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The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the award ceremony of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, which was launched in partnership with ICESCO, and includes AI scientific research, promoting entrepreneurship among vocational trainers, education on sustainable development and promoting the national cultural heritage.

ICESCO was represented during the ceremony, held on Thursday (April 27, 2023), at the headquarters of the Moroccan National Commission, in Rabat, by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for Partnerships and International Cooperation, Supervisor of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, and Mr. Najib Ghiati, Cultural Adviser to ICESCO Director-General.

The ceremony, held concurrently with the celebration of the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Moroccan National Commission, witnessed the presentation of the stages of the award and the selection criteria to introduce these awards launched by the Moroccan National Commission and ICESCO.

The ceremony brought together Mr. Jamal Eddine El Aloua, Secretary General of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, Mr. Younes Al Suhaimi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, Primary Education and Sports, and Mr. Mohamed El Khalafaoui, Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, as well as several senior officials from the ministries concerned and the members of the juries.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is pleased to announce that the hosting period of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization has been extended for another six months at its headquarters in Rabat, upon royal approval from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, due to the large turnout of visitors.

With this extension, the exhibition and museum will be hosted at the Organization’s headquarters for a full year, commencing from the official opening on November 17, 2022, in the presence of His Royal Highness the Honorable Prince Moulay El Hassan, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Morocco.

This edition of the International Exhibitions and Museums of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization marks the first time the exhibition, which is headquartered in Al Madinah Al Munawarah, is held outside of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This initiative, held under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is the fruit of the strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League (MWL) and Morocco’s Mohammedia League of Scholars.

Since its public opening on November 28, 2022, the exhibition and museum have attracted nearly one and a half million visitors of all ages, from Moroccan citizens and residents to international visitors.

Prominent figures, scholars and intellectuals from the Islamic world and beyond have also visited the exhibition and museum, which have become a renowned destination for those wishing to deepen their understanding of the biography and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The exhibition and the museum aim to convey the message of Islam and its values of justice, peace, mercy, tolerance, coexistence and moderation, all of which are deeply embedded in the Holy Quran, the noble Sunnah and the glorious Islamic history.

To visit the exhibition and museum, visitors can book their free tickets via the link http://tickets.ma.salamfairs.com.sa for individuals, or contact a customer service representative at 00212761222222 for groups.

In the presence of a group of senior officials from several Gabonese ministries and institutions, the headquarters of Omar Bongo University, in Libreville, Republic of Gabon, witnessed the official launch ceremony of the ICESCO Chair “Women, Girls and Communities,” on Monday (April 24, 2023), within the framework of the cooperation program between the Islamic World Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Republic of Gabon for 2023-2027 aiming at enhancing scientific and educational research on gender issues and women’s rights and building the capacities of women and girls.In a recorded speech addressed to the ceremony, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, commended Gabon’s efforts to consolidate and promote the rights of women and girls through the national strategy for promoting women’s rights and achieving gender equality, which was launched in 2020 and made significant progress in the field of women’s rights, praising Omar Bongo University’s initiative to host this chair, which will contribute to the promotion of scientific research in disciplines related to women’s and girls’ issues and societies in the Islamic world and beyond.

He also explained that the chair will adopt a multidisciplinary approach to consider mechanisms for spreading the culture of peace and enhancing the contribution of women and girls to building prosperous and cohesive societies, highlighting that the socio-economic and educational rehabilitation of women and their integration in the fields of science and technology contribute to a significant reduction of violence and discrimination against women.

ICESCO Director-General stressed the Organization’s keenness to support and implement programs to spread the culture of peace in line with the values of a just and equitable society, adding this chair will contribute to deconstructing stereotypes to bring about the desired change and build just and equitable societies for our present and future generations.For his part, Dr. Patrick Mouguiama-Daouda, Gabonese Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, Technology Transfer and National Education, Chairman of the Gabonese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, indicated that the launch of the chair, which comes on the occasion of National Women’s Day in Gabon, underlines the great interest that the Gabonese government attaches to improving the conditions of women in society and achieving gender equality.

The Gabonese minister thanked ICESCO Director-General for his keenness to develop cooperation between the Organization and Gabon in ICESCO’s areas of competence.In his address, Dr. Mesmin-Noel Soumahou, Dean of Omar Bongo University, expressed his happiness at the university’s hosting of the activities of the ICESCO Chair on “Women, Girls and Communities”, stressing that the chair will study and assess government measures aimed at combating gender inequality and making Gabon an example to follow in this field.In an address delivered on her behalf by Mr. Marcel Koca, Secretary General of the Gabonese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO Human and Social Sciences Sector, indicated that this chair will contribute to strengthening the Organization’s efforts towards women development and peace-building through interdisciplinary research programs.

On the twenty-fourth of April of every year, the world celebrates the International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.

On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) reaffirms its commitment to promoting multilateral diplomacy in order to consolidate the values of coexistence and acceptance of cultural differences to contribute to achieving peace worldwide and live in safe and prosperous societies.

In this context, ICESCO stresses its keenness to enhance joint action and cooperation with its international partners in the fields of education, science, technology, culture, civilizational dialogue, youth development and women’s qualification to contribute to strengthening social cohesion and the values of solidarity between societies through constructive and tangible partnership with various countries.

In pursuit of achieving its mission and forward-looking vision for promoting the values of mutual respect, dialogue and coexistence, ICESCO launched and implemented many practical initiatives, programs and projects that are in line with the principles and agreements of the United Nations.

The Organization also encourage diplomacy to make cultural diversity an incentive to achieve societal cohesion.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a training session on strategic foresight in the service of decision-making for the benefit of several young professionals who are receiving training in the Organization’s departments, sectors and centers.

The ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight and the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards and the Departments of Administrative Affairs cooperated in organizing the session, which concluded its activities on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. During the opening of its activities, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Head of the Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards, and Mrs. Jehan Charfi, Head of the Human Resources Department, highlighted the importance of the training session in contributing to building the capabilities of young people and providing them with new professional knowledge and skills to keep pace with the technological development that the world is witnessing.

During the session, Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Center of Strategic Foresight reviewed the stages of development and the methods and techniques employed in the field of strategic foresight, as well as the concepts related to strategic planning, noting the importance of promoting a culture of foresight in ensuring a better future.

The four-day training session included workshops to allow participants who were divided into groups to put into practice what they have learned during the theoretical part of the session, mainly the identification of the key factors of change and the mechanisms that can be relied upon in foresight.

Every year on April 21st, the world celebrates the Creativity and Innovation Day to raise awareness about the importance of promoting creative capacities to contribute to achieving sustainable development. On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) seizes this opportunity to highlight the importance of building prosperous societies based on knowledge, creativity and innovation to contribute to protecting human dignity as well as achieving social justice and cultural diversity.

ICESCO reaffirms that it accords great importance to promoting entrepreneurship to stimulate creativity and innovation, push forward economic growth in the societies of the Islamic world and encourage creative initiatives for the benefit of youth and women, mainly through the launch of ICESCO’s ambitious programme for training youth in 2022 in creating and developing small projects in the field of technology and innovation in 10 countries in the Islamic world. ICESCO also seeks to implement this programme in the rest of its Member States, as part of its strategy and action plan, which aims to support more than 150 emerging companies in the field of innovation and technology by 2025.

Since creativity and innovation are the foundation for building a bright future for the next generations, ICESCO calls for exerting more international and regional efforts to benefit from modern technology in promoting the creative process and qualifying human capacities through joint cooperation in implementing several initiatives, programmes and projects to build creative societies.

The Culture and Communication Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in an international symposium entitled “Rewriting the archives of Hans Himmelheber and African artists,” held by the Rietberg Museum in partnership with the University of Zurich in Switzerland to discuss means for recovering African artifacts displayed in Western museums.

Dr. Mahamat Abba Ousman, Expert at the Culture and Communication, represented the Sector at the symposium, which took place in Zurich on 12-15 April 2023 and brought together several subject matter experts from different international organizations and African universities, as well as group of museum directors in Africa.

During the symposium, participants reviewed the archives, scientific documents and audiovisual archives of more than 20,000 artifacts. Dr. Hans Himmelheber contributed to the transportation of these items, which are currently displayed in several Western museums, from various African countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Namibia to Europe through trade.

The symposium discussed means for recovering this African cultural wealth by building bridges of cooperation between the heads of African and European museums and developing a strategy that enables young generations in Africa to learn about their history.

Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held a meeting with Mr. Thomas E. Zelibor, Chief Executive Officer of the US Space Foundation, to discuss developments in cooperation between ICESCO and the Foundation in the fields of space science, modern technology and artificial intelligence, on the sidelines of the 38th session of the World Space Symposium, organized by the Space Foundation, Colorado State, USA.

At the outset of the meeting, which was held on Monday, 17 April 2023, Dr. AlMalik expressed his appreciation for the distinguished cooperation between ICESCO and the Space Foundation, and the implementation of the terms of the agreement signed between the two sides in August 2021. For the record, the MoU focuses on the qualification and capacity building of youth in the field of space science by jointly organizing several seminars and workshops, encouraging innovation, and benefiting from space science applications to serve the goals of sustainable development.

For his part, Mr. Zelibor reaffirmed the Space Foundation’s pride in the fruitful cooperation with ICESCO, and its importance in opening new horizons for cooperation with a number of space agencies and leading research centers in the field in the countries of the Islamic world.
The meeting touched upon the results of joint programs and projects between the two sides. It was agreed to strengthen and develop cooperation between ICESCO and the Space Foundation and to maintain coordination to agree on new joint programs and projects.

At the end of the meeting, the ICESCO Director-General and the Chief Executive Officer of the Space Foundation exchanged souvenirs.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Kathryn Thornton Former Chairwoman of the Space Foundation, and Ms. Shelli Brunswick, Chief Operating Officer of Space Foundation, and from ICESCO, by Dr. Raheel Qamar, head of the Science and Technology Sector, and Dr. Mohamed Sharif, advisor at the sector.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), is taking part in the 38th Space Symposium organized by the Space Foundation in Colorado, USA. The Director-General is heading the delegation of the Science and Technology Sector participating in this Symposium, which kicked off on Monday, April 17, 2023, amid high-caliber attendance including officials from space agencies and bodies from different parts of the world, the private sector, and major corporations active in the field of space and space science.

Organized annually since 1984, this year’s session of the Symposium is held over four days, with the participation of about 14,000 attendees and more than 250 international corporations. The Symposium is the first American event to discuss space policy and programs and highlight the latest developments in the field of space sciences.

ICESCO’s participation in this international event reflects its vision and strategic orientations, which both adopt supporting the Member States to foster investment in space sciences and applications to anticipate the challenges of the future and keep up with the scientific advancements to ultimately achieve sustainable development and promote peace.
The Director-General and his accompanying delegation also held a series of meetings with bodies working in the field of space to explore prospects of cooperation between these institutions and ICESCO in efforts to promote space sciences in the Islamic world.

The delegation consisted of Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Sector of Science and Technology, and Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at the Sector.

The world commemorates April 18 as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, which is an opportunity to recall the importance of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the whole world, in general, and the abundance, diversity and authenticity of heritage in the Islamic world in particular, which bears witness to its remarkable contributions in shaping human civilization.

On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) renews its call for preserving and valorizing the Islamic world heritage, raising awareness of its importance all over the world, sustaining efforts to highlight the great importance of preserving and promoting this cultural heritage and intensifying efforts geared toward its inscription on World Heritage Lists.

On this occasion, ICESCO stresses the importance of highlighting cultural heritage of all kinds in its Member States and urges that efforts be aimed at the protection of historical monuments and sites. In this context, the Organization recalls its unwavering efforts to protect its Member States’ heritage, mainly through the establishment of the Islamic World Heritage Center, the organization of multiple training sessions geared towards building the capacities of heritage professionals in Member States, the creation of a portal for heritage promotion, and the inscription of over 430 sites, landmarks and cultural elements on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Lists since 2019.

Against this backdrop, ICESCO calls upon all countries, civil society organizations and the private sector to cooperate closely and intensify efforts to protect the civilizational and cultural heritage of the Islamic world, particularly in conflict areas. The Organization also calls for the enactment of stringent laws and regulations criminalizing the illegal trade in valuable archeological artefacts, which represent a shared human heritage handed down from generation to another.

ICESCO stresses the importance of using modern technology and artificial intelligence for preserving and protecting heritage sites and monuments. It also calls for the creation of interactive platforms for these sites and monuments with the aim of publicizing them and raising awareness about their importance in human civilization.