Category: Director General

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called upon the international community to provide new mechanisms to support, develop, and commit to national legislations and international conventions to counter the illicit trafficking in cultural property.

He also reaffirmed that despite the exerted efforts, the rate of heritage crimes is increasing. The crimes have become a source of funding for terrorist activities and money laundering.
The statement was part of the DG’s address at the opening session of the International Symposium on “1995 UNIDROIT Convention – Cultural objects at the crossroad of rights and interests.”

International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) held today the videoconference, on the 25th anniversary of the Convention. Representatives of prominent international heritage bodies and organizations participated in the event.
Dr. AlMalik highlighted that the legislations and conventions on heritage preservation face the challenge of online marketing and the growing role of auctions on social media.

“The use of modern technologies worsened illicit trafficking of cultural property. Cultural heritage face several major threats, including theft and looting amid a lack of social awareness of the importance of heritage and the threat of such crimes, considered as organized crimes worldwide, on economies and public institutions,” he stressed.

The DG said that the Organization established a special unit within its Islamic World Heritage Center to assist Member and non-Member States to restore their looted heritage and cultural property.

ICESCO also established a special unit to capitalize on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the fields of heritage. The goal is to contribute to the development of mechanisms likely to counter such crimes and protect heritage sites and museums.

Dr. AlMalik added that ICESCO prioritizes the protection and preservation of heritage. The Organization allocated one million US dollars to restore the collections of 30 museums in the Member States. It also donated USD100,000 to Lebanon and the Sudan to support the restoration of heritage sites and museums after Beirut blast and Khartoum floods.
“ICESCO is committed to cooperate with UNIDROIT. It will call upon its Member States, which have not yet signed the Convention of 1995, to join it,” he stated.

Dr. AlMalik regretted the fact that children know the cultural properties of their countries only through foreign museums. “It is our duty to promote heritage and the possibility of its restitution as the treasures of heritage can shine only in their homelands,” he continued.

UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995) was initially an international legal claim to restitute the cultural properties looted through illicit exportation. The Convention is made up of 21 articles explaining the legal requirements of restitution and the relevant role of UNIDROIT. It also includes a defining annex on cultural properties.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday at the headquarters in Rabat, Mr. Faisal bin Zayd al-Mehana, Commercial attaché of Saudi Arabia in Morocco. The two parties explored the prospects of cooperation.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s development, new action plan, and strategy that adopt the open-door policy with civil society organizations and institutions. The goal is to promote developing partnerships for the benefit of Member States’ citizens and Muslim communities worldwide.

The DG also stated that ICESCO, in cooperation with donors, supported multiple Member States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The assistance included the necessary equipment and materials for producing and broadcasting the digital educational content to ensure the continuity of schooling.

“ICESCO also provided prevention materials and means, established best-cost sanitizer production units, and trained local community members to reduce the spread of the pandemic,” he added.

Mr. al-Mehana commended ICESCO’s outstanding work while stressing the keenness of the Saudi Commercial Representation in Morocco to build fruitful cooperation with the Organization. The representation was inaugurated on September 1, 2020.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, paid his respects on Wednesday, September 30, to His Highness the late Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, may Allah rest his soul, at the Kuwaiti Embassy.

H.E. Abdullatif Al-Yahya, Ambassador of Kuwait to Morocco, and the Embassy’s staff received the DG.

Dr. AlMalik expressed his deepest condolences on behalf of all ICESCO employees and sympathy to the people of Kuwait. He stated that the death of the Emir is a loss to the Arab and Islamic Ummah and the world at large.

The DG also wrote in the Embassy’s Condolences Book, reaffirming that H.H. the Emir was a great leader with a remarkable sense of leadership, wisdom, and vision.

The Emir dedicated his life to serving his people as well as his Ummah and had significant contributions to supporting regional and international joint action. Dr. AlMalik beseeched Allah for the eternal rest the Emir’s soul and make Paradise his abode.

Jemaa El-fna Museum, a ceramics exhibition, Morocco’s virtual exhibitions and cooperation programs

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Moroccan National Museums Foundation (FNM) signed on Friday, October 2, a partnership agreement to implement several major projects and programs.

The programs include the establishment of the Museum of Moroccan Intangible Heritage at Jemaa El-fna Square in Marrakesh and the exhibition of ceramics and traditional costumes inspired by the works of Eugène Delacroix at ICESCO headquarters. The partnership also opened the door to the organization of an international forum of museums’ curators in the Islamic world. Another program is to host the collections of the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Artist Mehdi Qotbi, FNM President, signed the agreement at the Organization’s headquarters. The two parties reaffirmed their commitment to productive cooperation to publicize the heritage and arts of the Islamic world. The goal is to promote the true image of Islamic civilization and culture through art.

ICESCO decided that Morocco be the start-off point as it is the Seat country where it receives great patronage from H.M. King Mohammed VI. The support follows the patronage of H.M. late Hassan II to the Organization since its inception.

The agreement comes as part of ICESCO’s celebration of Museums’ Week in the Islamic World, which is observed annually from 26 September to 02 October. ICESCO’s celebration program features an international webinar on “Harnessing Modern Technology for the Management of Risks and Crises Facing Museums in the Islamic World,” which will bring together multiple managers of museum institutions in the Islamic world.

The program also included the DG’s visit, last week, leading the delegation of heads of sectors to the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Mr. Qotbi, Mr. Lakhlifa Dahmani, FNM Secretary-General, and Mr. Abdelaziz El Idrissi, Director of the Museum received the delegation.

The discussions during that meeting centered on ICESCO-proposed cooperation programs and projects, which were incorporated in the partnership agreement. Displaying Morocco’s virtual museums at “ICESCO Digital Home” enacted the agreement, on October 2. The museums include Moroccan collections and world paintings which are accessible at: https://www.icesco.org/?p=22850

Mr. Hakim Benchamach, Speaker of the House of Councilors of Morocco, received on September 28, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). The two officials explored cooperation and partnership between the two institutions in mutual interests.

At the House of Councilors in Rabat, the DG highlighted the key features of ICESCO’s new vision. He added that the Organization launched several new programs and projects and amended its regulations and Charter. The Organization also introduced structural changes to its personnel and adopted new strategies. He also stated that ICESCO launched initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. AlMalik underlined that the Organization started to pay tremendous attention to building constructive communication with governmental and civil institutions in the Seat Country. ICESCO is keen to cooperate with them in implementing joint programs and activities, he continued. The DG expressed ICESCO’s interest in developing deeper cooperation with the House of Councilors.

Mr. Benchamach reaffirmed that he has been following up the work of ICESCO, the key roles it plays, and the challenges it addresses at the regional and international levels. He also expressed his appreciation for ICESCO’s noble mission and his good wishes for the Organization to make best use of the opportunities at hand.

The Speaker of the House of Councilors noted that he reviewed the broad lines of ICESCO’s new vision and expressed his admiration of the changes it introduces, the prospects it opens, and its response to global transformations.

Mr. Benchamach expressed the House’s willingness to promote cooperation and partnership with the Organization. He stated that legislative institutions are playing new roles in an extremely changing and transient world, especially in light of the emerging “fifth power” consisting of millions of citizens using social networks to express their opinions.

The Speaker added that the new reality puts legislative institutions in face with new challenges be it in relation to drafting bills, overseeing governmental work, contributing to public policy evaluation or assuming diplomatic parliamentary roles.

Mr. Benchamach expressed his admiration of ICESCO’s interest in artificial intelligence and his genuine willingness to conclude “thematic partnerships” between the two parties.

He further explained that the partnerships could touch on issues such as healthcare, education, culture, nutrition, environment, rights, and communication. He also listed national reconciliation experiences in Member States and conflict issues.

He recommended that ICESCO work on setting up a competence bank in the Islamic world to help Member States solve their problems, crises and challenges in health, education, and other fields.

The DG welcomed concluding such partnership with Morocco’s House of Councilors as well as Member States’ parallel institutions.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Mohamed Ben Ayed, Ambassador of Tunisia to Morocco. The September 25 meeting explored cooperation prospects between ICESCO and Tunisia in the fields of education, science, and culture.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s main developments under its new vision and action strategy which promote an open-door policy with Member and non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions. The goal is to build partnerships to benefit Muslim communities worldwide.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s major initiatives, programs, and activities that counter the negative repercussions of the pandemic in education, science, and culture. ICESCO provided technological equipment and materials to 25 countries to sustain schooling and offered in-kind aid and preventive materials to 10 other countries.

The Organization also provided financial and technical assistance to produce best-cost sanitizer units and launched the “Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition” Initiative. Many countries, international institutions, and donors joined the coalition, explained Dr. AlMalik as he called upon Tunisia to become a member.

The DG also highlighted that ICESCO established several specialized centers including, the Center for Strategic Foresight. The center is preparing four important studies on the future of the Islamic world, African countries, and cultural action, respectively, and AI challenges in the Muslim world, with the participation of renowned international experts. Another specialized center is the Arabic center for non-native Speakers.

ICESCO also established the Heritage Center, which has inscribed 200 historic sites in the Member States on the Islamic World Heritage List, including 17 sites in Tunisia such as Medina of Tunis, Djerba Island, Jewish Synagogue in Sousse, and Medina of Sfax.

Dr. AlMalik commended the instructive cooperation between ICESCO and Tunisia. One specific success is the “Celebration of Tunis as the Arab region’s Capital of Islamic Culture for 2019.” Culture Ministers from the Member States took part in the 11^th Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers, held in Tunis last December. Dr. AlMalik also hailed the cooperation in the restoration of the house of Ibn Khaldoun in downtown Tunis.

Mr. Mohamed Ben Ayed commended ICESCO’s outstanding work and quality initiatives to support the Member States to counter the negative repercussions of the pandemic. He also stressed Tunisia’s keenness to promote constructive cooperation with the Organization.

**Renewal in religion calls for identifying constants and variables in religious texts and figuring out ways for their tangible adoption

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, the Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) underlined that current world changes resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak accentuated the dire need for religion.

The DG stated that determining the role of religion within today’s world calls for setting up new mechanisms for thought and communication and laying down clear-cut goals. He added that it also calls for identifying constants and variables in religious texts to adopt them in this ever-changing world, noting that this is the very sense of renewal that Islam promotes.

Dr. AlMalik made the statement at the “Virtual International Academic Conference” that the Spiritual Assembly of the Muslims of Russia organized yesterday, via videoconference. The theme of the conference was “Religion in a changing world: Education and the youth.” The event brought together religious and intellectual leaderships from 20 countries.

The DG called on Russia to become an active part of the Islamic world that defends the interests of its countries and peoples and cooperates with them in their quest for prosperity, progress and development. He noted that Islam is the second biggest religion in Russia, with 20 to 25 million followers out of Russia’s 140-million population.

“ICESCO has embarked on the implementation of the activities likely to showcase its new vision and orientations, most notably the organization of the International Virtual Forum on “Role of Religious Leaderships in Face of Crises,” highlighted Dr. AlMalik.

The theme was “Toward Global Moral Solidarity of Religious Leaderships,” which brought together His Excellency Mr. Idriss Deby Itno, President of Chad, and religious leaderships and institutions of different faiths representing the majority of the world population.

 The forum issued a historical document entitled “ICESCO Declaration for Moral Solidarity,” continued Dr. AlMalik.

Dr. AlMalik also stated that several global religious leaderships and institutions welcomed the declaration. ICESCO published the document in the Organization’s working languages (Arabic, English and French) and submitted this document to the leaders of G20 and the United Nations, he added.

ICESCO’s DG called upon the participants in the Conference of Spiritual assembly of Muslims of Russia to incorporate the “ICESCO Declaration for Moral Solidarity” into the outputs and recommendations of the conference.

He also commended its general guidelines and principles and calling for its translation into the Russian language and the languages of this region’s Muslim communities for wider benefit.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday, September 23, Dr. Botan Dizayee, Chargé d’affaires of the Iraqi Embassy at Morocco. The two officials explored avenues for cooperation between ICESCO and Iraq in education, science, and culture.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s new vision and strategy that promotes effective communication with the Member States. The Organization prepared country-specific programs that involve local authorities.

“ICESCO also involves non-Member States to capitalize on their expertise in education, science, innovation, and culture, and can join ICESCO as observer states,” he added.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed the ICESCO’s major initiatives, programs, and activities to help countries counter the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Organization, in cooperation with donors, aided multiple Member States to ensure the continuity of schooling, provide prevention materials, establish best-cost sanitizer production units, and train local community members.

The DG also stated that the Organization held many ministerial conferences and international forums during the pandemic. Heads of states and renowned international figures took part in several events, underlined Dr. AlMalik, while commending the active participation of the Iraqi officials.

Dr. Hassan Nazim, Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities participated in last July’s “The International Conference on Combating Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property and its Restitution.”

“ICESCO has exerted great efforts to protect and conserve heritage through the establishment of the Islamic World Heritage Committee, the inscription of historic sites and intangible heritage on the Islamic World Heritage List, as well as the establishment of the Heritage Center,” explained Dr. AlMalik.

“Iraq is among the countries most exposed to looting and desecration of antiquities. We can cooperate in this regard to inscribe the largest number possible of Iraqi heritage sites on the List,” he stressed.

The Iraqi Chargé d’affaires commended ICESCO’s great efforts and support to the Member States while stressing his country’s keenness to cooperate with the Organization, particularly in the field of heritage.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) met on September 23, with Mr. Traore Idrissa, Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire to Morocco.

The Officials explored cooperation and partnership opportunities between ICESCO and the Republic in education, science, and culture.

ICESCO’s new strategy gives priority to and is expanding cooperation with the African Member States, underlined Dr. AlMalik.

The DG listed the major aspects of ICESCO’s new vision, including enhanced communication with the Member States for country-specific programs that are implemented in cooperation with each Member State’s local authorities.

 The DG noted that ICESCO’s initiatives, programs, and activities provided technological devices and equipment to 25 countries to support the production of educational content. The goal was to ensure the continuity of distance schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ICESCO also provided preventive equipment and hygiene products to 10 other countries, elaborated Dr. AlMalik. The Organization granted financial and technical aid to produce best-cost sanitizers units in several countries along with training for local communities.

Dr. AlMalik also highlighted the endeavors to modernize ICESCO’s work by introducing new operational models and implementing efficient strategies. One measure was to create specialized centers for strategic foresight, artificial intelligence, Arabic courses to non-native speakers, heritage, dialogue, and cultural diversity.

He stated that the aim is to turn ICESCO into an active contributor in guaranteeing the right to inclusive and equitable education and supporting scientific research and innovation.

The Organization also targets safeguarding cultural and civilizational heritage as a key element in preserving identity, while it. supports cultural dialogue to achieve peace and coexistence. The Organization assists the Member States in attaining sustainable development by building capacities among women and young people.

The DG lauded the active participation of Ivoirian officials in ICESCO’s conferences and international forums. The events bring together high-caliber participants including heads of states and prominent international figures.  

The Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire commended the Organization’s distinguished work carried out during the pandemic. He also lauded the assistance ICESCO provided to the Member States, especially in Africa.

The Ambassador reaffirmed his country’s willingness to develop cooperation with ICESCO and benefit from its outstanding programs.