Category: News

Today, Monday, 18 November, 2024, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Pavilion in the Blue Zone of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, hosted high-level discussion sessions. Ministers and senior international officials gathered as part of the Pavilion’s eighth-day activities, centered around the theme “Energy, Peace, Relief, and Recovery.” The Event included the announcement of CESCO’s strategy for integrating agricultural heritage with modern practices to promote sustainable development and the launch of ICESCO’s Framework “Greening Education in the Islamic World”.

In the discussion titled “Heritage Development for a Sustainable Future: Integrating Agriculture, Culture, and Climate Adaptation,” Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, unveiled the Organization’s strategy to integrate agricultural heritage with contemporary practices, in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, he highlighted the strategy as a forward-looking approach aimed at preserving rich agricultural knowledge and leveraging it for sustainable development.

In his remarks, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Majnun Mammadov, presented his country’s experience as a model in blending traditional practices with the latest scientific solutions to build a sustainable future. Additionally, Dr. Manuel Barange, Assistant Director-General of FAO, provided an overview of the latter’s Agricultural Heritage Systems program.

The Pavilion’s activities also included a youth-oriented session titled “Young Climate Champions: ICESCO Youth Peace Ambassadors,” with the participation of Dr. AlMalik; Dr. Bahar Muradova, Chairperson of Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs; Mr. Adil Çalışkan, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services in Türkiye; as well as a group of ICESCO Youth Peace Ambassadors and youth climate leaders.

Another high-level session titled “Greening Education: From Policy to Implementation,” moderated by Dr. Haddy Jatou Sey, Head of Education Sector at ICESCO, marked the announcement of the “ICESCO Framework for Greening Education in the Islamic World,” developed in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. The Framework aims to incorporate climate science education, along with the social, economic, and behavioral aspects of climate justice, into educational systems across the Islamic world.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs have signed a cooperation agreement to foster joint efforts in areas of shared interest, primarily in empowering women, protecting children, and organizing various programs, conferences, and training sessions. These initiatives aim to promote women’s rights, child welfare, and the development of healthy and peaceful societies, as well as to strengthen family cohesion and provide training on leadership and peacebuilding.

The Agreement was signed today, Monday, 18 November, 2024, at ICESCO’s pavilion at COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Dr. Bahar Muradova, Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Following the signing, Dr. AlMalik emphasized that this Agreement marks the beginning of a new phase of collaboration between ICESCO and the Committee, as part of the broader partnership between ICESCO and various Azerbaijani institutions, under the esteemed patronage of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Dr. Bahar Muradova highlighted that the protocol offers an opportunity to benefit from ICESCO’s extensive expertise in supporting women and children, commending the Organization’s programs and initiatives that have served the Islamic world in this area.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Ms. Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, Director General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). The two officials discussed ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and ICCROM in the fields of heritage preservation.

During the meeting, held on Monday ( 18 November 2024) at COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Dr. Al-Malik stressed that ICESCO’s new vision places the preservation and promotion of the Islamic world’s heritage at the top of its priorities, hence the Organization established the Islamic World Heritage Center and the Islamic World Heritage Committee, which has so far inscribed over 724 heritage sites and elements on ICESCO’s lists of tangible and intangible heritage.
He pointed out that ICESCO has a training program for heritage professionals in Member States through workshops on heritage conservation, preparation of inscription files on world lists, among others, adding that the Organization has signed a number of agreements to shift a set of historical sites to use clean energy and launched a strategy to counter the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

For her part, ICCROM Director General commended ICESCO’s efforts in the field of heritage protection, stressing the Centre’s keenness to enhance cooperation with the Organization.
The meeting also discussed a number of future cooperation proposals between ICESCO and ICCROM.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the need to integrate the green agenda into educational systems amid the negative effects of climate change, which has become a major source of concern. He pointed out that achieving sustainability lies in joint action between institutions working in the fields of education and climate policy to empower students and create a safer environment, announcing in this connection the launch of “ICESCO Framework for Greening Education in the Islamic World” in cooperation with the prestigious University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

This statement came in his address delivered on Monday (18 November 2024) during the Ministerial Roundtable on Human Development and Greening Education for Climate Change Adaptation, at the Conference of the Parties (COP29), organized by the COP29 Presidency and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in cooperation with UNESCO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), bringing together high-level attendees.

Dr. Al-Malik explained that ICESCO’s Framework includes guidelines and policy recommendations based on four main pillars: Curriculum, Teachers, Schools, and Community Engagement, aimed at integrating the scientific evidence on climate change as well as the socio-economic and behavioral aspects of climate justice, noting that the progress of ICESCO Member States in greening education will be measured by achieving short and long term objectives over the next 11 years.

The Director General revealed that ICESCO is developing an international data platform to monitor the progress in greening education, in partnership with UNESCO’s Greening Education Initiative, due to be launched at COP30, next year, in Brazil, to enable governments and policymakers to make decisions and develop plans for achieving the 2030 Agenda. He also highlighted the salient aspects of Muscat Declaration, which was issued at the close of ICESCO’s third Education Ministers Conference, on transforming education and climate Change.

In conclusion, ICESCO Director General emphasized the importance of joint action in addressing the complex challenges posed by climate change and stressed that the Organization is committed to playing a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable and inclusive education landscape in collaboration with all parties.

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.