Category: Front Page

A book recently published in the Kingdom of Morocco praised the creative, forward-looking vision and new strategic orientations of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and its pilot experience of investment in people from theory to practice through projects, initiatives and programs that place ICESCO at the forefront of international organizations investing in the future and the soft power. The book highlights the Islamic world’s dire need to benefit from the Organization’s expertise at a time great attention is paid to investment in the rich human capital.

The author, Professor Abdelkader El Idrissi, pointed out in this new book titled: “Investing in People from Theory to Practice… ICESCO as a case study,” that slogans such as (We Invest in People), (We Build the Future), and (We Achieve Sustainable Success), featuring on the walls and the elevator doors caught his eye first when he came back to visit the Organization’s headquarters, in Rabat, after over three years of absence. These expressions drew his attention to the term of investment in people and constituted the starting point for this study, which stands as a witness on the progress made within ICESCO.

Professor Abdelkader El Idrissi, who has so far authored five books about ICESCO, emphasized that investing in people has impacts on the development of societies, the progress of countries and the prosperity of human life, highlighting that investing in people refers to investing in the future, which is in line with the Organization’s strategies to contribute to the advancement of its Member States. The author lauded the vision of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, commending the development, renewal and modernization that the Organization has witnessed since he assumed his duties in 2019.

The author devoted a separate chapter to each of ICESCO’s sectors. The first chapter is titled “Investing in Education,” the second is themed “Investing in Science, Technology and Innovation,” the third focuses on “Investing in the Social and Human Sciences,” and the fourth explores “Investing in Culture and Communication,” to which he added two chapters on “Investing in Youth and Children,” and “Investing in the Future,” respectively. In its introduction, the book presents the linguistic, economic and social significations of the concept of investment both theoretically and practically.

The book indicates the great importance ICESCOattaches to practical investment in people, by harnessing its high expertise at its areas of expertiseand translating it into innovative, productive, and forward-looking programs, projects, and initiatives aimed at enhancing the human capital to contribute to the development of the Islamic world by addressingchallenges, rebuilding civilization, building the futureand ensuring access to vital areas.

In conclusion, the author considered that ICESCO’sinvestment in its areas of competence is a duty, a right, a principle, a way of life, a responsibility and a trust, explaining that all fifty-four Member States receive their share of academic benefits and functional impacts of this unique civilizational project managed and implemented by ICESCO.

In the appendices, Professor El Idrissi added that this civilizational project, which serves comprehensive and sustainable development in the Islamic world, has a prudent engineer with a wise vision, a strong determination, and extensive knowledge in building renaissance and laying the foundations for progress in the fields of education, science, technology, innovation, culture and communication, human and social sciences, youth, and children. He has a profound sense of responsibility and diligent work. He manages a work team, which helps him handle all the workload and carries out the missions that serve ICESCO’s objectives. He is Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, since May 9, 2019, who, along with the Organization’s leadership, brought about a qualitative leap in ICESCO and join to the ranks of successful regional and international organizations.

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.