The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the Virtual Forum organized by the Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC) on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Russian Federation’s accession to the OIC as an observer country.
In his address, ICESCO Director General Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Mr. Khaled Fateh Al-Rahman, Head of the Department of Dialogue and Cultural Diversity at ICESCO, stressed the importance of relationships between Russia and the Islamic world since the advent of Islam, citing examples of cooperation between the two parties. He also expressed his appreciation of the Russian representation in the OIC joining the Global Humanitarian Coalition, while looking forward to Moscow’s joining this initiative. The Coalition is part of a number of initiatives launched by ICESCO and widely welcomed at the international level.
Dr. AlMalik also referred to the prospective studies being conducted by ICESCO which constitute a promising field for fruitful cooperation with Russian strategic experts. He also showcased future areas of cooperation between the two parties in the fields of education, science and youth.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Alwaleed Philanthropies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the phases and programme related to implementing the joint initiative to help 10 countries address the adverse repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative entails humanitarian aid to the needy categories, capacity-building in the production of sanitizers and protective equipment to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic, and support to the private sector and women and youth entrepreneurs.
Following the signature of the MoU during the virtual ceremony held on Tuesday, H.R.H. Princess Lamia Bint Majed Saud AlSaud, Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, said “we are proud of our partnership with ICESCO marked by many years of humanitarian initiatives to meet the urgent and long-term needs of the neediest categories around the globe. This initiative will empower women and young entrepreneurs by making them assume the principal role in the fight against Coronavirus”.
For his part, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, expressed the honor of ICESCO to collaborate with Alwaleed Philanthropies in support the most vulnerable and marginalized people in Africa and across the Islamic world.
“His R.H Prince Alwaleed Ibn Talal, has always been a champion for this noble cause, we look forward to strengthening our collaboration with Alwaleed Philanthropies as an icon for others to follow” added Dr. AlMalik.
The MoU stipulates that Alwaleed Philanthropies, over a period of one year, provide 2,090,000 US dollars in aid to contribute to the efforts of addressing the repercussions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Niger, Senegal, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, the Sudan, Mauritania, and Cote d’Ivoire.
The initiative seeks to provide food assistance to the neediest populations and most affected by the pandemic, most notably centers of elderly care, people with disabilities, and women victim of violence, orphanages, refugee centers and patients in health centers and hospitals. It also aims to build local capacities in the production of sanitizers and protective equipment (gels, protective masks, ventilators) through prioritizing and empowering men and women entrepreneurs in local informal sectors.
The two parties agreed to set up an implementation schedule to be attached to the MoU and a code of conduct for media outreach specific to the partnership. In this regard, the MoU stipulates that ICESCO prepare a quarterly report about the implementation of the project in each of the target countries and a detailed one at the end of the implementation, on the most important innovative initiatives with photos of production units and recorded testimonials of some beneficiary citizens.
For 4 decades, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and spent more than 15 billion Saudi riyals and carried out more than 1000 projects in over 189 countries, managed by 10 Saudi female members, reaching more than 1 billion beneficiaries around the world, regardless of gender, race, or religion. Alwaleed Philanthropies collaborates with a range of philanthropic, governmental, and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education. It seeks to build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant, and accepting world.
Based in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, ICESCO specialized in education, science and culture to bolster relations among Member States in the Islamic world. It seeks to build future decision-makers, share expertise, provide institutional support and upgrade development policies and innovation and knowledge systems.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), today at the headquarters of the Organization, received Mr. Chu Yuan, Assistant Director General of Huawei Company in the Kingdom of Morocco, and together they explored ways of cooperation between ICESCO and Huawei in the fields of education, science and culture.
During this meeting, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that ICESCO’s new vision advocates openness to non-Member States, regional and international organizations, and civil society institutions in such a way as to serve ICESCO Member States and Muslim communities around the globe, while highlighting that ICESCO developed a new Charter of the Observer States, and calls upon all non-Member States to join the Organization as observer members.
In the same vein, ICESCO Director General reviewed the major initiatives, projects and programmes launched by the Organization to support the efforts geared toward countering the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly ICESCO Prize for Fighting Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), with US$200,000 in prize money, to be awarded to anyone who discovers an efficient treatment or preventive vaccine against the virus; and “ICESCO Digital Home” which has become a rich knowledge platform targeting all categories and covering all ICESCO’s fields of action; as well as the initiative “Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition” which targets through its executive projects and field programmes the poor and affected countries.
On his part, Mr. Yuan lauded ICESCO’s action supporting the efforts of countering the COVID-19 pandemic while pointing out that Huawei devotes great attention to its social responsibility by providing aid to the local communities in the host countries of Huawei’s branch offices, and offering scholarships to students to pursue their studies on technology in China.
The discussion also covered the prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and Huawei, particularly in the fields of education and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as the technological studies and research works.
The meeting was attended from ICESCO by Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Director of the Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation; Dr. Barry Koumbou, Director of the Sector of Education; and Ms. Rime Jirari, Head of the Department of Organizations and Institutions at the Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation; and from Huawei Ms. Chaymae Salhi, Public Relations and Governmental Affairs Officer.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated in the 4th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), held today via a videoconferencing platform, under the presidency of H.E. Mr. Arif Alvi, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Chancellor of the University, President of IIUI’s Board of Trustees (BOT).
At the outset of the meeting, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan gave an address wherein he welcomed the participating members of IIUI’s Board of Trustees, while commending the key role played by the university to train scholars and professionals capable of keeping pace with the changes and needs of the time.
In the same vein, the meeting explored several topics relevant to the university and its Waqf. It also discussed the election of the members to fill vacant seats, nomination for membership of the University Administration Council, the Finance and Planning Committee, the Council of the Dawah Academy, Shariah Academy, and Islamic Research Institute as well as the International Institute of Islamic Economics. The meeting also adopted the report of the BOT’s previous meeting, held on 12 April 2018, and reviewed the report on the implementation of the adopted decisions of the said meeting.
Besides, the meeting nominated Dr. Hathal bin Hamoud Al-Otaibi, from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the IIUI presidency to succeed Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al Draiweesh. The meeting concluded with an address by the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, wherein he thanked the participants in the meeting.
It is worth mentioning that IIUI was established in 1980/1400 A.H. with support from many Muslim countries’ governments. It is considered one of the biggest and most prominent universities in Pakistan and includes many specialized faculties in various scientific disciplines.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural (ICESCO), and Dr. Khaled El-Enany, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Republic of Egypt, during a videoconference meeting agreed to develop cooperation between ICESCO and Egypt in the field of heritage preservation and the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property.
The two parties examined several topics, namely the inscription of the Egyptian sites inscribed on the World Heritage List (WHL) (6 sites on the final list and 49 on the tentative one) on the Islamic World Heritage List (IWHL), and the examination by the Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC) of the inscription of the building of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on ICESCO Modern Architectural Heritage List. They also discussed the use of experts from both parties to hold sessions on the preparation of application files for the inscription of heritage sites on the IWHL and WHL.
The Egyptian Minister agreed to exhibit Egyptian heritage sites and museums, already prepared by the Ministry in their digital format, on ICESCO’s Heritage Portal and ICESCO Digital Home. Dr. AlMalik and Dr. El-Enany reaffirmed the cooperation between ICESCO and Egypt in the field of fighting illicit trafficking in cultural property and the need to propose new mechanisms for combating this crime at a webinar to be held by ICESCO for this purpose. Moreover, they agreed to set up a small working group bringing together Egypt, several Member States, and international experts to draw up a practical approach to this cause.
For his part, the Egyptian Minister suggested the establishment of a regional center in Egypt, in cooperation with ICESCO and UNESCO, tasked with fighting illicit trafficking in cultural property and ensuring its restitution, a move welcomed by ICESCO Director-General. The two parties also agreed to cooperate in the organization of training sessions in partnership between ICESCO, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in the preservation, documentation, inventory, protecting and restoration of monuments, especially with the Restoration Center of the Egyptian Grand Museum, known for its technical potentials and expertise in capacity-building for restoration specialists in the Islamic world.
Dr. El-Enany invited Dr. AlMalik for a visit to Egypt. Dr. AlMalik welcomed the invitation and promised to visit the country as early as possible.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Najib Rhiati, Director of the Sector of Culture and Communication, Dr. Osama Elnahas, Heritage Expert at the Sector, and Amb. Maged Mosleh, Supervisor of Central Department for Public and International Relations at the Ministry.
In the evening of Thursday 25 June 2020, a special ceremony was held in Abidjan with the attendance of the Ivorian Minister of Education, as well as representatives of civil society organizations and the Muslim community in Côte d’Ivoire, on the occasion of the distribution of humanitarian aid provided under the response initiative to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country. Launched by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Alwaleed Philanthropies, this initiative includes the provision of medical stuff and humanitarian aid to those in need during the health crisis, as well as support to entrepreneurs in 10 African countries.
The ceremony included the screening of a video clip in which H.R.H. Princess Lamia Bint Majed Saud Al Saud, Secretary-General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, delivered a message saying: “We all have a role to play in addressing the epidemic. We are proud to be part of an initiative in Côte d’Ivoire that will support those most in need with valuable resources to raise health awareness and protect the health of present and future generations.”
In another video clip, former football star Didier Drogba said: “In difficult times we have to support each other. By providing these vital resources, we enable family members to sustain themselves and maintain their health. I am proud to support the efforts of Alwaleed Philanthropies and ICESCO to help communities in Côte d’Ivoire.”
For his part, Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, ICESCO Director General, stressed in his video message the importance of supporting the Organization’s Member States in addressing the repercussions of this pandemic, indicating that the private sector, which accounts for 95% of small enterprises in these countries, will benefit from this support and other forms of aid. He pointed out that in the event of collapse, this sector would need decades to be rebuilt.
During this ceremony, Mr. Adama Diawara, Ivorian Minister of Higher Education, President of the Ivorian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, presented the aid, valued at US$40,000, to 18 NGOs to distribute it to people in need. He also expressed his Government’s gratitude to Alwaleed Philanthropies and ICESCO for this aid.
This aid, which is provided by the Alwaleed Philanthropies to Côte d’Ivoire, includes foodstuffs such as rice, common bean, maize, flour, milk, oil, sugar, etc., as well as medical supplies to help prevent the new coronavirus.
It is worth noting that the distribution of aid in Côte d’Ivoire is part of the partnership action plans between Alwaleed Philanthropies and ICESCO, aimed at providing support to 10 countries, namely: Sudan, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Senegal. The aim is to strengthen the production of antiseptics, protective masks, and respirators, as well as to support and empower young businesspersons in the non-formal sector at the local level.
**Burkina Faso President: Providing psychological and social support to vulnerable categories is a necessity
**ICESCO Director-General: Healthcare must also include issues of psychological and mental health
**African Union Commissioner: There is an urgent need for new measurements
The keynote speakers at the high-level virtual meeting held today by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) reaffirmed the importance of providing psychological and mental healthcare to citizens and fostering their resilience in times of crises and vulnerability, namely amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has had tremendous repercussions on societies around the globe.
At the outset of the meeting, which saw the attendance of H.E. Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso, as a guest of honor, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, hailed the keenness of the President to participate in the meeting. He affirmed that ICESCO is proud to have the President of a Member State attend one of its virtual meetings, which demonstrates the outstanding role played by ICESCO to accomplish its new vision.
Dr. AlMalik lauded the efforts made by Burkina Faso in addressing the repercussions associated with the pandemic and containing its contagion.
In his address, H.E. Mr. Kaboré noted that during the COVID-19 Pandemic, plethoric forms of violence have surged due to the pandemic and other crises, hence the need to reflect on ways to provide psychosocial support to the vulnerable categories in particular. In this regard, he cited several programmes implemented by his country to support the autonomy and empowerment of these categories.
Moreover, Burkina Faso’s President commended ICESCO’s action and initiatives for helping African countries mitigate the impact of COVID-19 by providing food, personal hygiene products, protective equipment, and support to the efforts of women and girls empowerment. Likewise, he underlined his country’s commitment to boost and sustain relations and action with the Organization.
For his part, Dr. AlMalik stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound psychological impact on humanity as a whole. In this vein, he highlighted that the lockdown measures had constrained social movement, which is critical to ensure people’s livelihoods, causing adverse effects on the mental and psychological health of individuals.
Adding to this situation is the recently gathered data on domestic violence complaints, which tripled since the beginning of lockdowns.
By the same token, ICESCO Director-General stressed the need for including psychological and mental health issues in the field of healthcare, through providing hotline services and qualified healthcare staff to address domestic violence and curb suicide rates, and working to uproot causes through a strong safety net for family heads and people living in vulnerable conditions.
Ms. Amira El-Fadil Mohammad El-Fadil, African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, delivered an address wherein she stated that the pandemic had affected the way we live and behave with others and on our children’s development. To deal with this issue, Ms. El-Fadil underlined the need for accurate measurements to assess and give attention to public and mental health as growing pressure on families has led to rising violence, thus the need for greater awareness. She later reviewed the African Union’s measures undertaken to this effect.
The Commissioner thanked ICESCO for inviting the African Union to this important meeting while reaffirming that there will be large-scale cooperation between the African Union and ICESCO, a statement which was welcomed by ICESCO Director-General who underlined that Africa is a topmost priority for the Organization.
Today, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Alwaleed Philanthropies, chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, will launch an initiative to respond to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Côte d’Ivoire.
The initiative will be launched with the participation of Mr. Adama Diouara, Minister of Higher Education, President of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture of Côte d’Ivoire, along with a team from the Foundation of the former football star, Didier Drogba. The initiative will provide food supplies and medical products to the neediest communities in the affected areas, and help mitigate the impact of the economic repercussions of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to boost the local manufacturing capacities to produce hygiene products and protective equipment in Africa, raise awareness of the importance of hygiene, and support and empower young men and women entrepreneurs in the informal and local sectors.
Stressing the importance of this initiative, HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majed Saud Al Saud, Secretary-General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, stated “we all have a role to fulfill in countering the pandemic. By protecting our health, we are protecting our community health”.
“We are proud to be part of such initiative in Côte d’Ivoire, which is likely to provide the neediest people with valuable resources to raise health awareness and protect the health of the present and future generations,” she added.
On his part, the football star Didier Drogba said, “we need to support each other in hard times. Providing such vital resources would enable family members to meet their needs and ensure their health. I am proud to support the efforts of Alwaleed Philanthropies and ICESCO in helping communities in Côte d’Ivoire”.
In the same vein, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, stressed the importance of supporting ICESCO Member States to counter the repercussions of the pandemic, highlighting that the private sector in these countries will benefit from this support and other programmes and projects. In the case of the collapse of this sector, which is made of almost 95% of small businesses, its rebuilding would take decades.
“Working together, we can support the small businesses, which will similarly help communities to achieve a more efficient and prosperous recovery,” he added.
It is worth mentioning that ICESCO and Alwaleed Philanthropies had already announced action plans to support ten (10) countries (Sudan, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Senegal) in promoting the capacities to produce sanitizers, masks, and ventilators, and support and empower women and young businessmen in the local and informal sectors.
The high-level webinar, to be held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Thursday 25 June 2020, will discuss one of the most impactful steps in the fight against the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is that of harnessing citizens’ mental health and psychological and social support in the context of crises and vulnerability.
The meeting will be graced by the participation of H.E. Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, as the guest of honor. The meeting will also see the participation of Ms. Amira El-Fadil Mohammad El-Fadil, African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, in addition to a host of prominent experts in the field of mental health and psychological and social support.
The meeting, to be opened by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, will kick off at 09:00 a.m. GMT (10:00 Rabat Time), under the title, “Harnessing Mental Health and Psychological and Social Support in the Context of Crises and Vulnerability”.
The meeting will be an opportunity to assess international organizations’ programs on mental health situations due to the crisis and discuss the prospects on how to alleviate them. It will also provide a platform to exchange field expertise among prominent practitioners and experts on the impact of crises on mental health and innovative psychological and social support mechanisms to address them. The meeting will be organized in three sessions, namely “Perspectives from Experts and Practitioners: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support to Build Resilient Societies,”; “Gender-based violence and Mental Health,”; and “The Way Forward”.
It is worth mentioning that this is the third meeting in the Webinar Series ‘Societies We Want”, held in cooperation between ICESCO Sector of Human and Social Sciences, the Policy Center for the New South, and the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences of Mohamed V University in Rabat. The “Societies We Want” initiative was officially launched by ICESCO on 30 April 2020 to spread knowledge and implement innovative programs to contribute to building healthy, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive, and resilient societies, a goal proved crucial in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The live broadcast of the webinar will be available on ICESCO’s official Facebook page via the link: https://www.facebook.com/ICESCO.Ar/
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) provided financial support to the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Republic of Uganda, as part of ICESCO’s ambitious programme “Technology Development Grant to Counter COVID-19 in the Islamic World”. The support aims to develop and expand the scope of the production of an innovative device to promote safe hygiene and provide water for handwashing as part of the preventive measures against the virus.
This device is based on motion sensor technology; it pours water and soap once the user runs his hand closer to the device. This device can operate on solar energy produced by special solar panels, which allows for the use of this device in remote areas with no access to electricity sources.
In the same vein, Dr. Ahmad Kaweesa Ssengendo, Rector of IUIU, stated that thanks to ICESCO’s funding, a large number of devices would be produced and distributed for free to universities, hospitals, schools and other public places.
The programme “Technology Development Grant to Counter COVID-19 in the Islamic World” is part of ICESCO’s initiatives to support Member States in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, the Organization had already financed hand sanitizer production units and ensured their distribution to citizens in several countries.
Taking into account the success of these projects, ICESCO received requests from many universities in the Member States to set hand sanitizer production units and produce handwashing devices for citizens in public places. ICESCO reaffirms its sustained support for such projects and other endeavors likely to support Member States’ efforts to counter COVID-19.
