The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in a panel that the United Nations Human Rights Training held along with the Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region and the Regional OHCHR Office in Beirut, on “Stereotypes and Images of Social Gender in School Curricula.” The panel was held via videoconference as part of efforts to raise awareness of human rights, stress the importance of upholding the right to education and underline the necessity of eradicating stereotypical concepts in education.
Dr. Ahmad El-Zonfoli, Expert at ICESCO Sector of Education, represented the Organization in the panel, held on Thursday, April 8, 2021, and presented a research paper on the “Future Orientations to Empower Women and Girls and Support Social Gender as part of ICESCO New Vision.” Dr. El-Zonfoli explained that the paper focuses on the Organization’s orientation regarding rehabilitating girls and women and supporting the social gender within the framework of its new vision, in efforts to promote women’s contributions to society and achieve gender equality.
The ICESCO official also noted that the Organization proclaimed 2021 as the Year of Women under the slogan “Women and the Future,” in a bid to promote the status of women as well as their values and noble mission and recognize their efforts, vital roles, and major contributions to building the future and developing societies.
Dr. El-Zonfoli added that ICESCO prepared an ambitious program for the year focusing on four axes, namely, conferences and seminars, programs and projects, prizes, and initiatives. Dr. El-Zonfoli further explained that all axes revolve around the issues of supporting, rehabilitating, and building the capacities of women, promoting their leading role, improving their situation, fighting illiteracy, and guaranteeing girls’ rights to education.
The Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), a subsidiary
organ of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(ICESCO), took part, yesterday, April 7, 2021, in the proceedings of the 33rd
session of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic University in Niger (IUIN). Ambassador
Nasser bin Abdullah bin Hamdan Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, chaired
the session, held via videoconference, while Ms. Mamadou from the Presidential
Office of Niger, and Ambassador Dr. Askar Mussinov, Assistant Secretary-General
for Science and Technology at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
participated in the event.
Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Cultural Adviser of ICESCO Director-General,
represented the Organization in the meeting.
The Board adopted several reports that the University Rector submitted
on several issues, namely the University’s financial, academic, and
administrative situation; Iqraa Institute for Vocational and Technical
Training; the Schools of Solidarity, the University’s Waqf; and the
Charity Fund.
The Board adopted the report that Mr. Abdurrahman Al-Jarawan, Chair of
the University’s Consultative Academic Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Board of
Trustees, submitted on the inauguration of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
University Campus in Niamey, on March 29, 2021, which the President of the
Republic attended.
At the close of the session, the Board adopted the University’s new
draft budget for 2020-2021.
The Participants in the
international symposium on “Reconceiving post-COVID Islamic World”, that the
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held
on Wednesday 07 April 2021, stressed the importance of anticipating and discussing
the challenges that the Islamic world will face post-COVID. The participants highlighted
the need to broaden the scope of cooperation and joint action to find effective
solutions to overcome the impact of the pandemic.
The Symposium, which was
held via videoconference and saw high-caliber participation, discussed three
main themes, namely “Inter-civilizational Dialogue in the Post-COVID Islamic
World,” “Challenges and Prospects of Chinese-African Cooperation,” and
“Vaccination Progress in the Islamic World.”
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik,
ICESCO Director-General (DG), opened the Symposium and underscored that the
Islamic world need to be prepared for the post-COVID period, noting that the
pandemic was ever greater than the efforts that governments exerted, with its
consecutive waves and exacerbating intensity. He added that the challenges
require joint action that is based on cooperation and solidarity, values that
Islam insists on.
The DG also noted that
ICESCO, in cooperation with several donors, provided remarkable assistance to
its Member States and that the Organization is working on contributing to the
process of outlining the general conception of the post-COVID period and
drawing lessons to benefit from this crisis in the future. He stated that ICESCO focuses on promoting
peace and fostering the culture of tolerance and coexistence, stating that the
Symposium is an opportunity to shed light on the way the Islamic world will
deal with the Post-COVID-period.
In his address, the guest
of honor, Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, former Prime Minister of Pakistan,
pointed out that COVID-19 cannot be reduced to a health crisis and that the
pandemic has had a considerable impact on human lifestyles in general and
affecting key economic aspects.
He described the pandemic
as the most significant challenge that the world faced since WWII. Mr. Gillani
added that the only way for the Islamic world to address the impacts of the
pandemic is through cooperation and concerted efforts as boosting international
cooperation mechanisms will allow a return to the pre-pandemic situation.
Speaking also in the
event, Dr. Yahya Kamalipour, Founder of Global Media Journal Network, stressed
the great importance that social media played during the pandemic as they
constituted a virtual platform for connecting individuals from different
nationalities and affiliations. He added that COVID-19 has improved public
opinion about many concepts such as family, friendship, health and technology
and promoted respect for front-line professionals who were on the line of
contact with the pandemic.
Prof. Fang Zhaohui, Senior
Expert on Confucian Philosophy at Tsinghua University, China, considered China
to be a role model in addressing the pandemic thanks to its good management of
the crisis and the measures it has taken in this respect over the past two
years. He noted that the Chinese culture advocating strict adherence to health
measures and advice has largely contributed to the success of this management.
Following the opening
session, the working sessions featured fruitful discussions and outstanding
ideas about anticipating, addressing, and solving post-COVID-19 global
challenges. They also focused on ways to promote Chinese-African cooperation
and challenges to the ongoing vaccination in the Islamic world.
The full video of the
forum is available on the ICESCO Facebook page at:
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will hold tomorrow, April 7, 2021, an international webinar on “Reconceiving post-COVID Islamic World” to exchange views and explore the future prospects of the Islamic world post-COVID-19.
The symposium, which will be held via videoconference tomorrow at 01:00 pm UTC (2:00 pm Rabat Time), will kick off with the opening session featuring addresses by Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Symposium’s guest of honor, and Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG).
Following the opening session, this major event will discuss several themes with the participation of several representatives of prominent international institutions and universities. The themes are as follows: – Inter-civilizational Dialogue in the Post-COVID Islamic World – Challenges and Prospects of Chinese-African Cooperation – Vaccination Progress in the Islamic World The proceedings of the symposium will be broadcasted live on ICESCO’s Facebook page, via the following link: https://www.facebook.com/ICESCO.En/live
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will hold, on April 8, 2021, an international seminar on “Skills and Jobs of Tomorrow” to explore the changes the labor market will witness in the future and identify the professions and skills necessary to improve socio-economic growth in the Islamic world.
ICESCO organized
the seminar in partnership with UNICEF, OECD, AUF, ESCWA, WFP, ILO, and the
“Economia” Research Center of the Higher Institute of Management Studies (HEM).
The event will kick off at 9:00 UTC (10:00 Rabat Time) face-to-face at ICESCO
headquarters and by videoconference. The seminar will also bring together high-level
representatives of prestigious international organizations and institutions and
several experts.
ICESCO
Center of Strategic Foresight will oversee the event, which is part of the
Organization’s efforts to support foresight culture as a strategic mechanism
for decision-makers to identify and anticipate future challenges and find
appropriate solutions thereof.
The seminar’s
agenda features an opening session to give an overview of future professions to
be followed by a session on the value and challenges of future cultural and
creative industries. The second session will explore the challenges of the 4th
industrial revolution while the third session will tackle ways of training
youth and young teachers on how to keep pace with the future.
The seminar
can be followed live on ICESCO’s official Facebook page at the following link:
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, the
Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Said M’hamad Ed-Dbib, Permanent
Delegate of Libya to ICESCO, explored ways to promote cooperation between the
Organization and Libya in the fields of education, science, and culture.
At the beginning of the
meeting, held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik conveyed his thanks
to Libya for settling its 2021 contributions to ICESCO budget. The DG
reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to sustain its coordination with the
Libyan authorities to identify the needs and priorities of the country in the
upcoming period and design programmes and activities accordingly to be jointly
implemented by the two parties.
The meeting focused on several
cooperation programmes between ICESCO and Libya, notably the educational
training sessions. The list includes the training session on “Distance
Education Strategies” that the Organization held on March 15-18, in cooperation
with the Libyan National Commission and coordination with the General Center
for Training and Education Development at the Libyan Ministry of Education. The
training session was held under the theme “Towards a deeper and broader
education.”
The two parties also
discussed the inscription of several Libyan historic sites on the Islamic World
Heritage List (IWHL).
Dr. Ed-Dbib commended
ICESCO’s efforts and the major roles it assumes in fields such as safeguarding,
preserving and publicizing heritage in the Islamic world, promoting
civilizational dialogue, and supporting Member States in their areas of
competence.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a coordination meeting with Al-Erfan Foundation
for Educational Consulting and Vocational Development in Morocco to examine cooperation
prospects in language proficiency assessment for non-Arabic speaking students in
the Islamic world and beyond.
Dr. Majdi Haji Ibrahim, President Center of
Arabic for non-Arabic Speakers, and Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to the Director-General
for ICESCO’s External Centers and University Chairs in the field of Arabic Language;
and Dr. Youssef Ismaïli, an expert at the Center, represented ICESCO in the
meeting at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat. Dr. Mohamed El
Hannach, Chairman
of the Foundation’s Board of Directors represented Al-Erfan Foundation.
During the meeting, Dr. El Hannach reviewed in detail Al-Erfan’s project of
the platform to measure the skills of non-Arabic speakers and focused on the
components of the platform, its characteristics, and placement testing for Arabic
language learners, in line with international standards for language
proficiency assessment. Dr. El Hannach also proposed a model of the final
Arabic language proficiency test commensurate with the reality of teaching
Arabic to non-Arabic speakers in the Member States.
ICESCO’s representatives reviewed the role
of the Center and its efforts in supporting digital programmes and products
with educational uses that serve the teaching of Arabic in non-Arabic speaking countries.
The representatives noted the important roles the center plays in support of placement
tests for non-Arabic speakers with international organizations, governmental
institutions and public and private institutions operating in this vital field.
At the close of the meeting, the two parties
agreed to explore ways of cooperation to serve the Arabic language, especially with
regards to language proficiency assessment for Arabic language students all
over the world.
The Islamic
World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) commended the
“Middle East Green initiative” that H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced its upcoming launch. The
initiative seeks to boost the effort towards renewable energy production,
enhance environmental protection undertakings by planting 50 billion trees in
partnership with the Middle East countries.
ICESCO
appreciates the outstanding initiative, which will be at the core of a clear
and ambitious roadmap that will enable it to further contribute to increasing
the production of clean energy, attain the global objective of planting 1
trillion trees, and restore 200 hectares of degraded land, to reduce global
carbon emissions by 2.5%.
ICESCO affirms
its willingness to cooperate and work with the Middle East Green initiative,
whose objectives are aligned with the Organization’s new working strategy which
adopts environment protection issues through ambitious programmes and projects
to improve ecological conditions and foster and manage water resources. It also
seeks to coordinate cooperation with the Islamic world countries in these
fields, embodied in ICESCO’s deep interest in organizing the Islamic World of
Environment Ministers Conference of which the 8th session was held
in October 2019. ICESCO will ensure that the initiative of the Saudi Crown
Prince will be at the core of the agenda of the 9th session of the
Conference.
In cooperation
with the competent Saudi authorities, ICESCO will also sustain the excellence
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award for Environmental Management in the
Islamic World. The Organization acts as the Secretariat of the Award for which
it will launch the call for papers for its upcoming session.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik,
Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (ICESCO), and Ms. Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, Secretary-General of
the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), explored ways to promote
cooperation between ICESCO and FIFA in areas of common interest.
During the meeting, held
today, Thursday, April 1, 2021, via videoconference, Dr. AlMalik and Ms.
Samoura reaffirmed their keenness to build fruitful cooperation between the two
institutions that would be translated into practical programs with tangible
positive outcomes. Several ICESCO chiefs of sectors, heads of departments and
advisors attended the meeting.
Dr. AlMalik highlighted
the major axes of the Organization’s strategy, which adopts an open-door policy
with all world countries and is based on building partnerships with civil
society institutions and international organizations and bodies for the benefit
of the Member States and Muslim communities across the globe through developing
their educational, cultural and social systems.
The two parties explored
the suggested field of cooperation to contribute to building a bright and
peaceful future by rendering sports in achieving sustainable peace and
comprehensive development, raising awareness on the importance of maintaining
good health through sports and a balanced diet, and integrating sports values
in educational systems. The meeting also discussed creating a research chair
between ICESCO and FIFA and promoting joint action to support social cohesion
in protecting vulnerable groups.
Ms. Samoura commended
ICESCO’s work strategy and the strides that the Organization made to develop
and modernize its working mechanisms, underlining that football has immensely
contributed to promoting peace, especially in conflict zones. She added that
FIFA looks forward to developing genuine relations with the Organization
focusing on promoting the role of women and young people and building the
capacities of future generations, mobilizing different parties to eradicating
gender discrimination and promoting women’s presence in sports.
At the close of the
meeting, the two parties agreed to continue working on drafting a cooperation
agreement, to be signed at the earliest convenience, and launch joint
initiatives, programs and activities.
ICESCO and FIFA have
previously cooperated on producing a video clip featuring major football world
stars to convey a message of appreciation to health workers for their heroic
roles during the COVID-19 pandemic and for joining the battle against the
virus.
General Directorate’s Reports and Projects Adopted and
Egypt to Host 42nd Executive Council
The 41st
Session of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) closed its proceedings yesterday, with the
adoption of all the reports and projects that the General Directorate submitted
while taking into account the observations and proposals that the Council
members made during the meetings.
During the
two-day meetings, the Council reviewed and examined several reports. Dr. Salim
M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), delivered a presentation on ICESCO’s
Activity Report for 2019 and 2020, and ICESCO’s efforts during the COVID-19
pandemic to help its Member States in addressing the pandemic’s repercussions. The
presentation was substantiated with statistics on the Organization’s achievements
and the direct beneficiaries from its programmes and projects and their
geographical scope.
The Council
members, Secretaries General of Member States’ National Commissions of
Education, Science and Culture, lauded the assistance that ICESCO provided to
their respective countries during the pandemic as well as the practical
programmes it implemented jointly with the competent parties in each Member
State.
The Council then
reviewed ICESCO’s financial reports for 2019 namely those related to Closing Accounts,
the Audit Company, the Financial Control Committee (FCC), Member States’
Contribution to ICESCO’s Budget and the Organization’s Financial Situation for
2019. Following presentations, the Council adopted all the financial reports as
well as the draft foresight vision of ICESCO and its enhanced working strategy
for the next period that was updated in light of the global changes. The vision
was drawn based on the new trends and anticipation of future risks.
The respective
chiefs of ICESCO’s sectors: culture, communication, education, science and
technology, and human and social sciences delivered presentations on the vision
and strategic programmes on each sector for the upcoming period. The council
members commended those presentations and requested the General Directorate to
send them to the National Commissions for examination and ensure further
cooperation between the Organization and its Member States in translating these
visions and strategies into initiatives and executive action plans to meet the
needs and priorities of each Member State and put forward many suggestions to
enrich ICESCO’s action.
The Council then
examined the Draft ICESCO Chairs Regulations specific to the establishment of
research chairs in universities, higher education, and cultural institutions.
Through the regulations, ICESCO seeks to develop a regulatory framework to
identify the action of these chairs, fix their objectives and ensure their
success. The Council approved the project for which the General Directorate
reaffirmed that it obtained some funding through partnerships. King Abdulaziz
University (KAU) in Saudi Arabia provided USD 500,000 in support of the
project.
The Council also
adopted the Regulations of the Young Professionals Programme, which seeks to initiate
professionals into professional life and open up wider prospects for young
people to acquire new skills. The Council adopted the Draft Charter of Member
States’ National Commissions for ICESCO. In its presentation, the General
Directorate stated that the remarks and proposals of the National Commissions
on the initial draft were taken into consideration while stressing that the
Charter is the fruit of cooperation between ICESCO and Member States’ National
Commissions.
The Council
adopted the Report on the
Implementation of ICESCO’s New Organizational Structure and the Relevant
Development Proposals, namely the establishment of the Center of Islamic World
Heritage and the Center of Civilizational Dialogue. The Council also reviewed
many reports on the digitization and modernization of ICESCO’s working
system and the Performance and
Efficiency of ICESCO’s Regional Offices, Delegations and External Centres, and
Proposals to Develop their Working Mechanisms, respectively.
While discussing the date and venue of the 42nd
session of the Executive Council, Dr. Ghada
Abdelbary, Secretary-General
of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture,
officially invited the Council members to convene the 42nd session
of the Council in Egypt, one day prior to holding ICESCO’s 14th General
Conference in Egypt in December 2021.
At the
close of the Council session, the members read the decisions taken during the
session’s meetings, taking into consideration the observations and suggestions
put forward, while calling on National Commissions to support ICESCO’s efforts
to enable it to achieve its objectives.
ICESCO DG
expressed his thanks and appreciation to Morocco for the attention His Majesty
King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan Government attaches to the Organization.
