Category: News update

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Bandar Hajjar, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB), explored the prospects of cooperation between the two parties in many areas, primarily education.

During the meeting, held on Monday, February 15, 2021 at IsDB’s headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of a number of the Bank officials, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the major achievements that ICESCO has made since May 2019. He also highlighted the initiatives, programmes, and activities ICESCO launched and implemented to support the efforts of Member States to counter the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the major programmes and activities of the celebration of 2021 as the Year of Women.

Dr. Hajjar reviewed the fruitful activities and programmes of IsDB during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are ongoing in many countries.

The meeting also touched upon the prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and IsDB in several areas, including the integration of technology in education, scholarships for students from the Islamic world, focusing mainly on future occupations. The cooperation prospects also included the study of ICESCO on post-COVID-19 education, as well as the programmes of humanitarian and social assistance and environmental conservation.

Dr. AlMalik also shed light on the leadership incubators that ICESCO launched at its headquarters, in Rabat, and 10 other future incubators to support young people in the Islamic world with the required future leadership skills in the fields of education, science and culture. The meeting also tackled the prospects of cooperation of IsDB with ICESCO in the leadership incubators to expand its scope to many Muslim countries.

The two parties agreed on holding technical virtual meetings to examine and identify cooperation programmes and projects.

At the close of the meeting, ICESCO DG expressed his thanks to the Chairman of IsDB for his kind welcome and willingness to develop constructive cooperation between the Organization and the Group.

Mr. Saleh Mansour, Executive Assistant of IsDB Chairman for Africa Region; and Dr. Thamer Baazeem, Director of Marketing and Communication at IsDB, attended the meeting, which also brought together Dr. Abdulhakim Elwaer, Executive Assistant of IsDB Chairman for Partnerships; and Mr. Elwalid Hamour, Head of IsDB Regional Office in Rabat, through videoconference.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Youssef bin Ahmad Al-Othamimeen, Secretary-General (SG) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and together they explored several issues of mutual interest. The two parties stressed the importance of keeping the working committee that they set up to coordinate between the two organizations.

During the meeting held on Monday, February 15, 2021, at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the two parties reaffirmed the complementary relation between the two organizations. They also discussed the significance of specialized sector-based conferences and the need to consider the geographical distribution in selecting the venues for these conferences.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted the key programmes the Organization implements including programmes for training and building the capacities of young people in the Islamic world through leadership incubators. He also discussed ICESCO’s proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women, stressing the importance of the OIC participation in the year’s activities and programmes as well as the participation of the Organization for Women Development in OIC Member States.   

The two parties agreed to implement several joint programmes to be set through the Joint Committee, which holds its meetings annually to coordinate between the two organizations. They also agreed to hold the Committee’s meeting soon to review the details of these programmes.

At the close of the meeting, ICESCO DG expressed, on his and the Organization’s behalf, his thanks and appreciation to the OIC SG for his keenness to sustain constructive cooperation between the two parties.

Several OIC officials attended the meeting namely, Ambassador Tariq Bakhit, Assistant SG for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs; Dr. Amina Obeid Al-Hajri, DG of the Department of Cultural and Social and Family Affairs; and Dr. Maha Aqil, Director of the Department of Family Affairs. 

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Hamad bin Muhammad Al Sheikh, Minister of Education of Saudi Arabia, and together they explored prospects of developing cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry.

During the meeting, held Sunday, February 14, 2021, at the headquarters of the Ministry in Riyadh, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the Organization’s major achievements and work carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the field of education. The DG also discussed the aids ICESCO provided for vulnerable Member States to support their efforts to ensure the continuity of schooling.

The two parties discussed ways to overcome several educational challenges witnessed during the pandemic including the growing education wastage and the evaluation of technical education platform. They also reviewed distance education programs and Saudi Arabia’s successful experience in the field and explored the possibility of transferring the experience in several ICESCO Member States, especially in Africa.

The DG and the Saudi Minister agreed to work towards developing cooperation between the Organization and the Ministry over the next period.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received on Friday, February 12, 2021 at the Organization’s headquarters, Mrs. Nidaa Ezzat Sabry, President of the Arab Group within the Rabat Diplomatic Circle, as well as her accompanying delegation composed of spouses of diplomats and ambassadors accredited to Morocco, members of the Circle. The aim of the visit was to examine means of cooperation in the programs and activities that ICESCO will implement, as part of its proclamation of the 2021 Year of Women.

During the meeting, held in the presence of ICESCO’s women leaders, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main objectives of the Year of Women, namely strengthening the roles of women and girls in all the Organization’s fields of competence by providing them with opportunities to participate in the fight against gender inequality.

The DG pointed out ICESCO’s open-door policy and cooperation with all international and regional organizations, bodies, and civil society institutions and organizations, to ensure the practical implementation of the objectives of the Year of Women. The goal is to contribute to capacity building and making a brighter future for girls, women, and the world.

At the close of the meeting, the delegation of the Diplomatic Circle of Rabat paid a visit to the Leaders’ Incubator that ICESCO has recently launched to train young people in leadership in the Organization’s fields of competence. Several female interns in the DG’s Office made a presentation on their internship and experience within ICESCO, as well as on their contribution with the experts in developing the future vision of the Organization.

The delegation held a meeting with a number of heads of ICESCO’s sectors and departments to discuss the programs and activities that both parties will implement in the fields of education, science, culture, and social and human affairs.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed that supporting women, promoting their roles, and achieving gender equality in the field of science is an absolute necessity in the current times. He stressed that we need all intellectual and research capacities to face the deadly strains of viruses that continue to threaten humanity.

The DG made the statement in his address during the annual celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, that the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) held via videoconference, from the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in New York. The Organizers held the event under the theme “Equality in science for the sake of society” and saw the participation of H.R.H. Princess Nesrine Al-Hashemi, Executive Director of the Academy, Mr. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, in addition to several high-level international figures from different fields. 

Dr. AlMalik stated that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a negative impact on female scientists, especially those in the early stages of their professional life. The impact, he reaffirmed, expanded the existing gap between men and women in the field of scientific research, warning against the re-adoption of practices from the past such as oppressing women and depriving them of their rights, as they are to cause a 50% loss in the working force and extinguished multiple opportunities to fight deadly viruses.

ICESCO DG stressed the need for the roles of female doctors and scientists in leading the fight against deadly diseases and guide societies towards stability thanks to their roles as mothers and wives.

The DG stated that history abounds with shining examples of women’s contribution to education and science, inviting all international organizations and bodies to take part in ICESCO’s activities and programs for the year 2021, which ICESCO proclaimed as the Year of Women under the theme “Women and the Future.”

At the close of his address, the DG announced that, as part of its activities to celebrate the Year of Women, the Organization will launch an award for “Outstanding Women and Girls in Science in Member States,” which will be given to the best researchers.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held on February 11, a press conference announcing its major programs and activities for 2021, which the Organization has proclaimed as the Year of Women themed “Women for the Future” under the high patronage of H.M. King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

At the onset of the press conference, which ICESCO held at its headquarters through videoconference, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), expressed his thanks and gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI for responding to ICESCO’s request to confer his patronage on the Year of Women. The step is an example of the attention the monarch accords to the Organization following in the footsteps of his father, late King Hassan II, may Allah rest his soul in peace.

Dr. AlMalik stated that, through the proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women, ICESCO seeks to honor women and promote their leading role and high status as part of ICESCO’s new vision contained in its Strategic Plan 2020-2030. The Vision, Dr. AlMalik added, aims to build an innovative and smart civilizational system for the Muslim world and enable women, youth, and children to exercise their educational, scientific, cultural, technological, and environmental rights.

ICESCO DG reaffirmed that the Celebration’s program includes four lines of action, namely conferences, forums, programs and projects, studies and awards, as well as initiatives.

“These themes focus on the empowerment, rehabilitation, capacity-building and integration of women within society, as well as combating illiteracy, ensuring the right of girls to education and addressing gender discrimination,” he added.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that this two-pronged program targets women inside ICESCO and in the Member States. “First, it seeks to ensure the principle of equal opportunities, train women leaders, provide a woman-friendly work environment, establish a department for women, provide leadership trainings for as many girls as possible in the fields relevant to the Organization’s fields of action throughout 2021, and honor ICESCO’s female staff members as part of the “Model Women Staff Member Program,” he underscored.

Dr. AlMalik added that in Member States, ICESCO will implement and support women-specific programs and activities, allocate a budget to support women novice innovators and entrepreneurs, train the maximum number of girls and women in the Organization’s areas of competence, and establish a set of specialized women’s networks in the Islamic world.

The DG underscored that “this part of the program aims to enhance the presence of Muslim women in international events and ensure respect for their identity; publish and translate outstanding women’s literary works; provide annual scholarships for talented women in the Organization’s areas of action.”

“ICESCO will also dedicate programs for protecting women against all forms of violence, support Member States in fighting school dropout among girls, reduce the rate of illiteracy among women and distribute from 25,000 up to 50,000 computers to women in Member States, in cooperation with donors and local women’s institutions and associations as well as the National Commissions,” highlighted Dr. AlMalik.

After reviewing the broad lines of ICESCO’s programs and activities scheduled for the Year of Women 2021, Dr. AlMalik received journalists’ questions that focused on the details, budget, target groups, and share of rural women in these programs.

Dr. AlMalik along with the heads and directors of ICESCO’s sectors and departments answered all questions, stressing that the programs, which target all girls and women, will be funded in partnership between ICESCO and several cooperating institutions and donors.