Category: News update

** The 43rd Session of the Council will be Held at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, in December 2022

The Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) concluded its proceedings in Cairo on Monday, December 6, 2021, by adopting the final report of the 42nd session hosted by Egypt, approving the reports submitted by the Organization’s General Directorate and announcing the holding of ICESCO’s 43rd Executive Council at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat in December 2022.
The Council also adopted the draft agenda for the 14th session of the Organization’s General Conference, which will also be held in Cairo on December 8 and 9, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

After the opening session, the working sessions of ICESCO’s Executive Council witnessed rich discussions and interventions by Council Members on ideas and visions concerning the submitted documents and plans by ICESCO’s General Directorate. Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO’s Director-General (DG), valued the interventions of the Council’s Members, stressing that they will be taken into account while amending plans and programs to meet Member States’ needs.

During the interventions, many Members of the Executive Council expressed their gratitude for the General Directorate’s efforts under the leadership of the Director-General and the Organization’s support and assistance to the Member States, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, which contributed to ensuring the continuity of the educational process in the neediest Member States.

Many members of the Executive Council called for more communication and coordination between ICESCO’s General Directorate and Member States’ National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture both before the launching of initiatives and in developing action plans for programs and activities.

The Council’s proceedings included the adoption of the Executive Report on ICESCO’s Activities for 2021, the Organization’s Financial Reports for 2020, ICESCO’s report on Member States contributions for 2020, proposals to improve ICESCO’s financial sustainability, the Draft Two-Year Action Plan and Budget for 2022-2023, as well as several administrative and legal documents and proposals.

After that, the Council voted on the document of the Draft Strategic Orientations by 2025, which was prepared in accordance with ICESCO’s new vision, responding to the rapid changes and challenges that fall within the Organization’s areas of competence, taking into account Member States’ orientations, strategies and development plans.

After the vote in favor of adopting the document, ICESCO’s DG reiterated that all observations submitted by Member States’ National Commissions will be taken into consideration and will be included in the strategic orientations.

After the second round of the election process for the Chairman of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at the behest of the majority of Council members and in accordance with the regulatory document of the voting process, Dr. Dawas Tayseer Dawas, candidate of the State of Palestine, was elected Chairman of ICESCO Executive Council.

Palestine candidate topped Mr. Jamal Eddine El-Aloua, Morocco candidate, by 10 votes, winning 25 valid votes in total.  

The Council also completed the process of composing its Bureau, electing the representative of the Republic of Maldives as Vice-Chairman and the representative of the Republic of Guinea as Rapporteur.

Upon the composition of the Executive Council’s Bureau, Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), congratulated the winners and wished them every success, reiterating the keenness of the Organization’s General Directorate to sustain fruitful and constructive cooperation with the Executive Council and the National Commissions in the Member States.

The 42nd Session of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, will kick off on Monday, December 6, 2021, in Cairo, with the participation of 49 countries out of the 51 Member States of the Organization.

The opening session of the meeting will feature addresses of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture; ICESCO Executive Council chairman delivered by the acting chairman of the Council; the President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture and President of ICESCO 13th General Conference; and Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General.

In the first working session, the Council will compose its Bureau by electing its Chairman, from among four nominees, and agree on the Vice-Chairman and the Rapporteur.

After that, the Council will examine several key documents including ICESCO’s Activity Reports for 2021, the Organization’s Financial Reports for 2020, the Draft Strategic Orientations by 2025, the Draft Two-Year Action Plan and Budget for 2022-2023, in addition to many administrative and legal documents and proposals.

The agenda of the Executive Council Session also includes the adoption of the draft agenda for the 14th Session of ICESCO General Conference, which will be hosted by Egypt on December 8 and 9, under the patronage of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and in conjunction with the Global Forum for Higher Education and Scientific Research, organized by the Ministry of Education Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

42nd Session of ICESCO Executive Council to kick off in Egypt, on December 6, 2021

Under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Arab Republic of Egypt will host the 14th Session of the General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on December 8 and 9, 2021, with the participation of 49 delegations out of the 51 ICESCO Member States. Egypt will also host the 42nd Session of the Organization’s Executive Council on December 6, 2021.

As part of its new vision, ICESCO follows a new approach in holding the 14th Session of the General Conference, which is completely different from the previous sessions and aims to yield practical outcomes with field impact.  

Held every three years, ICESCO General Conference is the Organization’s highest legislative authority entrusted with the mission of setting ICESCO’s general policies and overseeing its activities. the General Conference is composed of ministers and presidents of National Commissions for education, science and culture, who are appointed by their respective Member States. As for the Organization’s Executive Council, it consists of the Secretaries-General of Member States’ National Commissions. During its annual sessions, the Council examines and adopts reports and draft action plans of the Organization, and its budgets and submits them to the General Conference for approval.

The agenda of ICESCO’s 14th Session of General Conference in Cairo includes an opening ceremony, in conjunction with the organization of the Global Forum on Higher Education and Scientific Research, held by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Arab Republic of Egypt, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Afterward, the General Conference will hold its opening session, followed by a procedural session to examine the credentials and the list of delegations, the Conference Draft Agenda and Draft Programme, and compose the General Conference Bureau.

The first working session revolves around ICESCO’s achievements and prospects, including the Organization’s report on its activities between 2019-2021 and the Organization’s revised vision. This session, like all the others, will include statements of the Heads of Delegations who will highlight the activities of the respective countries in the fields of education, science and culture. The second working session will address educational challenges, featuring a lecture by Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, founder of Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation and Nobel Peace Laureate, 2014. 

The third working session, which will be held on the second day of the Conference, will focus on space science and its role in sustainable development and will be marked with a lecture by Ms. Kathryn Thornton, Chairwoman of the US Space Foundation. The General Conference will conclude its proceedings with a plenary session, followed by a closing session to approve Members of ICESCO’s 43rd Executive Council, announce the date and venue of the 15th Session of the General Conference and adopt the Conference resolutions.

Concurrently with the General Conference’s working sessions, several committees will hold meetings to examine the Organization’s reports and plans and discuss them with the Delegations taking part in the Conference. These committees include the Strategies and Action Plans Committee and the Administrative, Financial and Legal Affairs Committee.

The 42nd Session of ICESCO’s Executive Council will kick off on December 6, 2021, and will examine a number of key documents including ICESCO’s Activity Reports for 2021, the Organization’s Financial Reports for 2020, the Draft Strategic Orientations by 2025, the Draft of the Two-Year Action Plan and Budget for 2022-2023, in addition to many administrative and legal documents and proposals.

The Social and Human Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a workshop to exchange experiences learned from the project, implemented in partnership with Alwaleed Philanthropies in 10 African countries, to counter the negative effects of Covid-19 by supporting innovation and promoting entrepreneurship among women and young people.

The workshop, which was held on Thursday, November 25, 2021, both at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, and via videoconference, aimed to exchange experiences about the project and determine the extent of achievement of its objectives while highlighting the factors contributing to their accomplishment and the lessons learned, and exploring ways to expand the scope of the beneficiary countries and ensuring its continuity.

In his address at the opening of the workshop, delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Khaled Fath Al-Rahman, Director of ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, Supervisor of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Dr. Salim Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General, thanked Alwaleed Philanthropies, hoping that this program has strengthened cooperation as ICESCO is convinced that the African countries can overcome the pandemic only through the rehabilitation of women, youth and vulnerable groups, stressing that the beneficiary countries were able to produce the specified quantities of sanitizers, prevention materials and protective masks to face the repercussions of the pandemic.

For her part, Ms. Abeer Al Fouti, Executive Manager of Global Initiatives at Alwaleed Philanthropies, praised the efforts of ICESCO and the National Commissions concerned throughout all the phases of the project, stressing that Alwaleed Philanthropies supports initiatives aimed at improving the conditions of vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner.

Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Head of Social and Human Sciences Sector at ICESCO, reviewed the phases of the project, expressing her thanks to Alwaleed Philanthropies and commending the cooperation of the National Commissions as well as the beneficiary women and youth associations in implementing the set strategy. She also stated that the project has strengthened cooperation and coordination between ICESCO and the authorities concerned in the beneficiary countries towards achieving sustainable development through a holistic approach.

The representatives of the National Commissions of the beneficiary countries provided information on the outcomes of the beneficiary projects, the selection criteria of the beneficiary associations, commending the leading governance model adopted to support innovation and entrepreneurship for youth and women. They also addressed the difficulties, which faced various projects, the adopted strategies and the mechanisms for replicating successful experiences.

The training workshop on “Building the Capacities of Teachers of Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers and Developing their Language Skills” concluded its proceedings in Libreville, Republic of Gabon. The four-day event was held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance, the Gabonese Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and the Gabonese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

On the closing day, held yesterday 25 November 2021, Dr. Youssef Ismaili, ICESCO representative, moderated a model workshop, which was attended by Mr. Abdellah Sbihi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Republic of Gabon, Sheikh Ismael Oceni Usa, President of the  Gabonese Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and Mr. Moeti Mabika, Vice Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education in Gabon.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Ismaili stressed the need to promote cooperation and concerted efforts to address the challenges and obstacles facing the Gabonese institutions of teaching Arabic for non-Arabic speakers, noting that the Organization accords great interest to developing the work of these institutions as part of its new vision. 

Mr. Sbihi, commended ICESCO’s efforts to promote Arabic and foster its status in non-Arabic speaking African countries, highlighting the remarkable relations between Gabon and Morocco.
 
Sheikh Ismael Oceni Usa, expressed his thanks and appreciation to ICESCO for holding this workshop for the benefit of Arabic teachers, expressing his hope for more activities targeting Arabic education teachers and inspectors, while Mr. Mabika talked about the significance of the language skills addressed in this workshop. 

At the close of the workshop, participation certificates were distributed to the beneficiaries of this event, which brought together 25 educational officials and Arabic teachers from different parts of Gabon.