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    AlMalik and El-Enany explore ICESCO-Egypt cooperation promotion in the heritage field

    **Egypt’s museums at ICESCO Digital Home

    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.

    Special Ceremony on the occasion of the distribution of grants by Alwaleed Philanthropies and ICESCO in Côte d’Ivoire

    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.

    ICESCO Virtual Meeting call for addressing domestic violence due to COVID-19 Pandemic

    **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.

    ICESCO and Alwaleed Philanthropies to launch an initiative in response to the repercussions of COVID-19 in Côte d’Ivoire

    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.

    In the presence of the President of the Republic of Burkina Faso: ICESCO webinar to discuss mental health and strengthening resilience during crises

    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/

    ICESCO supports new device production to promote safe hygiene in Uganda

    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.

    In a virtual meeting gathering 56 countries: highlighting the strategic partnership between ICESCO and National Commissions

    Participants in the virtual meeting for ICESCO National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture, held yesterday by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), under the theme “COVID-19 and post-Crisis Period: What Priorities, What Actions for Education, Science and Culture?”, reaffirmed the importance of the transition from addressing the COVID-19 crisis to anticipating and preparing for a post-crisis world.

    The meeting, which was opened by the Director-General, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, saw the participation of Princess Doaa Bint Mohammad Ezzat, Supreme Head of the Arab Women Foundation and Peace Ambassador for Children and Young People at the United Nations; and the renowned scientist, Prof. Rachid Yazami, inventor of the Lithium-Ion battery, as guests of honor. The meeting also brought together the respective representatives of 56 countries inside and outside the Islamic world, and a host of experts and specialists in the sectors of education, science, and culture.

    Participants in this meeting reviewed the measures taken by several countries to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fields of education, science, culture; and discussed the foresight of the post-COVID-19 world and the steps to be taken thereafter.

    At the outset, ICESCO Director-General stressed that the question of “What after the Coronavirus?” is at the core of ICESCO’s interests and priorities, stating that this meeting is an opportunity to exchange expertise and share experiences and good practices as it meets the expectations of ICESCO Member States in making the transition from the mindset of addressing the crisis to that of anticipating the future.

    Then followed Princess Doaa Bint Mohammad Ezzat, who talked about the impact of COVID-19 on children and education, maintaining that distance learning is not compatible for all, especially those who do not have access to communication technology and the Internet, which undermines the right of all children to quality education.

    For his part, Prof. Rachid Yazami stated that the Islamic world constitutes about 25% of the world population, and thus must contribute with the same rate in the efforts of scientific research in the fields of the environment, water, and health, etc. He added that the Islamic world needs more than one Nobel Prize laureate, noting that there are thousands of Muslim researchers currently taking part in scientific research works on addressing COVID-19, especially those relating to finding a vaccine against this virus.

    Addressing the panel next was Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Director of Museums and Antiquities at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), who reaffirmed that museums must have a certain level of resilience to face crises. Moreover, Ms. Sanaa Abouzaid, Country Manager of the International Finance Cooperation at the World Bank Group, argued that the COVID-19 pandemic was a warning to realize the vulnerability of the economic and health systems in the world;. At the same time, Mr. Youness Bensouda Mourri, Researcher and Instructor of Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University—California, stated that after the COVID-19 crisis is over, we will have better online programs for autonomous learning.

    The meeting was moderated by Ms. Zineb Iraqi, Head of the General Secretariat of the National Commissions and Conferences at ICESCO, and Mr. Ali Akdim, Official in charge of National Commissions at the Secretariat. The two ICESCO officials organized the presentations and introduced the Secretaries-General of the National Commissions of ICESCO Member States. The Secretaries-General talked about their respective countries’ efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the fields of education, science, and culture.

    Following the statements of the National Commissions, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of Legal Affairs at ICESCO, presented the Concept Note of the Draft Charter of the National Commissions that the Organization is currently preparing, explaining its broad lines and drafting methodology. Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight, also talked about the anticipatory studies that the Center is conducting, including the Study of the Future of the Islamic world and another study on Africa.

    Regarding the importance of setting up ICESCO Center for Heritage, Mr. Najib Rhiati, Director of the Department of Culture and Communication at the Organization, stated that the Center’s missions include the inscription of heritage sites in the Islamic world following objective and strict standards.

    At the close of the meeting, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik thanked the participants for their presentations and views which enriched the discussion, underlining that ICESCO looks forward to taking concrete steps to implement the agreed-upon visions, particularly about reaffirming the partnership strategy between the Organization and the National Commissions, upgrading the mechanisms, and anticipating the future.

    ICESCO Director-General calls for moving from COVID-19 crisis management to future anticipation

    The Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, reaffirmed that the Organization has managed to turn the ordeal of the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity to assert its pioneering role among international organizations while carrying out its quality action and strategic standards. To this effect, Dr. AlMalik said that ICESCO had upgraded its action mechanisms in such a way as to keep pace with the rising challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and set up projects designed to support the Member States in addressing the repercussions of the pandemic.
    This came as part of his address at the Virtual Meeting of National Commissions for ICESCO, kicked off today under the theme “Post-COVID-19 world: what action priorities and procedures for education, science and culture?”.

    The meeting brought together the guests of honor, Princess Doaa bint Mohammad Ezzat, Supreme President of the Arab Women Foundation, UN Peace Ambassador; and the renowned scientist Professor Rachid Yazami, inventor of the lithium-ion battery, in addition to the secretaries of National Commissions for education, science and culture from 56 countries inside and outside the Islamic world, and a select of experts in education, science and culture.

    In his address, ICESCO Director-General stressed that the question “what is next after COVID-19?” is at the core of ICESCO’s concerns and priorities and that the meeting is opportunity to share expertise, experiences and successful practices and meets the expectations of Member States to move from crisis management to future anticipation. He also expressed his confidence that National Commissions, as a strategic partner, will contribute to supporting our orientations to draw the dimensions and trends defining projects and programmes sensitive to needs after COVID-19 crisis.

    In this vein, he pointed out that ICESCO is currently preparing a charter to regulate its relationship with National Commissions, adding thanks to the 30 contracts signed with a large number of Member States benefiting from the Organization’s support activities in many sectors.

    Dr. AlMalik listed the pioneering, practical initiatives launched by ICESCO since the beginning of the crisis, namely the “ICESCO International Prize” to reward the discovery of a vaccine or treatment against COVID-19 and “ICESCO Digital Home,” a knowledge-based educational, cultural and scientific platform, along with the programmes of Arabic language for non-Arabic speakers and the African languages in the Arabic script. He also mentioned the “Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition,” which was widely welcomed by many countries and donors and which is open to membership, and the “Societies We Want” Initiative.

    Moreover, ICESCO Director-General stated that ICESCO held virtual conferences on topics spanning its fields of competence, as well as foresight and AI, and is now preparing for more events in the future, adding that the two recent virtual conferences of education and culture ministers bear witness of the success of our new approach while noting that the Organization is currently preparing a set of foresight studies in contribution to strategic studies approach.

    “The efforts and initiatives made by ICESCO will not attain their desired outcomes without your support and dedicated action toward the achievement of our objectives and our vision to crown our efforts with success for the benefit of our peoples who always expect new achievements,” Dr. AlMalik concluded.

    “The Ultimate Journey” Exhibition at “ICESCO Digital Home”

    In response to the request of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), to “Layan Cultural Foundation”, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammad Al-Saud, Chairperson of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, kindly agreed to virtually exhibit the rare paintings of “the Ultimate Journey” Exhibition, on “ICESCO Digital Home”.

    The exhibition displays paintings drawn by artists from various countries wherein they freely express their feelings towards the three mosques to which Muslims undertake journeys (the Sacred Mosque; the Prophet’s Mosque and the Aqsa Mosque). While visiting the exhibition via android-based mobile phones or computers, the call to prayer can be heard in different languages of whole the world. These paintings depict the diverse and rich images each artist has formed about these sacred places depending on the angle from which they viewed them.

    The paintings are available on ICESCO website via the following link:
    https://www.icesco.org/%d8%aa%d8%ab%d9%82%d9%81-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d8%a8%d8%b9%d8%af/
    This qualitative addition, which is part of the initiative of “Distance Culture”, seeks to enrich the content of “ICESCO Digital Home” by providing access to these unique and outstanding works of art to a large public in the Islamic world and beyond.

    For the record, “Layan Cultural Foundation” was established on 20 March 2007, in Riyadh, under the patronage of His Highness Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammad Al-Saud, Former Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It includes a host of figures interested in the field of culture and who share love and appreciation to art and heritage in general, and Arab and Islamic art in particular.

    Salient among the objectives of Layan is highlighting the overall concept of the Arab civilization through diverse activities to build outstanding talents by building their capacities in the fields of drawing, Arabic calligraphy and photography; artifacts procurement; art and heritage exhibitions sponsoring and organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and worldwide; as well as publishing of research works and brochures to showcase its activities.

    In an ICESCO virtual meeting: National Commissions discuss post-COVID-19 world action priorities

    The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will hold a key virtual meeting for the National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture in ICESCO Member States. The meeting will be held Monday 22 June 2020, at 9 a.m. GMT (10 a.m. Rabat time), under the theme “Post-COVID-19 world: what action priorities and procedures for education, science and culture?”.

    The meeting, which will be opened by the Director General, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, is honored by the participation of Princess Doaa Bint Mohammad Ezzat, Supreme Chairwoman of the Women Arab Organization and Peace Ambassador at the United Nations; and the great scientist, Rachid Yazami, inventor of the Lithium ion, as guests of honor. The meeting will also bring together the respective representatives of the Islamic world countries and a host of experts and specialists in the sectors of education, science, and culture.

    The meeting will shed light on the initiatives taken by the National Commissions at the national level in the fields of education, science, and culture; and share the expected concepts for the post-COVID phase and overcoming its impact. The meeting also aims to set up a platform for the National Commissions for exchange and anticipatory thought regarding possible amendments, activities, and procedures to be implemented in the fields of education, science, and culture after overcoming the pandemic.

    The meeting will be live broadcasted on ICESCO’s official Facebook, via the following link:
    https://www.facebook.com/ICESCO.Ar/