The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) met Today, August 27, Mr. Armando Albino Arafa, Ambassador Guinea-Bissau to Morocco to explore cooperation opportunities between the Organization and the republic.

At the Embassy of Guinea Bissau in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik underscored ICESCO’s new vision and strategy to give priority to African Member States. He added that the Organization is working to expand cooperation within the region.

Dr. AlMalik noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICESCO cooperated with multiple donor institutions to support Member States. The aid aimed at mitigating the impact of the outbreak on education, science, and culture.

ICESCO launched and implemented several initiatives, programs, and activities since the start of the pandemic. The initiatives provided technological equipment to 24 countries to produce educational contents for the continuity of distance schooling, elaborated the DG.

Dr. AlMalik explained that ICESCO distributed preventive equipment and hygiene products to 10 other countries. It also granted financial and technical assistance for the creation of low-cost sanitizers production units in several countries and training local communities in their production process.

The two parties also discussed ICESCO’s efforts to inscribe Member States’ heritage sites on the Islamic World Heritage List (IWHL). The conversation covered future joint action to inscribe the historic sites of Guinea-Bissau on IWHL, following the approval of the Islamic World Heritage Committee.

Ambassador Arafa thanked the DG for his visit to the Embassy, commending the ICESCO’s work throughout the pandemic and its support to the Member States. The Ambassador reaffirmed his country’s willingness to develop cooperation with ICESCO.

The Ambassador also praised the importance ICESCO provides to interreligious dialogue, given its role in mediating peace between African societies.

ICESCO’s Ambassador Khaled Fathalrahman, Director of Dialogue and Cultural Diversity Department; Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Director of Social and Human Sciences Sector; and Mr.  Joe Moussa Dantas, Minister Plenipotentiary from the Embassy of Guinea Bissau attended the meeting.