Category: Front Page

The International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, hosted by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat, will reopen to visitors starting Tuesday, April 16, 2024, after Eid al-Fitr holiday, which begins on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

After this holiday, the visiting hours for the exhibition and museum will be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Rabat time, every day except Monday.

We recall that the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization at the ICESCO headquarters enjoys the royal patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him. The official opening was graced by the presence of the Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, on November 27, 2022. The exhibition and museum are the fruit of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammedia League of Scholars, and they stand as the first edition of exhibitions on the Prophet’s Seerah outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, headquartered in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

The exhibition and museum at ICESCO headquarters witness a large turnout from various segments of Moroccans and visitors to the kingdom, as the number of visitors has surpassed five million since it opened to the public on 28 November 2022.

The exhibition and museum are pleased to welcome visitors free of charge. Individual tickets can be booked through the website: http://tickets.ma.salamfairs.com.sa/. For group visits, please contact our customer service representative at: 00212761222222.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched the first in a series of working sessions to develop its strategy to combat cultural property trafficking in the Islamic world. It involved experts in the field of heritage from 12 countries, with the aim of discussing practical mechanisms for implementing the strategy, supporting cultural policies and legal systems in Member States, and familiarizing participants with relevant international agreements and national legislations.

The working session, held Thursday 28 March 2024, at ICESCO’s headquarters via videoconference, under the theme “Combatting trafficking in Cultural Property,” culminated in a set of recommendations. These include forming a committee of ICESCO Member States specialized in receiving claims on the recovery of looted cultural property, establishing an observatory to track transactions throughout international auctions, enhancing international cooperation to recover smuggled archaeological artifacts, the necessity for countries to ratify international agreements on the fight against trafficking in cultural property, and ICESCO’s role in coordinating between countries on this matter.

The opening session saw Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards at ICESCO, affirming that the Organization has prepared an action plan to develop the strategy, which was presented at The Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World, held in Doha in September 2023. He explained the stages it will go through before its implementation.

Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector at ICESCO, emphasized the importance of implementing national legislations to confront this phenomenon through coordination between the interior, defense, and finance ministries of Member States, digitizing cultural property, conducting accurate inventories of them, and developing mechanisms to preserve them.

For his part, Dr. Webber Ndoro, Director of the Islamic World Heritage Center, highlighted the burden that the trafficking of cultural properties imposes on countries’ economies and the threat it poses to their civilizational heritage.

Eng. Mohammed Al-Aidarous, Head of the Islamic World Heritage Committee, emphasized the importance of prioritizing the fight against this dangerous phenomenon due to its escalating nature, threat to cultural assets, and hindrance to developmental efforts.

The opening session concluded with a speech by Dr. Fadi Abdullah Bala’awi, Director-General of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, in which he reviewed his country’s efforts in combating the illegal trafficking of cultural property.

The 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, operating under the theme “Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity,” is set to convene between May 1st and 3rd, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. This forum will see a high-level presence of officials, international delegations, representatives of international organizations, public figures and prominent intellectuals worldwide.

This Forum, which is part of the “Baku Process” initiated by His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev in 2008, will be organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in collaboration with prominent international entities such as the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), UNESCO, and the UN Tourism.

The Forum will discuss several pressing global challenges related to civilizational dialogue and cooperation in its plenary sessions and panel discussions, with the goal of confronting hatred and instilling the values of coexistence and peace.
Subsequently, the Forum will hold several cultural activities, including concerts, festivals and creative performances, to highlight and celebrate the diversity of cultures and promote a spirit of cooperation and understanding.

The primary objective of the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue is to consolidate the role of “Baku Process” as a prominent international platform for promoting intercultural cooperation and dialogue. The annual report of the UN Secretary-General to the UN General Assembly on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in 2017 praised “Baku Process” as a pioneering initiative for advocating intercultural dialogue.

Notably, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing “Baku Process as a key global platform for promoting intercultural dialogue.

The previous five editions of the Forum have featured more than 250 activities and attracted nearly 10,000 participants from 180 countries and 30 international organizations.

The Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network (NAM PN) announced during the opening of its 3rd conference on Monday, March 25, 2024, held this year in Geneva, Switzerland, the acceptance of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) as an Observer in the Network.

The Network, whose conference is held this year under the theme “Revitalizing parliamentary action in combating climate change,” on the sidelines of the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, reaffirmed, in an official statement, the decision to grant observer status to: ICESCO, the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries (TURKPA), and the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).

The resolution stated that the members of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, convening in Geneva, Switzerland, on 25 March 2024, recognizing the importance of developing relations with other international organizations and bodies as an essential element in the institutional formation of non-aligned policy, approved the applications submitted by the three institutions to join the network as observers.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, welcomed this step, confirming that the Organization’s membership in the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network is a step towards enhancing cooperation with the Network Member Countries, in implementing joint initiatives, and valorizing the Network’s role in promoting the values of coexistence and peace.

Every year on March 27th, the world celebrates the World Theatre Day, an occasion to highlight the role of art in promoting intercultural and civilizational dialogue, as a source of inspiration fostering diversity and cultural openness, and as an integral part of the intangible civilizational heritage reflecting the values of belonging and coexistence.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) seizes this opportunity to renew its commitment to supporting the art of theatre, promoting cultural dialogue and developing the skills of theater practitioners in its Member States. At the same time, it strives to highlight the efforts undertaken to strengthen this ancestral art (the father of all arts) through its scientific publications and symposia, particularly in light of the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and its impact on reducing human creativity.

In this regard, ICESCO is working towards the publication of a set of guides aimed at anchoring the cultural identity of theatre in the Islamic world, as well as the elaboration of a guiding study on artistic and theatrical education for schoolchildren, with the aim of supporting all art forms, particularly theater.

On this World Theatre Day, ICESCO reaffirms its support for the efforts of its Member States to develop this art form, promote the training of artists and the preservation of performing arts, in addition to integrating people with special needs into theatrical performances and consolidating social cohesion.

World Water Day is observed every year on 22 March. This year’s theme, “Water for Peace,” is a rallying call to shed light on the threats of water scarcity to food security, social parity, and the environment, hindering sustainable development, security, and peace in the world.

On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) brings attention to water scarcity in most of the countries of the Islamic world and calls for cooperation and joint action to ensure the right to access safe and clean water. It is particularly concerning that 29 of these countries are currently facing water stress, with 18 experiencing a critical stress level. Additionally, the average renewable water resources are alarmingly low, at 3,806 cubic meters, compared to the global average of 7,027 cubic meters per capita. These figures emphasize the urgent need for the rational and efficient use of water resources.

In this context, ICESCO reaffirms its unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable water resource management and environment protection and enhancing peace and security by harnessing synergies among international and regional organizations, institutions, and research centers in the field. These efforts address the causes and consequences of water scarcity and urge the international community to strive for a future where every individual, regardless of their geographical location, has rightful and sustainable access to clean water.

As part of its strong commitment to addressing climate change issues among its Member States, including water scarcity, ICESCO implements a set of programs aimed at enhancing water resource management, mainly its program of water and sewage network repair in several rural areas in the Islamic world countries.

To mark this occasion, ICESCO reiterates the importance of strengthening the international and regional exchange of expertise in building scientific and innovative capacities to confront future challenges in water and food security, biodiversity, and crisis management. These efforts are essential for ensuring social and economic development while establishing the pillars of sustainable peace.