Category: Front Page

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Mansur Muhtar, Vice President of Operations at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, held a meeting to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and the Bank. The goal of the meeting is to push the cooperation towards new horizons through the joint implementation of a number of initiatives, programs, and projects in areas of mutual interest, which will be included in a partnership agreement soon to be signed by both parties.

Dr. AlMalik opened the meeting, held on Monday, April 29, 2024, in Riyadh, by congratulating the IsDB Group and its Chairman, Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, on the success of the Bank’s golden jubilee celebration, marking 50 years since its establishment, as well as the success of the Bank’s annual meetings, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between April 27 and 30, 2024. He praised the workshops organized during these meetings, and the distinguished speakers and participants throughout the sessions.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key elements of the Organization’s new vision and its strategic directions, as well as its initiatives, programs, and activities being implemented during the Meeting, which was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector at ICESCO, Dr. Dinara Guliyeva, Expert at the same sector, and Mr. Salah Jelassi, Director of Partnerships, Global Advocacy, and Resource Mobilization at the IsDB Group, along with several officials from the Bank’s team.

Moreover, the Meeting discussed proposals for practical programs and projects for cooperation between ICESCO and the Bank to meet the needs of Islamic world countries in the fields of education, science, culture, as well as social and economic development, with a focus on vulnerable groups. The discussions also touched upon preparing the new generations to adapt to the changes happening in today’s world and future-proofing their professional skills.

For his part, Dr. Mansur Muhtar commended ICESCO for the significant roles it plays in serving the Islamic world in its areas of expertise, and for implementing programs and projects together with its international partners. IsDB Vice-President of Operations also reaffirmed his institution’s keenness to upgrade cooperation with the Organization.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed upon continued coordination, in addition to holding expert meetings to devise an action plan for joint cooperation between ICESCO and the Bank over the upcoming period. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on the importance of ICESCO’s participation in the Bank’s annual meetings, and the attendance of representatives from the Bank at conferences and activities carried out by the Organization.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). They discussed ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and Azerbaijan to ensure the success of COP29, which Azerbaijan will host in the capital Baku in November 2024.

During the Meeting, held today, Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, in Baku, on the sidelines of the 6th edition of the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, organized by ICESCO in collaboration with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and several international organizations, both sides expressed their commitment to contribute to the excellence of COP29, which is of great importance in light of the world’s climate changes that require intensified international efforts to develop strategies to address the risks threatening natural resources and food security.

ICESCO DG emphasized the importance of youth participation in this major international event, explaining that the Organization can collaborate to ensure greater attendance of Islamic world countries at COP29, as well as representatives of ICESCO’s partner bodies and institutions worldwide, to enrich the Conference’s discussions and scientific sessions.

The Meeting also discussed ICESCO’s participation in the Conference and the provision of a special pavilion for the Organization in the blue zone, reserved for accredited participants, world leaders, media, and observers, to contribute to enhancing ICESCO’s presence and promoting its environmental work.

The Azerbaijani minister, for his part, affirmed his country’s keenness, as well as that of the authorities responsible for COP29, to facilitate all logistical and technical procedures for ICESCO’s participation in this event.

At the closing of the meeting, it was agreed to continue coordinating between the two teams formed at ICESCO and the ministry to follow up on the arrangements for participation in COP29 and the activities to be implemented by the Organization at the Conference.

Attending the Meeting from ICESCO’s side were Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Dr. Hesham El-Askary, Advisor to the DG.

The Sixth World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue kicked off in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the participation of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and high-level representatives from 110 countries. The Forum, co-organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), UNESCO, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is themed ” Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity.”

In his opening remarks, H.E. President Aliyev commended the international organizations involved in organizing the Forum, highlighting the contributions of the distinguished participants in developing new methodologies to address major issues in the international agenda. H.E. President Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan has always been a crossroads of cultures throughout history thanks to its strategic location between the East and West, which added to the Azerbaijani society’s cultural richness and ethnic diversity, and its commitment to tolerance, coexistence, respect, and partnership.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, emphasized the Organization’s openness to all in light of its forward-looking vision and strategic orientations in an international and regional context that calls for practical solutions to resolve conflicts through strengthening the foundations of culture and dialogue and urging regional and international research centers to adopt reliable standards in issuing information and analysis on which policies are based. Dr. AlMalik added that the state of peace and degree of security are two reliable standards that reassure people to look forward to a better future.

Dr. AlMalik commended the efforts of the Republic of Azerbaijan, its President, government, and people and expressed his gratitude to H.E. President Aliyev for his efforts to promote dialogue among nations. Dr. AlMalik stressed the importance of the Forum in a world that is still regressing at the level of security and coexistence. Dr. AlMalik reviewed statistics showing that 2023 recorded the highest rates of deteriorating security and escalating conflicts internationally, with 183 armed conflicts, a 28% increase in violent incidents, 800 million people below the poverty line, a decline in the number of teachers, and 459 armed groups whose activities provoke humanitarian concerns, with 195 million people living under their full or partial control.

Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik lauded the outcomes of the “Baku Process” and the several events being held in Baku, expressing pride in the distinguished partnership between the Organization and Azerbaijan, to be reinforced by the upcoming activities of celebrating Shusha as the Culture Capital of the Islamic World for 2024. Dr. AlMalik reviewed a set of ICESCO programs in this regard and stated that the two sides have identical views of the cultural and civilizational scenes as they have the same aspirations and understanding of global dialogue.

For his part, Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, called for joint efforts to achieve peace and stability globally and for greater solidarity and complementarity among civilizations and cultures to resolve conflicts. Mr. Moratinos stressed the need to intensify dialogue to stop wars and affirmed that the alliance of civilizations is a crucial step in preserving human dignity and a moral duty that guarantees the protection of human rights.

Following the opening session, the Forum’s three-day working sessions began with the participation of a high-level delegation from ICESCO, including Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnership and International Cooperation Sector, Ambassador Khalid Fath Al-Rahman, Director of the Civilizational Dialogue Center, Dr. Weber Ndoro, Director of the Center of Heritage in the Islamic World, Dr. Hesham El-Askary, Advisor to DG, and Musallim Afandiyev, Expert in the Partnership and International Cooperation Sector.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held a meeting to discuss the outputs of the Knowledge Index Report of 2023, as well as initiatives to improve Muslim countries’ rankings in the upcoming Index reports.

The meeting was held on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat and saw the participation of a number of ICESCO’s experts and heads of sectors and departments, in addition to a host of Member States’ representatives who took part in the meeting via videoconference. The meeting discussed the Knowledge Index data in the Islamic world and explored ways to improve the region’s performance in the annually issued Index.

In his address at the meeting, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), highlighted the Organization’s close cooperation ties with the Foundation and the UNDP, a cooperation focused on exploring effective ways to improve the rankings of ICESCO Member States in the Knowledge Index. The DG also stated that this meeting aims to define the indicators in the Member States and work closely to identify strengths and weaknesses to contribute to their improvement and development.

Dr. Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), gave an overview of the Foundation’s goals and mission to support knowledge in the Arab and Islamic worlds, highlighting key initiatives implemented by the Foundation and its international partners to anticipate the future of knowledge and develop future skills.

He also emphasized the centrality of this meeting in the process of introducing some ICESCO Member States to the Knowledge Index, and supporting other countries to rank higher in this Index, given its significance in their economic and developmental progress.

Moreover, the meeting featured a presentation by Dr. Hani Turki, Director of the Knowledge Project at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), who discussed the Knowledge Index in ICESCO’s Member States for 2023. His presentation focused on the States’ achievements, the strengths and weaknesses of their data, the clear gap among them in this regard, and issues related to data collection and availability in some countries.

Afterwards, the parties discussed the report findings, the methods used to process and verify them, as well as the role of National Commissions in pooling efforts to control the quality of data sent to international institutions and organizations, and ensure their accuracy and the use of proper tools to assess data and derive diagnostic and analytical studies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ms. Hanan Hanzaz, Special Representative of the DG of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for the Arab Region, to explore ways of developing cooperation between the two organizations in areas of common interest.

At the outset of the meeting, held on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at ICESCO’s headquarters, in Rabat, Ms. Hanan Hanzaz conveyed the greetings of Mr. Gerd Müller, UNIDO DG, as well as his invitation to Dr. AlMalik to visit the Organization’s headquarters, in Vienna, to hold a bilateral meeting at the earliest convenience, and attend the upcoming UNIDO General Conference, due to be held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in 2025.

For his part, ICESCO DG welcomed the invitation to visit UNIDO’s headquarters, stressing his keenness to develop and enhance cooperation between the two parties through practical and impactful programs and projects, the results of which will be presented during the UNIDO General Conference, in Riyadh, in 2025.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO has been developed and modernized during the past five years through its new vision, strategic orientations, organizational structure and working mechanisms, adding that the Organization adopts an open cooperation approach with international organizations to promote the integration of roles in such a way as to serve Member States. He also reviewed the key initiatives, programs and projects that ICESCO has implemented in its areas of competence.

The meeting touched on future cooperation proposals, especially on vocational education and training, building the capacities of youth and women to acquire the necessary skills for tomorrow’s professions, and supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and artificial intelligence.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to continue coordination and hold expert meetings to develop joint cooperation programs, which will be included in an agreement to be signed by the two Organizations based on a specific implementation program.