Disclaimer: You are using Google Translate. The ICESCO is not responsible for the accuracy of the information in the translated language .

your opinion

User Feedback

Overall, how satisfied are you about the website?

    Extremely Dissatisfied Extremely Satisfied

    Category: Member State

    ICESCO Member State

    ICESCO Director-General Receives Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in the Shusha District

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Aydin Karimov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Shusha District. The Two Officials discussed updates on the program celebrating Shusha as the 2024 Culture Capital of the Islamic world following the remarkable success of the launch ceremony, attended by His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and held under his patronage.

    During the Meeting, held today, Friday, 7 June 2024, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, and in the presence of Ambassador Nazim Samadov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Morocco, and the delegation accompanying Mr. Karimov, Dr. AlMalik reiterated his gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for his generous patronage of the celebration of Shusha as Culture Capital of the Islamic world, and for his continuous support to ICESCO. He also expressed his gratitude to the First Vice President, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and all Azerbaijani parties that made significant efforts to ensure the success of the celebration program, which included cultural and artistic activities organized throughout the year in Shusha and several cities in Azerbaijan and other countries.

    ICESCO Director-General emphasized the Organization’s commitment to deepening its outstanding partnership with Azerbaijan, noting that organizing a day of “Shusha Days” at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat embodies one of the key objectives of ICESCO’s program to celebrate cultural capitals, which is to showcase the rich civilizational heritage and cultural legacy of these cities, thus enriching civilizational dialogue.
    For his part, the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in the Shusha district expressed his gratitude to ICESCO and its Director-General for choosing Shusha as Culture Capital of the Islamic World, appreciating the Organization’s roles in supporting its Member States’ efforts in their respective fields.

    The Meeting also discussed the main activities that have been carried out so far as part of the Shusha celebration and the activities planned for the upcoming phase. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue coordination and cooperation to ensure the ongoing success of the Celebration.

    From ICESCO’s side, the Meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, and Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector.


    Following the Meeting, ICESCO Director-General accompanied the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Shusha district and his accompanying delegation on a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Seerah of the Prophet and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at ICESCO headquarters.

    Five Technology Projects Win at ICESCO Youth Training Program Final in Azerbaijan

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    On Monday, 3 June 2024, the International Entrepreneurs Summit and the final of the ICESCO Youth Training Program on how to create and develop small projects in the field of technology and innovation concluded their second session. The events were organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in partnership with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and several other partners in the Republic of Azerbaijan, where five teams were announced as winners among 33 participating teams from 11 ICESCO Member States.

    The closing day of the Summit and the final of the Program in Shusha, Culture Capital of the Islamic world in 2024, were attended by high-level officials, investors, entrepreneurs and international experts in technology and digital economy. Mr. Rashad Azizov, Head of the Department on Creative Industries and Digital Transformation at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture, highlighted, at the opening session, the Ministry’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship in the creative industries. Moreover, he expressed his appreciation for ICESCO’s ongoing support in enhancing youth capacities. Dr. Elchin Babayev, Rector of Baku State University, discussed the University’s initiatives to establish scientific chairs and contribute to the promotion of knowledge in Azerbaijan. Ms. Lidia Borrell Damian, Secretary General of Science Europe, reviewed the roles of various scientific and creative fields and explored mechanisms to support entrepreneurs.

    This was followed by a high-level session on the importance of startups and inclusive future technology, a panel discussion on empowering women through entrepreneurship in the digital age, and a second session on decentralized artificial intelligence: Investor Perspectives on How to Qualify Startups through Innovation and Collaboration.

    The jury then announced the winners of the second edition of ICESCO’s Program to train youth on how to create and develop small projects in the field of technology and innovation. The “Snack Pack” team from Azerbaijan won first place, with a prize of $10,000, for their project to reduce food waste in hotels. The second place, with a prize of $8,000, was won by “ReSkill” from Tajikistan, for their platform project for acquiring programming skills. “Biopols” from Turkey won third place, with a prize of $6,000, for their project to develop a new generation food storage technology with antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Fourth place, with a prize of $3,000, went to “Caredify” from Tunisia, for a smart watch project that allows real-time and remote monitoring of vital signs in cardiac patients, and “High Value”, from Djibouti, for a high-quality goat cheese export project.

    Recognition awards went to: “Ecofoni”, from Turkey, for its carbon footprint calculation, reporting, and management platform; “Documood”, from Azerbaijan, for its cloud platform for creating and signing legal contracts; and “SE+ O3 Eggs Functional Foods”, from Sudan, for its project to produce high selenium and high Omega-3 poultry eggs, through designed feeds for hen that passes minerals organically to the eggs.

    ICESCO Director General Holds Three Meetings on the Sidelines of ICTM in Uzbekistan

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. Almalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held three important meetings on the sidelines of the 12th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM), organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Khiva, Khorezm region, and hosted by the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, on the second of June 2024, under the rallying call, “Developing the Tourism Industry in a Sustainable and Flexible Manner.”

    Firstly, Dr. Almalik met with Hissein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of OIC, to reiterate ICESCO’s keenness to deepen cooperation with OIC and develop projects and activities that serve the Member States of the two Organizations. For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Taha stressed ICESCO’s significant roles in its fields of competence and the need to strengthen cooperation between the two sides.

    Following, Dr. Almalik held a meeting with Mr. Abdukhakimov Aziz, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to commend Uzbekistan’s efforts in organizing and receiving ICESCO’s delegation to ICMT and to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and Uzbekistan by implementing joint projects in the fields of preserving ecosystems, mechanisms to face climate change and promoting awareness among the youth of the Islamic world on environmental citizenship for a better tomorrow.

    The third meeting was held with Mr. Khosrov Nazeri, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), a Eurasian organization founded in 1985 to develop economic partnerships among its 10 Member States. The meeting aimed at discussing prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and ECO in areas of common interest to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals.

    The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Mr. Musallim Afandiyev, expert in the said sector.

    ICESCO Director-General Reviews the Organization’s Efforts to Develop Comprehensive Tourism Strategies for the Islamic World

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), emphasized the need for increased efforts to build a promising future for tourism and to make this sector a means for connecting humans, resolving conflicts, and a tool for foresight. Dr. AlMalik affirmed ICESCO’s commitment to developing knowledge related to tourism, thus keeping pace with technological advancements, developing cultural plans, and promoting heritage to raise awareness and enhance tourism destinations.

    Dr. AlMalik made these remarks during his participation in the 12th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM), organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Khiva, Khorezm region, and hosted by the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, under the rallying call, “Developing the Tourism Industry in a Sustainable and Flexible Manner.” The Conference, which is part of celebrating Khiva as the Tourism Capital of the Islamic World for 2024, saw a high-level presence of tourism ministers in the Islamic world, representatives of international organizations, as well as experts and specialists in the field.

    Moreover, Dr. AlMalik stated that tourism is a ground for a multitude of ideas and activities related to politics, economy, culture, and arts and a metric for human mobility, global security, peace, and prosperity. Dr. AlMalik emphasized the freedom of mobility and the role of tourism that extends beyond mere leisure, attracting capital and acquiring knowledge and cultures to serve as a diplomatic soft power.

    In the same vein, ICESCO Director-General stated that the Organization, given its role in the cultural aspects of tourism, seeks to develop comprehensive tourism strategies. Dr. AlMalik underscored the increasing roles of tourism and the need for pooling efforts to develop more equitable and creative policies that address the risks facing this industry, recalling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism, with the loss of approximately 900 billion dollars in two years.

    Dr. AlMalik presented several recommendations by ICESCO to recover tourism in the Islamic world. These include developing joint plans for the tourism industry, encouraging media to further highlight accomplishments and developments in tourism facilities, establishing a shared tourism information bank, enabling youth in tourism development systems by leveraging artificial intelligence applications, and adopting “intra-regional tourism” among the countries of the Islamic world.

    At the end of his speech, Dr. AlMalik expressed gratitude to H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Uzbek government for hosting the ICTM, which is dedicated to reviving and developing tourism. Dr. AlMalik also thanked the OIC for its continuous efforts and outstanding initiatives and actions.

    ICESCO Director-General Meets with First Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva, First Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan, to discuss the importance of developing cooperation between ICESCO and Uzbekistan in areas of mutual interest and ways to ensure the success of the celebration of Samarkand, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2025.

    During the meeting, held on Friday, 31 May 2024, in Tashkent, Dr. AlMalik commended the outcomes of his meeting with H.E. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and His keen interest in enhancing cooperation between the two sides. Dr. AlMalik affirmed that the Organization’s new vision and strategic orientations adopt openness and cooperation with the Member States to accurately identify their trends and needs and design programs and projects tailored to each country in coordination with their National Commissions.

    Moreover, ICESCO Director-General outlined the main pillars of the Organization’s strategic vision and reviewed its key initiatives and programs, particularly in supporting and building the capacities of women and youth to face future challenges and enhancing the efforts of Islamic world countries in developing their educational systems through using modern technology and encouraging the Member States to invest in space sciences and other future-oriented fields.

    The meeting also touched on several issues of interest to Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva, including youth, women, girls’ education and the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, all of which are areas to which the First Assistant to the President pays close attention and oversees their policy implementation. Dr. AlMalik praised Ms Mirziyoyeva’s remarkable efforts in these areas, which reflect the priorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

    For her part, Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva emphasized her country’s commitment to cooperating with ICESCO in its areas of expertise, hailing the Organization’s new vision, which is aligned with the latest developments worldwide.

    The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Mr. Musallim Afandiyev, an expert in the said sector.

    ICESCO and Uzbek Ministry of Higher Education Agree to Develop Cooperation

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Sarvarkhon Buzrukhonov, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and together discussed ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry to support scientific research and innovation and provide scholarships for students from the Islamic world to study in Uzbek universities.

    At the beginning of the meeting, held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Tashkent, the Director-General highlighted the key programs, projects and training workshops implemented by the Organization to build youth’s capacities in the fields of technology, creativity and innovation, noting the great success of the Youth Support Program in establishing and developing emerging technology projects in Uzbekistan.

    For his part, Dr. Buzrukhonov commended ICESCO’s efforts in supporting the development of scientific research and innovation for the benefit of the Islamic world, stressing the keenness of the Uzbek Ministry to build fruitful cooperation with the Organization in areas of common interest.

    The meeting discussed the establishment of ICESCO Chairs in Uzbek universities and the membership of a number of these universities in ICESCO’s Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW). They also discussed Uzbek universities’ participation in the FUIW activities and programs and explored the possibility of holding the next edition of the Federation’s prize, “My Thesis in 1000 Words” in one of Uzbekistan’s universities.

    At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to sustain coordination to devise practical plans for future cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry.

    ICESCO and Uzbekistan Discuss Developing Cooperation in Environment and Climate Change

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Mr. Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in the presence of Mr. Umid Shadiev, Chairman of the Ministry’s Tourism Committee. The meeting explored cooperation avenues between ICESCO and the Ministry in the field of environmental protection, awareness-raising about issues related to climate change, and experience-sharing.

    During the meeting, held on Thursday, 30 May 2024, in Tashkent, the ICESCO Director General reviewed the Organization’s major programs implemented in the field of environment, stressing its endeavor to build a sustainable and green future in the Islamic world by promoting a positive climate action plan and contributing to innovative environmental concepts development through support for the establishment of smart, sustainable and resilient cities, and skill enhancement in the field of environmental technologies.

    Dr. AlMalik added that ICESCO is developing programs and implementing workshops for the benefit of women and youth on preserving ecosystems, confronting climate change, consolidating the concept of environmental citizenship, and addressing challenges in the areas of food security and agriculture, noting that the Organization will participate with an outstanding pavilion at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29), which Azerbaijan is hosting in Baku, next November, and will exert every effort to ensure the participation of the largest number of Muslim countries at the conference, as well as the representatives of ICESCO’s partners around the world to enrich the conference’s discussions and scientific sessions.

    For his part, Minister Abdukhakimov praised ICESCO’s efforts in the field of environmental protection, expressing the Ministry’s keenness to cooperate with the Organization in holding several conferences and workshops to discuss current environmental issues.

    During the meeting, the two parties discussed organizing the first edition of the ICESCO Conference of Ministers of Environment and Culture in the Islamic World in the Republic of Uzbekistan to discuss the impacts of climate change on heritage and archaeological sites and identifying mechanisms for leveraging modern technologies for their preservation.

    ICESCO and Uzbekistan Explore Cooperation Prospects in Cultural Fields

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and together discussed ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and Uzbekistan in cultural fields. The two parties also discussed arrangements to celebrate Samarkand as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2025, as part of ICESCO’s program to celebrate the capitals of culture.

    The meeting, held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, is part of the visit of Dr. AlMalik and an ICESCO delegation to the Republic of Uzbekistan. At the beginning of the meeting, the Director-General reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to ensure a successful celebration of Samarkand, in cooperation with the Uzbek authorities, through the implementation of a rich program that highlights the artistic, cultural and heritage elements of the city, and its status as home to many leading scholars of the Islamic world. The Director-General further explained that this celebration seeks to support efforts to consolidate Samarkand’s cultural assets and publicize its status as a center for science, art and culture, and a global destination for consolidating the values of coexistence and dialogue.

    The meeting discussed the ongoing arrangements for the celebration programme announcement of Samarkand as Culture Capital in the Islamic World 2025. In this connection, the two parties agreed to set up a joint working group to develop the elements of this program, which will feature year-long activities and events both in Samarkand and other Uzbek cities.

    The two parties also discussed the establishment of the ICESCO Regional Center for Manuscripts at the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center in Uzbekistan, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Organization and the Center in 2021 to enhance cooperation in the cultural field and work towards providing the Center with modern equipment to hold training workshops for specialists in manuscript restoration and authentication. Likewise, they discussed ICESCO’s participation in several cultural events and arts activities, to be organized in Uzbekistan in the coming period, notably, the second edition of the Maqom Art International Forum.

    President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Receives ICESCO Director General

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 30 May 2024, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and Uzbekistan in areas of common interest.

    At the outset of the meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Culture and the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, H.E. President Mirziyoyev praised ICESCO’s roles and initiatives over the past years, stressing his appreciation for the Organization’s cooperation with Uzbekistan and the announcement of Samarkand as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2025.

    For his part, Dr. AlMalik applauded the efforts and commitment of H.E. President Mirziyoyev to environmental protection, noting ICESCO’s past participation in the 27th and 28th sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Sharm El-Sheikh and Dubai respectively, and its upcoming participation with a large pavilion in COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijani, next September.

    During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik expressed his wish to hold the Samarkand Capital of Culture celebration under the patronage of H.E., the President of Uzbekistan and to have the opening ceremony in his presence. Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik proposed that Uzbekistan host ICESCO’s joint conference of ministers of environment and culture in the Islamic world to discuss the effects of climate change on heritage and archaeological sites and mechanisms to harness modern technology to protect them, to which H.E. the President expressed his agreement.

    Moreover, Dr. AlMalik called on Uzbekistan to establish its National Commission to follow up on partnership programs and projects with ICESCO and to cooperate in holding an international conference on Al-Bukhari’s life, biography and publications, with the presence of a large number of Muslim scholars, to shed light on Uzbekistan as one of the centers of Islamic civilization, which gave birth to several scholars who contributed to human civilization. H.E., the President, appreciated and gave his agreement in principle for the implementation of the said proposals.

    The meeting also discussed the inscription of Uzbekistan’s heritage on ICESCO’s lists of heritage in the Islamic world and the development of cooperation between the Organization and Uzbekistani competent bodies in education, youth, women and environment.

    The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnership and International Cooperation Sector.

    ICESCO Director General visits the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan

    Posted on by aqeil aqeil

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), began his visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan by meeting Ambassador Dr. Shoazim Minovarov, Director of the Center of Islamic Civilization, at the new headquarters of the Center, in Tashkent, and together explored cooperation avenues between ICESCO and the Center in areas of common interest.

    During this meeting, held on Wednesday, 29 May 2024, Dr. AlMalik and Ambassador Minovarov stressed their desire to establish fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and the Center, which has been created at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to be a hub of Islamic heritage and civilization, including knowledge materials, manuscripts and rare masterpieces from around the world, and host conferences and seminars that highlight the contributions of Islamic world to human civilization.

    The meeting examined proposals for bilateral cooperation, including the establishment of an office for ICESCO at the Center’s headquarters to monitor cooperation between the two parties, the creation of the Arabic language excellence training center, based on the agreement signed between the ICESCO’s Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers and the Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, which joined the Center, in addition to the Organization’s participation in the official inauguration of the Center and at its conferences and symposia. The new headquarters of the Center will be inaugurated by the middle of next year, in the heart of the capital, Tashkent, on an area of more than seven hectares, conjunctly with the celebration of Samarkand, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2025.

    At the close of the meeting, ICESCO and the Center agreed to form a joint working group to draft a partnership agreement to be signed at the earliest convenience, covering concrete programs and projects.

    The meeting saw the presence of Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector at ICESCO, and Mr. Musallim Afandiyev, expert in the same Sector.