Category: News update

Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday, Ambassador Sheikh Salim Bin Suhail Al Maashani, head of the International Organizations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, during the Ambassador’s visit to ICESCO. The two parties discussed areas of cooperation and the distinguished relations between the Organization and Oman in the fields of education, science, and culture.

During the meeting, Dr. Al-Malik outlines ICESCO’s vision and action strategy, which is based on further communication with the Member States and designing action programs and activities to meet the needs and priorities of each country. The Organization also follows an open-door policy to non-Member States, international organizations, and institutions and establishes partnerships to benefit the ICESCO Member States and Muslim communities all over the world.

ICESCO DG referred to the Organization’s major initiatives, programs, and activities to support Member States in countering the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also reviewed ICESCO’s international conferences and symposia, which resulted in high-level participation from heads of state and government, eminent international figures, and specialized experts.

The meeting explored ways to develop cooperation relations between ICESCO and the Sultanate of Oman, especially in educational, heritage, and scientific projects. The parties also explored the historical and present role of the Sultanate of Oman in promoting civilizational dialogue and strengthening cultural relations between peoples.

The two sides agreed to continue the coordination and consultation on jointly organizing regional and international conferences and forums in areas of common interest in Oman.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the UN World Food Programme signed a strategic cooperation in the implementation of a set of programs and projects in several countries. The projects and programs span sustainable school feeding through conducting studies to determine the food situation in beneficiary countries, provide them with equipment, and strengthening capacities through learning from the expertise of developed countries in the field of food and nutrition.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Ms. Fatimata Sow Sidibé, Head of the World Food Program (WFP) Office in Tunisia and Morocco, signed yesterday, December 2, the agreement at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of several heads of sectors and departments from both organizations.

In his address at the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik lauded the great role the WFP played as the largest humanitarian organization in the world in fighting hunger and ensuring food security. He also pointed out that it was high time for a cooperation between ICESCO and the WFP to permanently secure feeding to students, especially those living in difficult circumstances.

The DG added that the signing comes after a joint ICESCO-WFP study to identify the objectives and prospects of cooperation, namely the implementation of a strategic nutrition surveillance system, capacity-building, and an innovative social, technological, and organizational model for school feeding programs.

Ms. Sidibé expressed pleasure with the signing of the partnership agreement being the first of its kind. She added that the agreement will lead to constructive and impactful cooperation setting the groundwork for developing new legal mechanisms to allow other regional institutions and offices the opportunity to cooperate with ICESCO.

Ms. Sidibé also said that the WFP is proud of the efforts, deployed at a record time in cooperation with ICESCO, to reach the agreement to carry out a strategic nutrition program and promote the foresight culture for preparing the leaderships of tomorrow.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), expressed his condolences on the passing of Sadiq al-Mahdi, Former Prime Minister of Sudan, may Allah rest his soul, at the headquarters of the Embassy of Sudan in Rabat.

Dr. AlMalik, on behalf of ICESCO’s staff members, expressed his sincere condolences to the people and government of Sudan on the death of the Late Sadiq al-Mahdi, on Thursday, November 26, 2020, while citing al-Mahdi’s great and outstanding roles to serve his country.

In his statement on the Embassy’s book of condolences, Dr. AlMalik stressed that the Late Sadiq al-Mahdi was a great figure who earned respect and recognition through his sincere work and enlightened thinking, as well as his sustained efforts to develop his country and the Islamic world.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday Ms. Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, UN Resident Coordinator in Morocco. The two parties explored the cooperation prospects between ICESCO and the United Nations (UN) in the areas of common interest.

At the ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main features of the Organization’s vision and strategy. ICESCO adopts an open-door policy towards promoting cooperation and partnerships with international organizations to benefit the Member States.  The Organization further supports achieving sustainable development goals and strengthening the spirit of peaceful coexistence based on civilizational and cultural dialogue and diversity.

The ICESCO DG highlighted the main programs, initiatives, and activities that the Organization launched and implemented to help its Member States cope with the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“ICESCO held several important international videoconferences and virtual forums with high-level participation. ICESCO also established multiple specialized centers in the fields of strategic foresight, Artificial Intelligence, Arabic language for non-Arabic speakers, and heritage to anticipate the future changes ahead based on scientific foundations and in-depth studies,” he added.

The meeting touched upon the areas of cooperation between ICESCO and the UN, represented by its Office in Morocco. The areas included the quality of education, support for innovation, youth empowerment, and women’s integration in the economy. The focus was particularly on the new economies such as the digital and knowledge-based economy, as well as the development of an innovative working model to be adopted by the end of 2021 before the start of the next strategic cycle.

Dr. AlMalik stressed that these areas fully reflect multiple axes of ICESCO’s Action Plan, which promotes future young leaders training by hosting an elite group of young academics at its headquarters to strengthen their capacities and gain diverse experiences. ICESCO also prepares a wide range of programs and activities during 2021, proclaimed as the Year of Women, in appreciation of female efforts during this pandemic and promotion of women’s status.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Morocco commended ICESCO’s outstanding work in the Organization’s fields of competence. She also underscored her keenness to develop cooperation between the two parties.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met with several ministers of foreign affairs and heads of delegations of Islamic world countries. The meetings were on the sidelines of their participation at the 47^th session of the OIC Foreign Council on 27 November 2020, as a face-to-face two-day event under the theme “United Against Terrorism for Peace and Development” in Niamey, Niger.

Dr. AlMalik met the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Senegal, Benin, the Gambia, Mauritania, Tunisia, the Sudan, and Côte d’Ivoire. He also met the representatives of Iraq, Djibouti, Indonesia, and Yemen, along with Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha from Chad, the OIC Secretary-General elect.

The DG explored cooperation opportunities between ICESCO and Islamic world countries in the areas of education, science, and culture under the Organization’s new vision and working strategy based on enhanced communication with the Member States. Both the vision and the strategy aim to identify the priorities and needs of Member States and design major programs and projects. ICESCO will co-implement the programs along with the competent authorities in each Member State.

ICESCO DG reviewed with the foreign ministers and heads of delegation ICESCO’s main initiatives, projects, and programs to support Member States in their efforts to face the adverse repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, namely in education, science, and culture. He also noted that in the last year the Organization went through significant development and renewal and is now is one of the leading organizations operating in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The ministers and heads of delegation lauded ICESCO’s excellent action and reiterated their countries’ commitment to sustaining cooperation with ICESCO in its areas of action.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed that overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic requires intensifying efforts, complementing roles, and exchanging expertise.

The DG also called on countries of the Islamic World to form a high-level team of specialized experts and distinguished researchers to address the current repercussions. He noted that ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight, as well as competent sectors at the Organization, are willing to contribute to the preparation of the systematic approach of the mission and performance of the team.

The statement was part of Dr. AlMalik’s address at the 47^th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which kicked off on Friday, November 27, 2020, in Niamey, Niger. The session was under the theme: “United against Terrorism for Peace and Development.” The Council concluded its proceedings last Saturday.

ICESCO DG thanked the government of Niger for the warm reception, and the OIC General Secretariat, which its Secretary-General represents, for the invitation to attend the session. The event was the first of its kind since the start of COVID-19 pandemic.

“This reflects the participants’ responsibilities to find the necessary solutions and measures to address the negative repercussions of this pandemic,” he added.

Dr. AlMalik explained that ICESCO, by virtue of its competencies and in light of its tasks, has taken the pandemic as an opportunity to consolidate its position on the international scene. ICESCO launched a set of strategic initiatives to support the efforts of Member States in mitigating the effects of the pandemic. These initiatives included:

1. An international award for discovering an efficient treatment or protective vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic, with USD 200,000 in prize money.
2. An integrated virtual learning program to link students with their teachers and schools, including a package of electronic materials, equipment, and software for the benefit of 30 of the neediest Member States.
3. ICESCO Digital Home initiative, which contains rich materials, knowledge resources, scientific references, educational curricula, and educational media.
4. Technical and logistical support to several Member States that the pandemic affected.
5. The Societies We Want Initiative, which is part of ICESCO’s knowledge initiatives with a set of strategic studies on the future of the Islamic world, the future of Africa, and the ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
6. ICESCO also held videoconferences of education ministers and culture ministers, in addition to dozens of forums and international conferences, meetings, and lectures on educational, scientific, and cultural issues related to the impact of the pandemic.  
7. In a bid to ensure the cohesion of all these efforts, ICESCO established the Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition to mobilize competencies and unify the efforts aiming at confronting the pandemic.

ICESCO DG called on the participating countries to further support the Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition to achieve its objectives in the upcoming period.

“The Coalition’s operational program includes a set of field projects and specialized activities. Several Member States and regional and international organizations have already joined it. Besides, the leaders of many Member States commended this Coalition,” he concluded.

As part of the “Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition” and the “Societies We Want” initiatives, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) provided USD 100,000 in aid to Niger to support NGOs and several flood-hit local communities to rehabilitate the infrastructure.

During a special ceremony organized on Friday, November 27, 2020, in Niamey, Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Dr. Idi Illiassou Mainassara, Minister of Public Health of Niger, signed the agreement detailing the projects and programs that the grant will fund. The implementation will take place in cooperation with the Organization and the concerned authorities in Niger.

Mrs. Brigi Assalo, the wife of the Prime Minister of Niger, attended the signing on behalf of the First Lady of Niger, Dr. Lalla Issoufou Maleika, who sponsors several institutions and associations working in the humanitarian and social fields and the health sector in the country.

The agreement sustains ICESCO’s efforts to support its Member States in countering the negative effects of crises through a set of initiatives, projects, and programs that the Organization has launched and implemented since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.