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The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) congratulates His Majesty King Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, the Moroccan people, the Arab world and the African continent, for Morocco’s unprecedented achievement as the first Arab and African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

ICESCO hails the spectacular performance and high spirits of the Atlas Lions who shone in all matches and represented the Arab and African football in this global tournament which was successfully organized by the State of Qatar.

On this historic occasion, ICESCO renews its call to invest in sports, particularly football, as a soft-power tool that promotes coexistence and peace among all peoples of the world and emphasizes the need to harness such international sports events to foster civilizational dialogue and tolerance.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Said M’hamad Ed-Dbib, Libya’s Permanent Delegate to ICESCO, and Mr. Mohamed al-Taeb, Advisor at the Libyan delegation to the Organization.

The meeting, which was held on Thursday, December 8, 2022, brought together Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the ICESCO Director-General for Partnerships and International Cooperation, Supervisor of the Secretariat of National Commissions and Conference, Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), and Dr. Adel Smeda, Expert at ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector. The meeting emphasized the need to support higher education and scientific research and promote FUIW’s role to facilitate communication with Libyan universities and encourage networking with the Federation’s Member Universities.

The meeting witnessed the submission of the general report of ICESCO’s First International Conference on the Use of Emerging Technologies in Arabic Language Teaching and Practice, which was held by the Open University of Libya under ICESCO’s supervision on October 29-30, 2022, in Tripoli, under the theme “Creative Ideas – Constructive Vision – Proposals.” The said report includes the recommendations that were approved during the conference.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Amadou Nchouwat, supervisor of ICESCO Chair for Cultural Diversity, Peace and International Cooperation at the University of Yaoundé in the Republic of Cameroon.

The meeting, which was attended by Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), explored ways and mechanisms to promote ICESCO’s chair by supporting researchers in the fields of cultural diversity, peace and international cooperation, especially in terms of developing academic training in master’s and doctoral courses and encouraging student exchange for the benefit of researchers and publishing their scientific papers.

At the close of the meeting, the participants reaffirmed the need to develop research related to tangible and intangible heritage.

The workshop aimed at building the capacity of professionals in the field of inventorying intangible heritage and raising public awareness on the importance of cultural heritage held in Gharyan, Libya by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Libyan Ministry of Education and National Commission for Education and Culture and Science, concluded its proceedings.

The event, which took place on December 5-6, 2022, under the theme: “Our Intangible Heritage: Risks and Challenges,” was geared towards introducing Libyan society to its abundant heritage, and promoting the country’s cultural richness. It also sought to highlight the legal and institutional frameworks regulating intangible heritage, methods of its documentation and inventorying, the risks and challenges it is facing, and the means for ensuring the viability of Libya’s intangible cultural heritage.

The workshop’s opening session, which was held at the headquarters of the University of Gharyan, saw the attendance of Dr. Musa Al-Maqrif, Libyan Minister of Education, Mr. Abdallah Al-Sousi, Secretary-General of the Libyan National Commission, Dr. Mohammed Ebrahim Ghoma, President of the University of Gharyan, and Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, who attended the session via videoconference.

During the opening session, Mr. Bilel Chebbi, Expert at ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, delivered an online presentation on the role of the Islamic World Heritage Center in valorizing intangible cultural heritage and building the capacities of heritage professionals in the Member States, and the importance of inscribing cultural sites and goods on the Islamic World Heritage List.

The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is holding a workshop in the city of Koudougou, Republic of Burkina Faso, to strengthen the capacities of workers in the field of childcare in emergencies, in cooperation with the National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in Burkina Faso, for the benefit of officials and employees of the ministries decentralized departments.

The three-day Workshop, which started on December 7, 2022, aims to strengthen the capabilities of participants in the field of emergency childcare, especially in the less secure areas of Burkina Faso, by enabling them to understand basic theoretical concepts and practical mechanisms related to education in emergencies, supporting their knowledge in the field of gender, and developing strategies for appropriate care in favor of displaced children within reception centers.

The Workshop’s opening was attended by Dr. Fatie Ouattara, Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO and ISESCO in Burkina Faso, Dr. Slimane Coulibaly, Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of National Education, Mr. Daouda Sanon, Representative of the Technical Secretariat for Education in Emergencies at the Ministry of National Education, and Ms. Bambara Ouedraogo Juliet, Representative of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. The Burkinabe participating officials stressed the importance of the topic of the Workshop and expressed their gratitude to ICESCO for its efforts in the field of childcare.

A delegation of women journalists taking part in the 4th Edition of the Arab Women Journalists Forum held on 5-6 December 2022, visited ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, where they were received by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General.

During the meeting, Dr. Benarafa underlined that ICESCO’s new vision accords great attention to building women’s capacities and supporting women entrepreneurs through a set of practical programs and projects.

The ICESCO official also noted that ICESCO exerts tireless efforts to promote gender equality and provide equal education and leadership positions opportunities for women, in cooperation with the Member States’ competence parties. He added that the Organization gears its work towards developing education systems, upgrading curricula and contributing to training and qualification efforts.

The women journalists expressed their delight to visit ICESCO Headquarters and get a closer look at ICESCO’s work and roles in the fields of education, science and culture.
The meeting saw the participation of several representatives of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP) and a number of ICESCO’s heads of sectors, departments and centers.

Following the meeting, the Arab women journalists visited the various sections and pavilions of the International Museum and Exhibition of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which ICESCO’s headquarters currently hosts, in partnership with the Muslim World League and the Mohammedia League of Scholars in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) congratulates the Kingdom of Morocco, on the great achievement of the Moroccan national football team, which reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

ICESCO commends the high spirit and heroic performance of the Atlas Lions in all their matches in the tournament, with sincere prayers that the Moroccan national team continues its brilliance in the upcoming matches to win the cup, Allah willing.

ICESCO also appreciates the good organization of the current World Cup by the State of Qatar, which has received world recognition, while preserving the Arab and Islamic identity and culture.

ICESCO reaffirms that sport is one of the soft powers that contribute to the consolidation of the values of peace and coexistence, and calls for investment in people’s connection with sports, especially football, to enrich the dialogue between various civilizations and cultures.