Category: Director General

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received on Friday, February 12, 2021 at the Organization’s headquarters, Mrs. Nidaa Ezzat Sabry, President of the Arab Group within the Rabat Diplomatic Circle, as well as her accompanying delegation composed of spouses of diplomats and ambassadors accredited to Morocco, members of the Circle. The aim of the visit was to examine means of cooperation in the programs and activities that ICESCO will implement, as part of its proclamation of the 2021 Year of Women.

During the meeting, held in the presence of ICESCO’s women leaders, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main objectives of the Year of Women, namely strengthening the roles of women and girls in all the Organization’s fields of competence by providing them with opportunities to participate in the fight against gender inequality.

The DG pointed out ICESCO’s open-door policy and cooperation with all international and regional organizations, bodies, and civil society institutions and organizations, to ensure the practical implementation of the objectives of the Year of Women. The goal is to contribute to capacity building and making a brighter future for girls, women, and the world.

At the close of the meeting, the delegation of the Diplomatic Circle of Rabat paid a visit to the Leaders’ Incubator that ICESCO has recently launched to train young people in leadership in the Organization’s fields of competence. Several female interns in the DG’s Office made a presentation on their internship and experience within ICESCO, as well as on their contribution with the experts in developing the future vision of the Organization.

The delegation held a meeting with a number of heads of ICESCO’s sectors and departments to discuss the programs and activities that both parties will implement in the fields of education, science, culture, and social and human affairs.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed that supporting women, promoting their roles, and achieving gender equality in the field of science is an absolute necessity in the current times. He stressed that we need all intellectual and research capacities to face the deadly strains of viruses that continue to threaten humanity.

The DG made the statement in his address during the annual celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, that the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) held via videoconference, from the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in New York. The Organizers held the event under the theme “Equality in science for the sake of society” and saw the participation of H.R.H. Princess Nesrine Al-Hashemi, Executive Director of the Academy, Mr. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, in addition to several high-level international figures from different fields. 

Dr. AlMalik stated that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a negative impact on female scientists, especially those in the early stages of their professional life. The impact, he reaffirmed, expanded the existing gap between men and women in the field of scientific research, warning against the re-adoption of practices from the past such as oppressing women and depriving them of their rights, as they are to cause a 50% loss in the working force and extinguished multiple opportunities to fight deadly viruses.

ICESCO DG stressed the need for the roles of female doctors and scientists in leading the fight against deadly diseases and guide societies towards stability thanks to their roles as mothers and wives.

The DG stated that history abounds with shining examples of women’s contribution to education and science, inviting all international organizations and bodies to take part in ICESCO’s activities and programs for the year 2021, which ICESCO proclaimed as the Year of Women under the theme “Women and the Future.”

At the close of his address, the DG announced that, as part of its activities to celebrate the Year of Women, the Organization will launch an award for “Outstanding Women and Girls in Science in Member States,” which will be given to the best researchers.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held on February 11, a press conference announcing its major programs and activities for 2021, which the Organization has proclaimed as the Year of Women themed “Women for the Future” under the high patronage of H.M. King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

At the onset of the press conference, which ICESCO held at its headquarters through videoconference, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), expressed his thanks and gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI for responding to ICESCO’s request to confer his patronage on the Year of Women. The step is an example of the attention the monarch accords to the Organization following in the footsteps of his father, late King Hassan II, may Allah rest his soul in peace.

Dr. AlMalik stated that, through the proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women, ICESCO seeks to honor women and promote their leading role and high status as part of ICESCO’s new vision contained in its Strategic Plan 2020-2030. The Vision, Dr. AlMalik added, aims to build an innovative and smart civilizational system for the Muslim world and enable women, youth, and children to exercise their educational, scientific, cultural, technological, and environmental rights.

ICESCO DG reaffirmed that the Celebration’s program includes four lines of action, namely conferences, forums, programs and projects, studies and awards, as well as initiatives.

“These themes focus on the empowerment, rehabilitation, capacity-building and integration of women within society, as well as combating illiteracy, ensuring the right of girls to education and addressing gender discrimination,” he added.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that this two-pronged program targets women inside ICESCO and in the Member States. “First, it seeks to ensure the principle of equal opportunities, train women leaders, provide a woman-friendly work environment, establish a department for women, provide leadership trainings for as many girls as possible in the fields relevant to the Organization’s fields of action throughout 2021, and honor ICESCO’s female staff members as part of the “Model Women Staff Member Program,” he underscored.

Dr. AlMalik added that in Member States, ICESCO will implement and support women-specific programs and activities, allocate a budget to support women novice innovators and entrepreneurs, train the maximum number of girls and women in the Organization’s areas of competence, and establish a set of specialized women’s networks in the Islamic world.

The DG underscored that “this part of the program aims to enhance the presence of Muslim women in international events and ensure respect for their identity; publish and translate outstanding women’s literary works; provide annual scholarships for talented women in the Organization’s areas of action.”

“ICESCO will also dedicate programs for protecting women against all forms of violence, support Member States in fighting school dropout among girls, reduce the rate of illiteracy among women and distribute from 25,000 up to 50,000 computers to women in Member States, in cooperation with donors and local women’s institutions and associations as well as the National Commissions,” highlighted Dr. AlMalik.

After reviewing the broad lines of ICESCO’s programs and activities scheduled for the Year of Women 2021, Dr. AlMalik received journalists’ questions that focused on the details, budget, target groups, and share of rural women in these programs.

Dr. AlMalik along with the heads and directors of ICESCO’s sectors and departments answered all questions, stressing that the programs, which target all girls and women, will be funded in partnership between ICESCO and several cooperating institutions and donors.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Moroccan News Agency (MAP) have signed a media partnership agreement. The measure includes a joint implementation of several practical programs and projects to train journalists and media professionals from the ICESCO Member States, particularly in Africa, co-organize international media conferences, and cooperate in the areas of publishing and production of information materials.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Mr. Khalil Hachimi Idrissi, MAP DG, signed the agreement today, February 8, 2021, at ICESCO’s Headquarters, in Rabat, with the presence of many directors from ICESCO and MAP.

In a statement at the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik stressed the agreement constitutes a fresh start of cooperation between the Organization and the Agency.

“This agreement aims at implementing major and impactful programs and projects in capacity-building and training in the field of media. ICESCO’s new vision prioritizes support and training of young people as well as investment in manpower.”

Mr. Idrissi stated that the agreement will strengthen the bilateral relations of the two parties and benefit many young media professionals, particularly in the African continent, through training and capacity-building in the field of media.

The agreement provides for co-holding symposia, fora and workshops, and cooperation in preparing, producing, and broadcasting information materials in paper and digital publication, in addition to the 7th International Conference of International News Agencies that MAP will hold in in Marrakech, in 2022.

The two parties will also form a joint committee for monitoring and overseeing the implementation of the agreement, particularly the development of a results-based action plan, the preparation of the implementation schedule and modalities, and the submission of periodic reports to the officials concerned on the progress of the projects.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday at the headquarters of the Organization, Dr. Stéphane Monney Mouandjo, DG of the Pan African Intergovernmental Organization (CAFRAD). The meeting explored the new prospects of cooperation and partnership between the two parties, mainly on practical projects and programs.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the various structural changes and developments at ICESCO and highlighted the main aspects of the Organization’s vision and new strategy of action. The measure promotes an open-door policy and partnerships with regional and international organizations and bodies to benefit Member States and Muslim communities around the world. He also shed light on the major projects and programs of ICESCO in the coming period.

Dr. Mouandjo highlighted the working mechanisms and the main programs and projects of CAFRAD, particularly responsible public governance, trainings in various areas, knowledge transfer, and capacity-building. He also expressed his delight to visit ICESCO headquarters and discover the changes that had taken place while stressing the Centre’s willingness to cooperate with ICESCO as part of the common projects for similar target groups.

Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Mouandjo agreed to draft a new agreement between ICESCO and CAFRAD, which would include highly beneficial programs and projects.

The delegation of CAFRAD then met with the directors of sectors and departments, as well as the advisors and experts at ICESCO. The meeting explored the details and the means to ensure the success of the proposed cooperation programs and projects in 2021. The two parties also stressed the importance of the strategic partnership taking into account their common interests and objectives while considering this meeting as a new start for a fresh and constructive partnership.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to prepare the new partnership agreement between ICESCO and CAFRAD to sign as soon as possible.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim Al-Malik, received yesterday, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, the credentials of MohammadHumayun Azizi, Ambassador of Afghanistan to France, as permanent representative of his country to ICESCO.

During the meeting, Dr. Al-Malik reaffirmed that ICESCO, as part of its new vision and action strategy, enhanced communication with its Member States and designed programs and projects as per the priorities and needs of each Member State. He pointed out that cooperation between the Organization and Afghanistan will grow during in the coming period.

Ambassador Azizi expressed Afghanistan’s keenness on ensuring constructive cooperation with ICESCO in the fields of education, science, and culture, while appreciating the excellent action that the Organization carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic and its support for the efforts of several of its Member States in facing the pandemic.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center (IBISRC) in Uzbekistan to promote cooperation in the field of culture. The measure is part of the celebration program of Bukhara as the Asian Region’s Capital of Islamic Culture for 2020.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Dr. Shovosil Ziyodov, Director of IBISRC, signed the memorandum, on Monday, February 1, 2021, in a virtual signing ceremony.

The MoU provides for cooperation between the two parties in the fields of digital heritage and publishing, restoring and publicizing manuscripts, as well as co-holding international symposia on Islamic thought, philosophy, and heritage.

The memorandum is the result of the videoconference of Dr. AlMalik with Dr. Furkat Sidikov, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Uzbekistan, last August. The meeting explored the cooperation prospects in safeguarding, restoring, studying manuscripts, and training several specialists in the field in the Asian region. IBISRC in Samarkand will host the programs and activities.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, received on January 29, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, Arabic calligraphy artist Dr. Mohamed Maghraoui, Professor of Medieval Civilization and History at Mohammed V University in Rabat and Abu Dhabi, Chairman of the National Committee for the Organization of the Mohammed VI Prize for the Art of Arabic Calligraphy in Morocco, to explore cooperation in the field.

Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of Culture and Communication Sector at ICESCO, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Cultural Advisor to the DG, also attended the meeting that examined the arrangements for setting up the jury of the ICESCO Virtual Prize for Calligraphy, Patterns, and Miniatures and its working mechanism. ICESCO launched the Prize in November 2020, in celebration of Islamic Art Week, with the application deadline set on February 23, 2021.

The meeting touched on the importance of organizing training workshops in Arabic calligraphy and decoration arts for young people, as part of ICESCO’s vision to support the youth, enhance talents and creativity in the field of Arabic calligraphy and ensure its sustainability as an intangible cultural heritage.

Dr. Maghraoui appreciated ICESCO’s distinguished work and the prizes it has launched to support Arabic calligraphy artists and showcase their works. He underscored that the Organization’s virtual prize allows all calligraphers and visual artists to reveal their artistic talents in calligraphy and patterns using virtual technology.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, reaffirmed that youth training and capacity-building is a topmost priority for the Organization under its new vision and action strategy. He stated that the leadership incubator that ICESCO launched at the end of 2020 will be followed by 10 incubators designed to equip the Islamic world youth with the future required leadership skills in educational, scientific, and cultural fields.

The DG then watched video-clips and listened to introductory presentations on the new strategy and programs of the Sector of Culture and Communication that a group of young interns at ICESCO prepared under the supervision of the Chief of the Sector and its experts. Dr. AlMalik expressed his ambition that by the end of 2021 interns would outnumber staff members and that youth from all Member States would come to conduct internships at the Organization.

Posing for a photo with the young interns, ICESCO DG lauded the work and creative ideas of the interns, which reflect the benefits from the expertise of the staff of ICESCO. He also stressed that ICESCO will continue implementing the initiatives to contribute to capacity-building, training, and rehabilitation of the Islamic world youth for a better future for them and their countries and that the Organization will announce the launch of the “Youth Council.”