Category: News update

A delegation from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) visited the Maroc Telecom Museum in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on the occasion of the International Museum Day (IMD), celebrated this year under the theme “The Power of Museums.”

The delegation, which visited the Museum on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, comprised of Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General (DG), Dr. Mohamed Zine Labidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, along with several directors of ICESCO sectors and centres.

During the visit, Dr. Benarafa emphasized the importance of cooperation between the Organization and the Museum, and the need for close networking and enhanced connectivity among museums within the Kingdom of Morocco and beyond.

He added that ICESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) are joining efforts to reinforce the role of museums in developing and supporting national economies, and promoting cultural identity and diversity.

It is worth noting that ICESCO held an international symposium on Monday, May 16, 2022, in observance of International Museum Day, under the theme: “The Power of Museums.” The event brought together experts and specialists in the field to highlight the role of museums in achieving sustainable development goals and preserving cultural heritage and identity, and discuss mechanisms for supporting museums’ recovery from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to discuss cooperation prospects between ICESCO and Azerbaijan on several areas of common interest.

During the meeting, which was held on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key components of ICESCO’s vision and action strategy, which adopts an open-door approach to all countries, strengthens the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue to build a prosperous future and accords special priority to training youth in leadership in peace and security.

The meeting touched upon the opening of ICESCO’s regional office in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, and the signing of a relevant agreement between ICESCO and the Republic of Azerbaijan on Thursday, during the holding of the International Conference on “Advancing the Post-Conflict Humanitarian Agenda: Sustainable Development through Revitalizing the Cultural Environment” organized by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture.

ICESCO DG stated that this office will implement ICESCO’s activities and programs in Azerbaijan and its neighboring countries, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement and as part of ICESCO’s vision of strengthening relations and consolidating cooperation among its Member States.

ICESCO DG commended Azerbaijan’s support for the Organization’s initiatives and programs and the Azerbaijani officials’ eagerness to participate in the Organization’s activities. He added that ICESCO takes pride in considering Azerbaijan as one of the founding countries of the Organization.

For his part, the Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs valued ICESCO’s new vision and its roles in its fields of competence and commended the distinguished relations between ICESCO and Azerbaijan. He also commended Dr. AlMalik’s attendance at the aforementioned Conference, highlighting the keenness of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to permanently support ICESCO.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), began his visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan, on Wednesday (18 May 2022), by meeting with Mr. Anar Karimov, Minister of Culture, Chairman of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture of Azerbaijan, where they discussed the latest developments in cooperation efforts between ICESCO and Azerbaijan.

At the outset of the meeting, Mr. Karimov thanked Dr. AlMalik for accepting the invitation to participate as a keynote speaker at the Ministry of Culture’s International Conference on “Advancing the Post-Conflict Humanitarian Agenda: Sustainable Development through Revitalization of the Cultural Environment,” which kicks off on Thursday (May 19, 2022).

During the meeting, the two parties discussed the latest developments in cooperation between ICESCO and the Republic of Azerbaijan and reviewed the programmes and projects that were implemented in cooperation between the Organization and several competent authorities in Azerbaijan, including ICESCO’s Programme for Training Youth on the Development of Micro-projects in the field of Technology and Innovation. They also explored other programmes and projects that will be implemented in cooperation between the two parties during the next phase, including the establishment of the ICESCO Chair on Biomedical Materials at Baku State University, and the Leadership Training in Peace and Security Programme, whose cohort members become ICESCO’s ambassadors for peace.

Moreover, the meeting tackled the arrangements for the visit of ICESCO’s technical team, this month, which includes experts from inside and outside the Organization, to inspect and assess the damage caused to the archaeological and historical sites in Karabakh.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held an International Symposium to celebrate International Museum Day, under the theme: “The Power of Museums,” with the participation of several experts and specialists in the field to explore the role of museums in achieving sustainable development, safeguarding heritage and cultural identity, and supporting its mechanisms to recover from the negative fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), started the Symposium, which was held via videoconference, on Monday, May 16, 2022, by highlighting the importance of museums in promoting and developing societies and cultures. He stated that museums were the institutions most hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. He added that it is necessary to provide support to museums given their role in displaying our tangible and intangible cultural heritage and supporting socio-economic development.

He pointed out that ICESCO places museums among its priorities, due to the role they play in changing our way of thinking in educational, scientific and cultural fields, and that ICESCO will create a digital platform that brings together 2,700 museums around the Islamic world to exchange knowledge and experiences. This network will oversee the development of training programs and capacity-building workshops in this field.

He also revealed that ICESCO will issue a guide of museums in the Islamic world; its first volume will deal with museums in Africa, to build bridges between museums in the Islamic world and promoting cultural diversity.

In his speech, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector, stressed the Organization’s relentless endeavor in accompanying the Member States in achieving the governance of heritage development policies as they represent a strategic revolution reflecting memory, identity and the diverse heritage specificities of the Islamic world, indicating that these executive policies must support development and wealth, through an optimal exploitation of monuments, museums, sites and cultural elements. These qualitative and quantitative goals can only be achieved if the Member States, in cooperation with ICESCO, enable the heritage sector to have sufficient budgets and human and technical resources capable of improving museums’ performance.

The Symposium sessions saw the participation of several experts from different countries of the Islamic world who presented, through their interventions, an overview of the history of the International Museum Day, celebrated worldwide on May 18. They also reviewed museum experiences as a space that combines various fields and performs a noble task of displaying and safeguarding heritage and the importance of museums in peace-building and strengthening human ties and relations. The participants delivered presentations on the role of crisis management to achieve the sustainability of museum action and the power of museums in achieving sustainable development.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), extended his condolences on the passing of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the headquarters of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Rabat.

In a statement he wrote on the Embassy’s condolences book, Dr. AlMalik commended Sheikh Khalifa’s great role and outstanding contributions to promoting joint action at the regional and international levels, supporting culture, literature and scientific developments, and his interest in humanitarian work.

ICESCO had issued a statement on the loss of this great leader, who passed away on Friday, May 13, 2022, expressing its sincere condolences to the ruling family and the people of the United Arab Emirates as well as the Arab and Islamic Ummah, and the world.

Traditional, colorful costumes with unique designs, delicious dishes that convey the authenticity of their respective country’s cuisine, and traditional music and arts from different countries, were all present in the international cultural ceremony, organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Monday, May 16, 2022, at its headquarters, in observance of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, celebrated on May 21 every year.

The ceremony was held under the theme “Around the World in 50 Dishes” and saw the participation of 20 Member States through their embassies accredited to the Kingdom of Morocco. It aimed at highlighting the abundant diversity of cultures in the countries of the Islamic world and promoting their distinctive cuisine, clothing, music and traditional arts. The ceremony also sought to emphasize the importance of cultural diversity in building prosperous societies and implementing ICESCO’s vision which endeavors to anchor the values of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence, and foster mutual understanding among cultures for a cohesive, open world.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Dr. Mamadou Tangara, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of The Gambia, inaugurated the ceremony, which saw the attendance of ambassadors of the participating countries to the Kingdom of Morocco and their wives, and all ICESCO officials and staff members of various nationalities.

In his opening remarks, Dr. AlMalik hailed the splendid encounter of cultures at the ceremony, which reflects cultural harmony, human unity, and tolerance, and represents a crossroad between our past and present.

He pointed out that in the same way that our natures differ, our choices also vary according to our environments, which generates diverse perspectives and ultimately leads to rich creativity, calling for the promotion of the concept of populating Earth that cannot be fulfilled without forging cordial relationships based on synergy and cooperation following the principle of moderation.
At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik emphasized that ICESCO is a culturally diverse Organization, which qualifies it for guiding the Islamic world’s path towards creativity.

For his part, Dr. Mamadou Tangara commended ICESCO’s role in preserving the rich diversity of cultures, heritage and civilizations in the Islamic world, stressing the importance of these efforts in promoting peace, security and social cohesion. He also emphasized the need to develop traditional industries as a key lever for economic, social and cultural development.

During the ceremony, participants exchanged knowledge of their countries’ traditional clothing and history, tasted the traditional dishes they brought and discussed their ingredients and preparation method, before taking a group photo.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Mamadou Tangara, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Gambia, during his visit to ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat on Monday,16 May 2022, and his attendance at the Organization’s celebration of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

During the meeting, which was attended by Ms. Saffie Lowe Ceesay, Ambassador of Gambia to Morocco, Dr. Al-Malik affirmed ICESCO’s keenness, within the framework of its new vision and strategy, to build fruitful partnerships with its Member States, cooperate with the competent authorities in education, science and culture, and design programs and practical activities according to the needs and priorities of each country, in permanent coordination with the national commissions. The DG underlined the most prominent programs and activities implemented by ICESCO, including the 2022 edition of the ICESCO Youth Leadership Program for Peace and Security, which will be launched from the capital of the Republic of the Gambia, to train a new group of ICESCO’s ambassadors for peace.

ICESCO DG praised the distinguished relations between the Organization and the Republic of the Gambia and the attendance of Dr. Isatou Touray, Vice-President of the Gambia, at ICESCO’s celebration of the conclusion of the Year of Women 2021, which was honored by the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

For his part, the Gambian foreign minister praised ICESCO’s remarkable roles in its fields of competence, and its efforts to consolidate the values of coexistence, peace and civilized dialogue, reaffirming his full support for the existing cooperation between ICESCO and Gambia in the fields of education, science and culture.