cooperation between ICESCO and the Sultanate of Oman in educational, heritage and scientific projects, the areas of promoting dialogue and the values of tolerance, and the historical and current role of the Sultanate of Oman in promoting dialogue and strengthening cultural relations between peoples.
The meeting saw the presence of Dr. Salim Al-Habsi, Programs Manager at ICESCO General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, and Mr. Mohammed Al-Ma’amari, Counselor at the Omani Embassy, in Rabat.
After the meeting, ICESCO Director-General took the Omani Ambassador on a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which is currently organized at ICESCO Headquarters, in partnership with the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars. During the tour, explanations were given to the delegation about the various sections highlighting the Prophet’s Seerah through modern display technologies.
At the end of the tour, Ambassador Albarami commended the exhibition, which constitutes a virtual visit to the time of the Prophet (PBUH). He also praised ICESCO’s leading role in showcasing the civilizational aspects of the Prophet’s Seerah.
