Category: Director General

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called for accelerating the reform of the cultural sector and the promotion of the world cultural economy. He proposed an action plan centered on four axes. He also noted that cultural industries, a sector representing 3% of GDP and employing 30 million people worldwide, is one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement came in the DG’s address at the G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting, held yesterday, in a videoconference, under the theme: “The rise of the cultural economy: a new paradigm.” Heads of international cultural organizations participated in the event. The meeting is the first of its kind to have been held at the initiative of Saudi Arabia, the president of the G20 for the year, prior to G20 Leaders’ Summit on 21-22 November 2020.

ICESCO’s DG congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, his Crown Prince H.R.H. Muhammad bin Salman, and Saudi Arabia for the successful presidency of the G20 Summit 2020. Dr. AlMalik noted that the Group has always provided solutions at the service of humanity through implementing necessary policies in times of crisis.

Dr. AlMalik further stated that ICESCO supported its Member States in addressing the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and endeavored to sustain remote cultural action. He cited ICESCO’s numerous initiatives, namely “ICESCO Digital Home” which offers access to several open knowledge sources. The list also included “ICESCO Creativity Prizes” for short stories, poetry, drawing and music, and “ICESCO Heritage Center.”

The Extraordinary Conference of Member States’ Culture Ministers also adopted the “ICESCO Project on Digital Culture” to discuss “the management of cultural affairs during the pandemic,” held in June 2020.

Dr. AlMalik revealed that ICESCO is considering building an international center for arts and is currently launching the “ICESCO Roads for Cultural Communication” project, as part of the “Islamic World’s Culture Capitals Program.” He also stated that the Organization proposes a new action plan for reforming, through the adoption of the digital culture economy, the cultural sector in the post-COVID world, based on four main axes:

1. Developing cultural sectors for innovative conversion to the economy of digital culture and creative industries;
2. Reforming the audiovisual and interactive media and promoting the sector of design and creative services;
3. Encouraging cultural tourism to reap benefit from tangible and intangible heritage as part of culture-making;
4. Making new laws and legislations through the establishment of funds to support youth in the launch of start-ups and skill-sharing worldwide.

The DG thanked H.H. Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Saudi Minister of Culture, President of the Conference, for inviting ICESCO to the important event. The goal was to discuss the promotion of culture and ways to support the global cultural economy and lay bridges for cultural communication.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received on Monday, November 2, at ICESCO headquarters, Ambassador Khalid bin Salman bin Jabr Al-Muslim, Ambassador of Bahrain to Morocco, in his capacity as the representative of the Group of Arab Countries’ Ambassadors to Morocco.

During the meeting, Ambassador Al-Muslim expressed his and the Group’s appreciation of the quantum leap ICESCO’s activities and programs are witnessing. He commended the Organization’s active presence, which yielded concrete outcomes for, and beyond the boundaries of, the Islamic world. The Ambassador also conveyed the Arab Ambassadors’ admiration of the re-engineering efforts as well as the development policies that ICESCO adopted as part of the Organization’s new trajectory.

The Dean of the Arab Ambassadors in Morocco highlighted the significance of the Organization’s civilizational role in meeting the Islamic world’s expectations vis-à-vis the promotion of Muslims’ civilizational image. Ambassador Al-Muslim also commended the remarkable programs that the Organization implemented in the field and reaffirmed Arab Group’s full support.

Dr. AlMalik thanked the Ambassador for the support he conveyed on behalf of the Ambassadors of the Arab Group. He reaffirmed that ICESCO is determined to sustain its renewal and development efforts in its quest to fulfill the aspirations of the Islamic world.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met H.R.H Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, Founder and President of Alwaleed Philanthropies, Director of Kingdom Holding Company. Together they explored cooperation and partnership prospects between ICESCO and Alwaleed Philanthropies for the upcoming years.

H.R.H Princess Lamia Bint Majed Saud Al-Saud, Secretary-General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, and the working team of the foundation attended the meeting.
During a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks on behalf of ICESCO to H.R.H Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal for the foundation’s support and USD 2,090,000 worth donation to implement the joint initiative of helping 10 African countries to face the adverse repercussions of the COVID-19.

The aid program spans over one year as of the signing on July 1, 2020, of ICESCO-Alwaleed Agreement. The program includes the provision of humanitarian assistance to the needy populations in Niger, Senegal, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Mauritania, and Côte d’Ivoire. It also consists of boosting the capacities of those countries to produce sanitizers and protective equipment against COVID-19 transmission and supporting the private sector and youth and women entrepreneurs.

Assistance has also been provided in a number of the program’s countries in recent months, and will also be distributed over the next two weeks in Morocco, Niger, and Senegal. The assistance will benefit residents of retirement homes, centers of people with special needs, centers of women victims of violence, orphanages, refugee centers, and patients in health centers and hospitals.

The two parties reviewed ways to develop the partnership and constructive cooperation between ICESCO and Alwaleed Philanthropies in the coming years, through a set of humanitarian initiatives aimed at addressing the needs of the most vulnerable and neediest categories.

H.R.H Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal commended the ICESCO’s programs and initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, which supported the efforts of Member States to address the negative repercussions of the pandemic. The prince stressed his willingness to develop a partnership between his foundation and the Organization.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed the importance of investments in innovative technologies and solutions for water supply, the development of water supply systems, the treatment of wastewater, and hygiene services. He highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the importance of and the need for clean water.

The statement was part of the DG’s address at the “Virtual Innovation Summit 2020” that the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO) held today on its 50th anniversary. The event was in partnership with ICESCO and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with the participation of HRH Princess Sumaya bint Hassan, President of WAITRO; Mr. Li Yong, UNIDO’s DG. A host of experts and specialists in water management and technology also participated in the event.

Dr. AlMalik also stated that the lack of water in many households is a threat to public health, particularly that washing hands with water and soap is the best and simplest means of protection from the COVID-19.

ICESCO’s DG highlighted that the Organization pays utmost attention to water-related issues by supporting the Member States to develop water resources integrated management strategies.

He elaborated that ICESCO will implement an ambitious plan in the two coming years, which mainly focuses on:

1. Improving and ensuring clean water supply for one thousand schools in Member States’ villages;
2. Supporting scientific research and innovation with 300 scholarships for researchers in the Member States to develop and find innovative solutions in various fields;
3. Launching “ICESCO Innovation Award” for the best innovation in the field of science and technology likely to have a positive impact on the Member States;
4. Developing a new transfer program of water sustainable management mechanisms to face the challenges of water scarcity and meet Member States’ water needs;
5. Supporting the 9th Global Water Forum, due to be held in Dakar next year to explore and adopt ideas likely to preserve water resources.

At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik called upon the international organizations, bodies, and research centers specialized in water resources management to cooperate with ICESCO to ensure water security for the neediest countries.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, and Dr. Mostapha Bousmina, President of the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez (UEMF), explored yesterday, October 19, cooperation opportunities between ICESCO and the University, in light of ICESCO’s new vision and working strategy.

Dr. AlMalik presented the Organization’s vision which adopts an open-door policy with civil society organizations, namely universities which play key roles in the development of societies and achievement of economic growth. He also emphasized ICESCO’s constant willingness to support leading programs of universities in the Islamic world and coordinate university partnership, cooperation, and complementarity. The Organization also focuses on developing mechanisms of inter-university communication and networking.

The DG gave an overview of ICESCO’s relevant initiatives, including its effort to train future young leaderships in the Islamic world. He pointed out that the Organization is hosting and granting a select of young university students with training opportunities to acquire diversified expertise in the field of international institutional work.

The goal is to reach out to non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions. Dr. AlMalik underscored such approach will open the door to leadership opportunities for the participants in their countries.

The President of the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez lauded ICESCO’s new vision and its ongoing development, renewal, and willingness to constructively cooperate with universities, in service of the Islamic world. He also emphasized that the cooperation reaffirms the important role deployed by the Organization and its support to Member States in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The two parties discussed future cooperation prospects, topmost of them is the preparation of an agreement to set up ICESCO chair at the University. The end result is to boost partnership between the Organization and the University and bring closer the two shores of the Mediterranean, in line with the development program of ICESCO chairs.

ICESCO’s directors of sectors and the DG’s advisors attended the meeting along with UEMF’s Dr. Abderrahman Tenkoul, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and Ms. Ghada Bouhlal, Director of Cooperation and International Relations.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday, October 19, at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, Mr. Abdellatif Al Haya, Ambassador of Kuwait to Morocco. The meeting explored cooperation prospects between ICESCO and Kuwait in the fields of education, science, and culture.

In the presence of ICESCO’s heads of sectors, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the Organization’s new vision and action strategy, as well as last year’s developments. He also underlined ICESCO’s major initiatives, programs, and activities to support the efforts of Member States to counter the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fields of education, science, and culture.

“The new vision adopts an open-door policy, cooperation, and partnership with all parties, including non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions to serve Member States’ populations and the Muslim communities worldwide,” elaborated Dr. AlMalik.

            He added that the vision “also promotes further communication with Member States to identify their needs and priorities on which programs and activities are planned and implemented.”

ICESCO’s also highlighted that the Organization established several specialized centers, including the Center of Teaching Arabic for non-Arabic Speakers. The Center for Strategic Foresight is preparing four important studies on the future of the Islamic world, African countries, and cultural action, as well as artificial intelligence challenges facing the Muslim world, with the participation of renowned international experts.

“ICESCO also established the Heritage Center, which has inscribed 200 historic sites in Member States on the Islamic World Heritage List,” stated Dr. AlMalik.

Mr. Al Haya commended ICESCO’s outstanding work and quality initiatives launched during the pandemic as well as its support to Member States to counter the negative repercussions of the outbreak. He also stressed Kuwait’s keenness to promote constructive cooperation with ICESCO.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday at the headquarters of the Organization in Rabat, Mr. Azzeddine El Midawi, President of Ibn Tofail University of Kenitra, Head of the Conference of Presidents of Moroccan universities.
 
Several directors of sectors and advisers to the DG attended the meeting.
 
The two parties examined the prospects for cooperation between the two parties and other Moroccan universities in the fields of education, science, and culture.
 
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main directions of ICESCO’s new vision, which emphasizes the pioneering role of universities in achieving the development of societies and accelerating the economic growth of countries. He also reiterated the Organization’s long-term desire to support avant-garde programs in Moroccan universities and those of the Islamic world in general, to fast-track partnership, cooperation, and integration between parties.  He also underscored the development of communication mechanisms and university academic networking.
 
The DG presented an overview of some related initiatives, including ICESCO’s young future leaders in the Islamic world initiative. The Organization welcomed at its headquarters elite academics to whom ICESCO offered great opportunities to deepen their training and acquire various experiences in international institutional work. ICESCO based the initiative on an open-door policy with non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions. The measure will allow these young students to assume leadership roles in their country in the future.
 
The President of Ibn Tofail University praised ICESCO’s distinguished work, in particular its efforts to reach out to universities and students of Morocco and other countries of the Islamic world.
 
The meeting dealt with various fields of cooperation, including developing the ICESCO Chair at Ibn Tofail University in the field of culture, arts, and civilization, scheduled for November 2020. The goal is to strengthen the partnership between the Organization and the university and to be in line with the ICESCO University Chairs Development Program.
 
Ms. Sanaa El Ghawati, professor at the Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences at Ibn Tofail University, attended the meeting Ms. El Ghawati is a candidate for the presidency of the ICESCO chair at the University.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, reaffirmed that a great deal of tireless work still needs to be done to adequately publicize the image of Islamic civilization. The efforts need to introduce the civilization’s figures, showcase the major role it has played throughout the ages, and contribute to human civilization.

The DG also noted that ICESCO, under its new vision, is tirelessly working to promote the true image of Islamic civilization through the preservation of its heritage and the publicizing of its symbols and figures.

Dr. AlMalik made the statement during his pre-recorded address at the opening session of International Conference on the Commemoration of the 700th Anniversary of Eminent Scholar Kamal Khujandi. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tajikistan organized the event today, in the presence of H.E. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, and senior officials. The attendance also watched a pre-recorded statement by Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO DG.

Dr. AlMalik congratulated, on behalf of the ICESCO family, the President of the Republic and the people of Tajikistan on the organization of this major international conference to commemorate one of the most renowned scholars in the Islamic world and beyond.

The scholar had a deep influence on numerous scholars who followed. The DG also stated that this celebration is an opportunity to shed light on the important role of Tajikistan and its excellent contribution to the history of the Islamic world.

The DG noted the centrality of Islamic philosophy and the outstanding role of its pioneers throughout the history of the Islamic civilization in the resurgence of this civilization whose influence has reached all nations of the globe and enriched the human civilizational heritage.
“Even though the accuracy of history depends on the integrity of its authors, falsehoods can never hide the truth. No matter how long historical truths are eclipsed, they will shine again and astonish the world with the greatness of science, literature, and arts,” stressed Dr. AlMalik.

The DG added that ICESCO’s vision focuses on showcasing the visible beauty of Islamic civilization to young generations to raise their awareness about its greatness. The goal is also to commemorate the figures of art, thought, philosophy, medicine, and in other fields who significantly marked human civilization and contributed to its advancement.
The aim, Dr. AlMalik underlined, is to ensure that the rest of the world looks at the Islamic world through the same positive angle, in line with the efforts that the Member States deploy to preserve the cultural and civilizational heritage.

At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik reiterated his invitation to Tajikistan to join ICESCO’s Project of the “Digital Encyclopedia of Islamic Civilization.”