Category: News

Baku : 17/11/2024

His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), who is currently visiting Baku at the head of the ICESCO delegation participating in COP29.

At the outset of the meeting, held today, Sunday 17 November, 2024, Dr. AlMalik congratulated President Aliyev on the great success achieved by Azerbaijan in hosting COP29. He emphasized that Baku’s impressive organization of this global event represents a valuable accumulation of knowledge and experience for Islamic countries that have previously hosted this annual international event. Dr. AlMalik also highlighted the importance of sharing such experiences with other ICESCO Member States.

He further noted that the participation of over 4,500 young Azerbaijani volunteers in organizing this remarkable event added a new dimension and clearly demonstrated the country’s commitment to youth empowerment. Dr. AlMalik praised Azerbaijan’s success in preparing future leaders by equipping them with essential skills for building their futures.

The ICESCO Director-General also expressed his heartfelt appreciation and deep gratitude to Azerbaijan for its continued support to the Organization, and for providing it with a dedicated pavilion at COP29. The pavilion’s program included the organization of nearly 50 diverse activities, featuring high-level contributions from officials and experts in the field of environmental protection and climate change.

Dr. AlMalik lauded the strong partnership between ICESCO and several Azerbaijani institutions, particularly the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by First Vice President and ICESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Her Excellency Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva. He also highlighted the agreement signed last October between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and ICESCO to support a project in Burkina Faso, providing educational and social assistance to displaced girls and those living in boarding schools. The agreement was signed during a visit by Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, to ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat.
President Aliyev, in turn, praised ICESCO’s outstanding participation in COP29 and expressed his appreciation for the successful visit of Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva to the Organization’s headquarters and the warm reception she received. He reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s ongoing support for ICESCO’s various programs and activities within the Islamic world.

During the meeting, President Aliyev agreed to grant scholarships for students from Islamic countries to study renewable energy at Karabakh University. Additionally, the parties discussed some proposed initiatives and programs for cooperation between ICESCO and Azerbaijan in the areas of environmental protection, water security, and food security, with implementation plans aimed at benefiting certain African countries.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented President Aliyev with a copy of the book «Shusha… The Jewel of Azerbaijan», which is set to be officially launched on Wednesday, November 20, as part of ICESCO’s pavilion activities at COP29.

As part of its activities at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held an international seminar on enhancing water security, biodiversity and peace through innovation and Earth observation, in partnership with the Islamic Organization for Food Security and the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), to discuss the mechanisms to address water scarcity challenges through the use of technology and environmental peacebuilding. The symposium saw the launch of ICESCO’s new water sustainability collaboration platform.

The symposium kicked off on Saturday ( 16 November 2024) with Dr. Hisham Al-Askari, Advisor to ICESCO Director General, who gave an overview of its topics and highlighted the importance of discussing this vital topic, praising the expertise and visions of the speakers, before initiating the discussion.

Answering a question about ICESCO’s efforts on water security, biodiversity and peacebuilding, Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director General of ICESCO, underlined that the Organization is leveraging the vast knowledge and cultures of Member States to address pressing challenges, noting that ICESCO’s innovative platform will serve as a cooperation and knowledge exchange hub by harnessing Earth observation technologies and data analytics to monitor water resources.

Regarding ICESCO’s approach to merging technology and heritage, Dr. Malik stressed that this approach is at the core of the Organization’s sustainable development strategy, believing that the integration of modern technologies with the Islamic world’s rich heritage will contribute to building resilience between cultural identity and future preparedness.

In his intervention, Ambassador Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director of COMSATS, emphasized the importance of cooperation to achieve water security and provided examples of hostile acts throughout history that have threatened water security. For his part, Mr. Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, highlighted the importance of integrating solutions to conserve natural resources and employ technology in this framework; while Mr. Samaddin Asadov, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan Space Agency (Azercosmos), tackled the role that satellites can play in addressing the challenges of water poverty.

Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Climate Change, shared Pakistan’s experience and government initiatives to achieve water security. Mr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of Pakistan’s Sustainable Development Policy Institute, emphasized the importance of adopting appropriate policies and using available technologies to support water security initiatives.

Dr. Al-Askari then outlined the key aspects of ICESCO’s Water Sustainability Collaboration Data Solutions Hub, pointing out that this platform aims to bring together various stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to address water and biodiversity challenges by integrating modern technologies and environmental practices.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Nazarbekov Ozodbek Ahmedovich, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, held a meeting to discuss the preparations for the celebration of Samarkand as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2025 as part of ICESCO’s Culture Capitals of the Islamic World Programme.

During the meeting, which took place on Friday, November 15, 2024, at ICESCO’s pavilion at COP29, in Baku, Dr. Al-Malik affirmed that the celebration of Samarkand as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World, to be organized under the patronage of H.E. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan, will be a great opportunity to showcase the city’s cultural and historical heritage to the world.

For his part, Nazarbekov Ozodbek Ahmedovich stressed the Ministry’s willingness to collaborate with ICESCO, as per the directives of the President, to implement various programs throughout 2025, in cooperation with the relevant parties in Uzbekistan.

The two parties agreed that each part prepares its own celebration program, and then a joint committee will devise the comprehensive strategy and program of the celebration, in coordination with the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture of Uzbekistan.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), welcomed several Ministers of culture and high-level officials today, Friday, 15 November 2024, at ICESCO’s pavilion at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the Second High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Action, hosted by the Group of Friends of Culture-Based Climate Action (GFCBCA).

Dr. AlMalik introduced the Ministers and distinguished visitors to the pavilion’s diverse program, which includes nearly 50 activities, ranging from seminars and panel discussions to engaging dialogues addressing the impact of climate change on education, science, culture, and other fields. He also facilitated the exchange of ideas on innovative solutions to climate crisis challenges.

The Ministers and high-ranking visitors expressed admiration for ICESCO’s pavilion at COP29 and praised the comprehensive program of activities, as well as ICESCO’s remarkable contributions in supporting its Member States in areas of environmental protection and cultural heritage preservation.

The list of ministers and notable figures visiting ICESCO’s pavilion included Ms. Lina Mendoni, Minister of Culture and Sports of Greece, Mr. Adil bin Qabil Karimli, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, HRH Princess Dana Firas, President of the Petra National Trust and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage, and Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy on Financing for Development.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and cultural organization (ICESCO), stressed that the preservation of cultural heritage has become an urgent priority in light of the mounting global climate crisis, noting that ICESCO has launched many programs and initiatives aimed at protecting world heritage and highlighting threatened heritage sites to support their resilience, adding that the Organization is open to cooperation with a view to mitigating the negative effects of climate change on heritage and culture.

This statement was part of Dr. Al-Malik’s address, delivered on Friday (15 November 2024) during the second High-level Ministerial Climate Action Dialogue, held by the Group of Friends of Culture-based Climate Action (GFCBCA), under the auspices of the respective ministries of culture of Azerbaijan, the UAE and Brazil, as part of COP29 in Baku, with the high-level presence of a number of ministers, officials and international experts in the field of climate action.

In his address, Dr. Al-Malik indicated that ICESCO has launched a strategy to enhance the role of culture and heritage in adapting to climate change, which focuses on striking a balance between cultural traditions and technological innovation by adopting adaptive approaches that combine traditional knowledge and technological solutions, raising public awareness and deepening understanding of the crucial role of heritage in building resilience.

Dr. Al-Malik explained that ICESCO’s strategy also seeks to contribute to building a sustainable path through which communities can thrive amid climate challenges, in addition to protecting heritage, pointing out that the Islamic World Heritage Center plays many roles in this regard, adding that the strategy includes the launch of ICESCO Climate Resilience Fund, which aims to mobilize resources to support projects aimed at protecting the heritage of the Islamic world. ‘It will also feature the launch of a research program to study the effects of climate change on cultural heritage in the Islamic world,’ he stated.

This high-level dialogue meeting witnessed the launch of the “Culture for Climate” Initiative by Mr. Adil Qabil Karimli, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, reviewing its mainlines and indicating that it aims to position culture as the main driver of positive climate action and promote sustainable practices.

The Pavilion of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29) featured significant activities on Thursday 14 November 2024. Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, met several distinguished guests who visited the Pavilion, which hosted eight panel discussions addressing key topics within the Organization’s areas of action.

Throughout the day, Dr. AlMalik held meetings with several high-level figures at ICESCO Pavilion, exploring avenues to strengthen cooperation between ICESCO and their respective entities on issues of mutual interest.

These included a meeting with Ms. Nigyar Arpadarai, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29; Mr. Elnur Aliyev, First Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan; and Mr. Ulvi Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency for Service to Citizens and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASAN Service).

Moreover, the program at ICESCO Pavilion featured a series of discussions. The first panel focused on “Global Climate Finance Mechanisms: Assessing Equity and Effectiveness,“ followed by a second panel on “Accelerating the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda.” The third session tackled the launch of a report titled “Developing Best Practices and Standards for Small-Scale Renewable Energy Projects.”

The fourth panel explored mechanisms to enhance small-scale renewable energy projects and discussed avenues for their financing, while the fifth session delved into the “Carbon Capture Technology Development Fund.” The sixth panel presented the “Global Labor Market Resilience Index.” The seventh session examined opportunities for utilizing available resources to mitigate the impact of climate change on cultural heritage. The final panel discussion focused on “Climate Fashion Technology Beyond 2030.”

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), announced the launch of the Green Innovators Initiative, aimed at invigorating regional climate action to monitor, promote and document the best practices in the field of environmental sustainability. The Initiative also aims to develop a framework guideline to serve as a basis for anticipating the future and creating an environmental and ecological infrastructure to expedite the transition to a green economy capable of reducing the carbon footprint.

Dr. AlMalik made this statement on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at the Ministerial Forum on Green Good Governance, held at the pavilion of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as part of the activities of the COP29, currently being held in Baku. The Forum saw high-level participation including officials and international experts in the fields of environment protection and climate change.

The DG opened his address by conveying his congratulations to the Republic of Azerbaijan for the resounding success of hosting the COP29, a major forum of human consensus, noting that Baku merits the reputation of a destination for major human gatherings.

He also stated that this high-level forum reflects the shared steadfast commitment to develop and strengthen good green governance, considered the cornerstone of preserving the environment and ensuring a prosperous future for the next generations. He further explained that ICESCO accords great attention to the environment as a key area of its work, and is committed to exerting the necessary work, stemming from a firm belief in the Islamic world’s great potential to actively contribute to the achievement of these noble goals.

Moreover, the Director-General stated that the challenge lies in building an integrated system capable of bringing about real change and achieving the desired environmental outcomes, especially in the Islamic world. He also recalled the alarming percentage of nature reserves in the Islamic world, which does not exceed 12%, a modest percentage compared to the global average of 15%, adding that biodiversity in this region is also under increasing pressure, with about 20% of species threatened with extinction.

Against this backdrop, the Director-General expressed his pride at the approach adopted by ICESCO in this field, which includes the launch of the “ICESCO Program for Greed Sustainable Cities” to promote sustainable urban planning, and the “Network of Environmental Governance Experts”, made of a host of specialists in the fields of the environment and sustainable development. He also highlighted ICESCO’s “Education for Sustainability Initiative”, aimed at integrating the concepts of environmental sustainability in school curricula; “ICESCO Observatory for Green Innovation”, in addition to the Islamic “Platform for Environmental Dialogue, and the “Green Projects Funding”, set to encourage investment in sustainable environmental projects, especially among young people.