The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to review the progress of the implementation of several joint projects, within the framework of the cooperation and partnership between the Organization and the Bank.
During the meeting, held on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, via videoconference, the two parties discussed the latest developments in the implementation of joint projects, notably the project of writing local African languages in the standardized Arabic script, which the International University of Africa in the Republic of the Sudan is implementing in several African countries; the project on the use of technology to support people with disabilities in the Sudan; and the project on developing primary education in the Kingdom of Morocco.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Amira Fadel, Head of ICESCO Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation; Dr. Koumbou Boly Barry, Head of ICESCO Sector of Education; Dr. Majdi Hajji Ibrahim, Head of the Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers; Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Head of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards, in addition to a number of the Organization’s experts. The IsDB was represented by Mr. Moulay Sherif Alaoui, Project Management Specialist at the IsDB Regional Hub in Rabat, along with many experts from both the IsDB headquarters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Rabat Regional Hub.
In recognition of his efforts in supporting women and community service as well as the success of the programs and activities of ICESCO’s Year of Women initiative 2021, the Arab Women’s Council for Social Responsibility honored Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, awarded ICESCO DG the Golden Shield of Excellence 2022, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, during the opening of the 6th Regional Forum for Arab Women in Dubai, under the theme: “Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility after Covid-19.”
After receiving the Shield, Dr. AlMalik delivered a speech in which he expressed his gratitude to the Arab Women’s Council, stressing that ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations accord particular importance to supporting girls and women in all fields, as they are the foundation for building developed and prosperous societies, pointing to ICESCO key programs and activities implemented in this regard.
He also reviewed ICESCO’s key achievements during the Year of Women, pointing out that the Organization’s proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women under the theme “Women and the Future” came as evidence of ICESCO’s deep awareness of the importance of the role of women in society and as an appreciation of their efforts in addressing the negative effects of the Covid 19 pandemic and the sacrifices they made in facing this unprecedented pandemic, inside and outside their homes.
ICESCO DG commended the choice of the theme of the 6th Regional Forum for Arab Women 2022 by the Arab Women’s Council, headed by Ms. Lynne Daglawe Moukarzel, under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and the League of Arab States, and in strategic partnership with the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility and cooperation with the Beirut Bar Association and Excellence Awards Academy. He explained that “sustainable development and social responsibility after Covid 19,” has become a common topic, especially in light of the great global challenges that require solidarity and joint action to be eradicated.
Dr. Al-Malik concluded his speech by inviting the Arab Women’s Council for Social Responsibility to hold its next meeting at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat.
The Council’s 6th Forum, which is held on June 15-16, witnessed the participation of high-level leaders, businesswomen and businessmen from various Arab countries. It aims to encourage women to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which rely on a collective responsibility to promote economic development, inclusive social development and environmental protection, as well as to establish a roadmap to achieve a better and more sustainable future after the Covid-19 pandemic. It also seeks to provide a high-level platform for interaction between participants of various specializations to strengthen the role of women and their partnership in achieving comprehensive social and development responsibility.
The Social and Human Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in a workshop on the development of women in the Islamic world, as part of the scientific sessions held during the celebration of “Tetouan, the Capital of the Moroccan Civil Society for the Year 2022,” organized under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, May God assists him, by the “International Civil Society Organization for the values of Citizenship, Development and Dialogue,” in cooperation with the “Tataouin Asmir Association for Cultural, Social, Economic and Sports Development,” in the city of Tetouan.
Ms. Safa Zebakh, expert at the Human and Social Sciences Sector, who represented ICESCO in the symposium, presented the Organization’s experience in enhancing the role of women as a key factor in achieving sustainable development and stressed the need to integrate them into the multiple dimensions of the decision-making process in the fields of education, health, economic empowerment and protection from violence and negative repercussions of crises. She also highlighted ICESCO’s efforts to promote good experiences in the field of illiteracy and informal education for the benefit of civil society organizations in the Member States.
She mentioned the Organization’s initiatives during the Covid 19 pandemic, which contributed to mitigating its negative effects and sustaining the economic empowerment of women and girls by encouraging the production of sanitizers and prevention materials as a project for sustaining income and training girls to do so.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), organizes the International Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Remote Sensing for Epidemic and Natural Disasters Management, on June 12-16, 2022, in the Sultanate of Oman, in partnership with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in the Sultanate of Oman and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in cooperation with the Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) and a number of international partners.
The forum, which brings together a host of researchers and specialists in the field from 24 countries, includes practical training sessions that are held in Muscat, the Sultanate of Oman, and theoretical presentations that are held via videoconference. It aims at exchanging knowledge and experience on the integration of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, remote sensing and geographic information systems, into every aspect of human life, and providing a practical understanding of geospatial techniques and risk management applications to provide practical solutions in this field.
In his intervention, Dr. Foued El Ayni, Expert at ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, noted that the Organization attaches particular importance to promoting understanding and leveraging emerging technologies, particularly space science applications, to improve human life, and reviewed ICESCO’s future programmes in this respect.
The forum features open, public sessions, training workshops, field visits to SQU’s Earthquake Monitoring Center (EMC) and the National Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, lectures on the use of artificial intelligence in disaster risk reduction and management, and healthcare, remote sensing mechanisms, and examples of the use of modern technologies in the management of dust storms, Cyclone Shaheen, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the High Commission for Veterans and Former Members of the Liberation Army of the Kingdom of Morocco, held a lecture on the values of the World Veterans Federation and the ideals of peace and understanding among nations, within the framework of ICESCO lectures that seek to consolidate the values of peace and dialogue.
The lecture, held on Monday (June 13, 2022) at ICESCO Headquarters, is part of the activities of the Celebration of Rabat, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022. It saw the presence of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, and Mr. Mustapha El Ktiri, High Commissioner of Veterans and Former Members of the Liberation Army, as well as several ambassadors, public figures, and a group of veterans from the Kingdom of Morocco.
Mr. Najib Rhiati, Cultural Adviser to ICESCO DG, moderated the lecture, which was given by Mr. Dan Viggo Bergtun, President of the World Veterans Federation. He first introduced the Federation, which was established after World War II, explaining that it is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that has under its umbrella 172 institutions of veterans, including about 60 million veterans, from 121 countries around the world.
Mr. Bergtun also reviewed the Federation’s efforts and initiatives to build security and peace as the basis for developing societies, and its role in supporting family members of veterans and victims of war, helping them integrate into society and preserving their dignity, health and well-being.
Afterward, he detailed the requirements for building peace, most notably learning about history to raise young people’s awareness of the tragic consequences of war, the need to build peace and confidence in our ability to make a change and build a common platform to support world peace.
In conclusion, the floor was opened for questions and comments. The participants lauded the topic of the lecture and the importance of building and maintaining peace for the benefit of all peoples and future generations.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Euromed University of Fez in the Kingdom of Morocco held a meeting to review the key achievements of the ICESCO Chair, “Women in Science: Artificial Intelligence and the Future” and the major activities and research works which were implemented and supported by the Chair during its first year at the University, in line with ICESCO’s approach to open up to universities and promote girls’ presence in scientific fields.
The meeting was held on Monday, June 13, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat between Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Dr. Mostapha Bousmina, President of Euromed University. The two parties expressed their keenness to sustain the fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and the University regarding this special chair, which strives to promote AI research works, and encourages girls and women’s participation in this field, among others.
For her part, Dr. Maha Kamira, Chair Coordinator, presented a report on the key achievements scored by the Chair in its first year, in addition to the projects, training sessions, workshops and seminars that the Chair held or took part in, noting that several innovations have been invented, which the Chair is currently working on patenting.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Sector of Science and Technology; Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of the Center for Strategic Foresight; Ms. Sally Mabrouk, Head of the Director-General’s Office; Dr. Adel Smeda, Expert at the Sector of Science and Technology. The ICESCO officials all commended the Chair’s achievements, highlighting the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Chair and several ICESCO programs in many of ICESCO’s Member States relating to its field of competence.
The Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat hosted today, Saturday, June 11, 2022, the activities of the Annual Scientific and Educational Fair that the Scientific Junior High School in Agdal organized in cooperation with ICESCO. The Fair aims at nurturing students’ talents, creativity and scientific thinking, achieving educational and scientific excellence, and shifting from theoretical knowledge to scientific and technological applications.
This Fair reflects ICESCO’s keenness to support talents and scientific and innovative thinking, and develop students’ creativity and sense of initiative, as part of the Organization’s new vision which aims to achieve excellence and creativity in schools by building capacities and developing future skills that are necessary for an ever-developing world that relies on technology and AI.
Moreover, this Fair highlights an educational necessity aimed at addressing students’ needs, honing their readiness, building their capacities and skills and helping them actively interact with the learning material. It also aims to develop their talents, achievements and creations, achieve complementarity between theory and practice in school curricula, and consolidate understanding of scientific facts.
In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, congratulated the students and teaching staff of the Scientific Junior High School of Agdal for the success of this Fair, expressing the Organization’s keenness to develop cooperation prospects in similar fairs.
The Fair was opened by Dr. Kombou Boly Barry, Head of ICESCO Education Sector, and Dr. Majid Khannas School Principal of the Scientific Junior High School of Agdal. The Fair was attended by more than 200 students and a large number of parents, in addition to the jury members tasked with assessing the projects and innovations and experts from the Education Sector.
Following the opening ceremony, the Scientific Commission, which consisted of prominent inventors and professors and experts specializing in scientific research, took stock of the projects and inventions and held its deliberations. The Fair concluded its proceedings with the announcement of winners who received incentive prizes.
The pavilion of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) at the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat held a dialogue session on Saturday, June 11, 2022, to introduce ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program in the Islamic world and the reasons for declaring Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2022, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, with the participation of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General.
During the session, which was moderated by Mr. Najib Riati, Cultural Adviser to ICESCO Director-General, Dr. AlMalik stated that the selection of Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2022 is due to its literary and cultural richness and historical monuments, as it has all the components that ICESCO is looking for in Culture Capitals Program.
He pointed out that ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program has recently witnessed transformation and renewal since its establishment. It has become more focused on including the fields of tourism and education, and the involvement of many stakeholders to promote cultural and scientific fields.
He added that ICESCO Headquarters will witness the opening of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Biography of the Prophet and Islamic Civilization on July 25, 2022, which will be held within the framework of the celebration of Rabat as the Culture Capital in the Islamic world 2022, in partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammadia League of Scholars in Morocco. The exhibition includes modern display technologies to narrate and document in detail the biography of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The first exhibition outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be in the Kingdom of Morocco, which indicates the distinguished relations between the two countries.
For his part, Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid highlighted the cultural radiance of Rabat and its global civilization dimension, noting that the Chellah archaeological site has hosted multiple civilizations over history.
He stressed that during this year, various cultural, artistic and musical activities will be organized with the participation of various stakeholders and that celebrating Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic world will contribute to strengthening the cultural industry, reviewing the Ministry’s programs, activities and initiatives to be implemented within the framework of this celebration.
Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa highlighted the cultural dimension of the city of Rabat, and that its declaration as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2022 restores its cultural importance, pointing out that ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program is one of the mechanisms for valorizing, documenting and safeguarding heritage as it builds the memory that links us to the past and the future.
At the close of the session, the floor was given to the attendees to ask Dr. AlMalik, Mr. Mehdi Bensaid and Dr. Benarfa, questions about ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program in the Islamic world.
The World Day Against Child Labour is held every year on June 12 to cast light on one of the most prominent social phenomena that have devastating effects on children’s lives. International statistics suggest that nearly 1 in 10 children are subjected to forced labour, an alarming situation that has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this international day is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of concerted international action toward achieving this year’s theme: “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour.”
On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) calls upon all governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to join efforts toward strengthening international commitments that prohibit all forms of child labour. These include the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Islam, international and regional protocols on child protection, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment, ILO Convention No. 132 on the worst forms of child labour, and Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
ICESCO also calls upon all institutions and bodies in its Member States to consolidate the legal framework relating to child labour issues, taking into account the social specificities and level of vulnerability of this category. They need to make sure that all parties, including children, participate in developing national plans and projects that are geared toward ending child labour and monitoring and preventing all forms of child exploitation and abuse to ensure their education and social integration. To this end, Member States should:
Eliminate child labour and return victims to school,
Align national legislation with international legal standards and ensure compliance with national laws on compulsory education age and child labour.
Protect children from economic and social vulnerability,
Ensure access to distance education programmes,
Protect children from the impact of armed conflict,
Promote parent education programmes and enhance the involvement of elected local officials, parliamentary representatives, and civil society.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announces the opening of application for its Programme for Training Youth in Technology and Innovation Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, following the success of the previous editions of the Programme in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Kazakhstan.
This initiative, which aims at promoting the creative economy in the Islamic world, is in line with ICESCO’s vision and action strategy to support more than 150 start-ups in the field of technology and innovation in the Organization’s Member States by 2025. ICESCO is implementing the Programme in the Kyrgyz Republic in partnership with a business incubator “MOST Almaty,” and in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in cooperation with Pakistan innovation Foundation and Katalyst Labs.
The programme will benefit ten ICESCO Member States by the end of 2022 and will include the organization of a two to three-day training camp and a four to six-week intensive course session, under the supervision of experts, investors and people interested in the field of business and enterprise development. The goal is to support participants in launching their projects in the fields of financial technology, digital media, tourism and food technology, agricultural technology, entertainment and gaming.
In this regard, a special jury will select the three best teams that submitted projects to compete in the final phase, which will be held at ICESCO’s Headquarters in Rabat so that the winners can present their ideas to several donor institutions and investors, to provide them with the necessary funding.
To participate in the programme, applicants must fill in and send the application form before 30 June, via the following links
In Pakistan: https://katalystlabs.pk/a-hub-acceleration-program
In Kyrgyzstan: http://most.com.kz/icesco
For more information on the Programme, please visit the following link: https://www.icesco-accelerator.org
