Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Marc Trenteseau, Ambassador of Belgium to Morocco, explored the prospects of cooperation between the country and the Organization in education, science, and culture.

During Thursday’s meeting in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik stressed on ICESCO’s inclusive strategy in serving the citizens of Member States and the Muslim community worldwide.

The Organization introduced new regulations for its observer status to allow non-Member States’ participation in all the conferences and activities. The DG invited Belgium to join ICESCO as an Observer State.

ICESCO partnered with international organizations and development donors, amid COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Member States, specified Dr. AlMalik. The Organization provided financial support and technological equipment to 24 states to ensure the continuity of the distance learning.

It also offered humanitarian aid and virus protection devices to 10 other countries, including financing best-cost sanitizer production units and the training of the local communities.

The DG listed ICESCO’s COVID-19 initiatives and invited Belgium to join the “Global Humanitarian Coalition.” He also reviewed the virtual conferences and webinars with notable participation and highlighted the Organization’s specialized centers.

The primary focus was on centers for strategic foresight, artificial intelligence, Arabic courses for non-native speakers, dialogue and cultural diversity, and heritage.

The goal is to forecast changes in countries of the Islamic world following scientific and in-depth studies, strengthen peaceful coexistence, safeguard cultural heritage, and reposition ICESCO as a reference for international and civilizational outreach.

Ambassador Trenteseau welcomed the DG’s invitation and was pleased with the outcome of the meeting. He stressed on potential collaboration in strategic foresight, civilizational dialogue, scholarships, and exchange opportunities between Belgian and Islamic World researchers.

The Belgian ambassador welcomed ICESCO’s re-engineered vision and actions during the COVID-19 crisis. He stated his desire to work towards a beneficial cooperation between his country and the Organization.