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.
The 41st
session of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) kicked off today, by videoconference for the
first time in the Organization’s history, in the presence of the Council
members and Member States’ National Commissions.
Following
the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, the opening session started with
the address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), who
reaffirmed that despite all the challenges humanity has faced during the
COVID-19 pandemic, ICESCO has endeavored to turn the pandemic from a crisis
into an advantage. Thanks to Allah and the efforts and dedication of its
leadership, experts and staff, Dr. AlMalik emphasized, ICESCO managed to score
many achievements.
ICESCO DG
highlighted the role of the Executive Council in shaping the future of the
Organization and elevating its international status as an Organization with a
mission to serve. He clarified that ICESCO is aspiring to sustain working with
the members of the Executive Council so that each member would serve as a counselor
with whom the Organization can share ideas and opinions and discuss projects
and programmes.
Dr. AlMalik
commended the Member States that always pay their contributions to ICESCO’s
budget on a timely basis while pointing out that payment of contributions
enables the Organization to achieve its objectives and goals in such a manner
as to assume an outstanding position among other organizations and manage to
meet the needs of Member States.
In Jordan’s
address to the Council that communicated by Dr. Muhammad Khair Abu Qudeis,
Jordanian Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research,
President of the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture and
Science, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Nawwaf Al-Ajarmeh, Secretary-General
for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education in Jordan, Acting
President of the Executive Council, mention was made of the enormous
repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on education.
In the same
address, Jordan called on ICESCO to assist Member States in developing their
educational systems, train teachers on ICT use. It also lauded the roles that the
Organization discharged in the field of civilizational dialogue and its areas
of action.
At the close
of the opening session, Dr. Ali Zeidan Abu Zuhri, President of the 13th
Session of the General Conference of ICESCO, touched on the practical response
of the Organization to the various challenges through its major achievements
and leading initiatives that allowed ICESCO to meet the expectations of its
Member States.
Dr. Abu
Zuhri noted that the pandemic was a decisive test for ICESCO, which successfully
worked together with its Member States to address the adverse repercussions of
the pandemic while stating that great challenges that need concerted efforts
and a strong teamwork spirit.
The
President of the 13th General Conference of ICESCO also expressed
his hope that ICESCO would remain the beacon of civilizational outreach in its
areas of competence and called on National Commissions to sustain communication
through the interactive platform, set up by ICESCO as a unique initiative.
Shortly
after the opening session, the proceedings of the first session of the 41st
Executive Council commenced. Over two days, this session will review the
reports on the activities of the Organization for 2019-2020, several strategic
documents and the projects the Organization intends to implement in the
upcoming years.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Francophone University Agency (AUF)
signed on March 29, 2021, a framework agreement to enhance cooperation between
the two parties in improving governance in university training and research
institutions. The cooperation also includes implementing joint programmes to enable
graduates in the ICESCO Member States to meet the labor market requirements.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General
(DG), and Dr. Slim Khalbous, AUF Dean, signed the agreement, at ICESCO
headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of some directors of the Agency as well
as the directors of ICESCO sectors and departments.
In his statement at the signing ceremony,
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main lines of ICESCO’s new vision and action strategy,
which adopt an open-door policy and enhance the role of women and youth in
building the future. He also commended the Organization’s programmes adding
that the agreement will be an example to follow and a new step towards constructive
cooperation to support the ICESCO Member States.
Dr. Khalbous expressed his happiness at the
signing of the agreement, which will strengthen the bilateral relationship
between ICESCO and AUF and help develop cooperation between the two parties. He
also congratulated ICESCO on its promising vision while stressing that the converging
visions and strategies of the two parties will help build strong cooperation.
The agreement sets forth cooperation
between ICESCO and AUF in developing the capabilities of graduates, providing
them with the necessary skills to meet the requirements of the professions of
tomorrow, promoting cultural and creative industries, women entrepreneurship,
and educational creativity. The agreement also covers spreading the foresight culture,
addressing digital challenges, supporting scientific research programmes on the
Francophonie, and promoting governance through joint development of training
and planning tools to enshrine good practices in governance policy, particularly
in universities.
The 41st Executive Council of
the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO)
will kick off tomorrow, March 30, 2021, via videoconference platform. Over two
days, the Council will review reports about ICESCO’s activities for 2019-2020 and
many key documents, namely the Organization’s enhanced vision, the sectoral
projects scheduled for the coming years, the draft ICESCO Chair Regulations, the
draft Regulations of the Young Professionals Programme, and the discussion of
the Organization’s financial situation.
The opening session of the Executive
Council’s features the addresses of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General
(DG), and Dr. Mohammad Khair Abo Qudeis, Minister of Education, Higher
Education and Scientific Research of Jordan, President of the Jordan National
Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Chair of the current session of
the Executive Council. Also speaking at the opening session is Dr. Ali
Zidan Abu Zuhri, President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education,
Culture and Science, President of the 13th General Conference of
ICESCO.
In the session, Member States’ National
Commissions will examine several administrative and legal documents that the
General Directorate prepared. These documents include the Draft Charter of
National Commissions, prepared in consultation with the Member States, and the Report
on the Implementation of ICESCO’s Organizational Structure, approved by the 40th
Executive Council held in Abu Dhabi at the end of January 2020, as well as
relevant development proposals.
The agenda of the session also covers a
presentation on the digitalization and updating of the Organization’s working
system, a report on the performance and efficiency of ICESCO’s regional
offices, delegations and external centers, and development proposals thereon.
At the close of the session, the Council
members will discuss the arrangements for the election of the members of the
Council’s Bureau and fix the date and venue for the 42nd session.
ICESCO Educational Center in Malaysia organized a training session on “use of electronic assessment tools for measuring the performance of
Arabic language students,” at Kedah Darul Aman, North of Malaysia, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, Selangor
International Islamic University College, and
the International Islamic University Malaysia. The training started yesterday, March
28, 2021, face-to-face and through
videoconference.
Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Adviser to ICESCO Director-General
(DG) for External Centers and University Chairs on
Arabic Language, represented ICESCO at the opening ceremony, which saw the
participation of Mr. Muhammad Fawzi Abdul, representative of the Ministry of
Education of Malaysia, and Dr. Abdul Razeq bin Zaini, Director
of ICESCO Educational Center in Malaysia.
Mr. Bouraoui reviewed the orientations and
efforts of ICESCO in supporting the comprehensive use of educational systems in
the Member States, including educational technology and the digital software
and products developed for educational purposes. He also commended the
intensive participation of female teachers in the session
and underscored the important roles that Malaysian women play in spreading and
developing Arabic language skills among young people.
Mr. Bouraoui also recalled ICESCO’s proclamation
of 2021 as the Year for Women through the launch of several
initiatives and programmes to highlight the roles of women in various fields
and promote their position.
The training session brings together 76 participants from among Arabic language teachers in
the States of Kedah, Penang Island, Perak and Perlis (North of Malaysia),
including 45 attendees and 31 participants through videoconference. Over two
days, they will benefit from three workshops on “Computer-assisted educational
assessment,” “Electronic assessment tools for measuring students’ reading skills,” and “Methods for assessing writing skills through
technology.”
Dr. Muhammad Sabri bin Shahrir, lecturer at
the International Islamic University in Malaysia, moderates the training session while Dr. Abdul Razeq bin Zaini,
Director of ICESCO Educational Center in Malaysia, oversees its organizational
aspects, in coordination with ICESCO Center of Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers.
The training workshop,
co-organized between the Organization of the Islamic World Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Environment
and Sustainable Development of Niger, on capacity building in bankable project
preparation for 15 experts of the Ministry, closed in Niamey, Niger.
During the four-day
workshop, the beneficiaries received the theoretical bases for preparing viable
projects and their application to four project concepts that the Ministry
identified, which will be submitted to the Ministry’s technical and financial
partners.
Mr. Souley Aboubacar,
Secretary-General of the Ministry, and Mr. Ismaila Diallo, Expert at ICESCO’s
Science and Technology Sector, chaired and supervised the workshop,
respectively, as part of the efforts aimed at addressing the lack of expertise
in project feasibility preparation in all areas in Africa.
In an
official international ceremony, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched its training programme for women and
youth in leadership for peace and security, under the theme: “Women and Youth: Agents
of Peace.” The ceremony saw the participation of high officials and eminent
international personalities in peacebuilding.
The
celebration took place on March 25, 2021, face-to-face at ICESCO headquarters
in Rabat and through a videoconference. The programme is part of ICESCO’s
celebration of “Year of Women 2021,” under the high patronage of His Majesty
King Mohammed VI. The measure aims to train and mobilize young people as actors
of change for peace, citizenship, and resilience, to build the societies we
want and make them true ambassadors of peace in their societies, by equipping
them with the tools of knowledge and leadership through the exchange with
inspiring leaders and expert trainers for a peaceful world.
The
celebration kicked off with a recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an, which was
followed by the address of the guest of honor of the ceremony, Mr. Ali Bongo
Ondimba, President of Gabon, which Mr. Patrick Mouguiama Daouda, Minister of
National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific
Research, delivered on his behalf, wherein
he commended ICESCO’s work in contributing to the improvement of women’s lives,
stressing the need to provide them with all the necessary support.
He also
pointed out the essential role of women in achieving development as he reviewed
the Gabonese experience in the empowerment of women and the significant
progress the country made towards the crafting of a constitution that enshrines
the principle of equality and exploiting various measures to achieve them.
Mr.
Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow, former Director-General (DG) of UNESCO, then stated that
training programmes for youth and women in the field of peace and security are
urgently needed and that peace is key to achieving development in all its
forms.
In her address,
Mrs. Aisha Buhari, First Lady of Nigeria, welcomed ICESCO’s proclamation of
2021 as the Year of Women, considering it an outstanding initiative that
contributes to strengthening the role of women and supporting progress towards
gender equality. She noted that the focus on youth plays a fundamental role in
creating safe and stable societies.
Mr. Mohamed
Senoussi II, Advocate of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, took
the floor, stressing the importance of the role of youth and women, and
emphasizing that the achievement of gender equality is essential to the
realization of the values of democracy. He also noted that the deprivation of
young people of opportunities makes them elements that contribute to creating a
climate of instability.
In her
address, FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, praised ICESCO’s
initiative and its great contribution to building a more equal, peaceful, progressive,
and resilient society. She expressed FIFA’s belief that soccer is a key factor
in combating violence and anchoring tolerance and dialogue.
For her
part, Mrs. Jamila El-Moussali, Moroccan Minister of Solidarity, Social
Development, Equality and Family, praised ICESCO’s quality initiative and its
focus on youth and women and reviewed the Kingdom’s pioneering experience in
involving young women in decision-making, as well as its focus on women and its
efforts to ensure that women can assume their rightful place.
In his address
at the opening ceremony, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, DG of ICESCO, expressed the
objective of the training programme, most notably highlighting the central role
that youth and women play in laying a solid foundation for peaceful, inclusive,
and cohesive societies.
He added
that ICESCO’s interest in women and youth stems from their ability to make a change
in peacebuilding, considering it an essential condition for achieving
development and that the beneficiaries of the programme will receive a series
of training in several areas, including the concepts of ethical leadership,
capacity building, peacebuilding skills and peace-related best practices, in
addition to networking skills.
The DG of
ICESCO expressed the hope that the beneficiaries, through the acquisition of
these skills, would be able to translate their ideas into concrete projects for
which the Organization could provide seed funding for implementation in their
countries.
The opening
session closed with the screening of a musical film entitled: “The Black
Panther” and a video presentation of the “Class of 2021,” which ICESCO’s Human
and Social Sciences Sector produced.
On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, the headquarters of the Islamic World
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) witnessed the
signing of a cooperation agreement between the Conference of Ministers of Youth
and Sports of La Francophonie (CONFEJES) and another agreement with the
Conference of Ministers of Education of La Francophonie (CONFEMEN). The
agreements stipulate the joint implementation of programs and projects to
integrate the values of peace and citizenship in educational systems and the
field of sports and among youth.
The two agreements were signed, on
behalf of ICESCO, by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the
Organization, on behalf of CONFEMEN by Dr. Abdel Rahamane Baba-Moussa,
Secretary-General, and on behalf of CONFEJES by Mr. Modibo Traoré, Deputy
Secretary-General.
In his speech during the signing
ceremony, Dr. AlMalik affirmed that ICESCO’s new vision and strategy of action
adopts cooperation with international organizations of common interest, and
through the signing of these two agreements, aims at building a strong
partnership in terms of establishing peace, training youth and girls and
cooperating in developing educational systems in the Member States, in
cooperation between ICESCO, CONFEMEN, and CONFEJES.
For his part, Dr. Abdel
Rahamane Baba-Moussa praised ICESCO’s policy of being open to
organizations that care about youth and education for all and pointed out that
CONFEMEN works to promote the holistic approach of school education, within the
framework of formal and non-formal education, and to integrate education in
marginalized areas. He added that this agreement constitutes a starting point
for major cooperation.
Mr. Modibo Traoré affirmed that
ICESCO’s signing of the cooperation agreement with CONFEJES is the beginning of
broad-based fruitful cooperation. He presented an overview of CONFEJES’
mechanisms of work in the field of youth, sports, and promoting the values of
peace, citizenship, and youth participation.
