The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, held a videoconference with Ms. Parwana Paikan, Acting Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy Afghanistan to France and Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and ICESCO. The two officials explored cooperation opportunities between ICESCO and Afghanistan in education, science, and culture.

Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that ICESCO’s re-engineered strategy adopts effective communication with Member States to identify their priorities. The Organization implemented country-specific programs in cooperation with the local authorities in each Member State.

The Organization also established an inclusive partnership policy with non-Member States and international organizations to leverage assistance to Member States and Muslim communities around the globe, added Dr. AlMalik.

The DG gave an overview of ICESCO’s major initiatives, programs, and activities to counter COVID-19’s repercussions on Member States. He listed ICESCO’s aid for schooling continuity, the production of best-cost sanitizers, and local communities training.

 “To become a reference for civilization outreach, ICESCO established a number of specialized centers for strategic foresight, artificial intelligence, Arabic courses for non-native speakers, heritage and cultural diversity,” added Dr. AlMalik.

The Organization also held ministerial conferences and international forums during the pandemic yielded significant results and high-caliber participation, continued the DG.

Ms. Paikan stressed her country’s keenness for stronger cooperation with ICESCO following the updated vision. She also highlighted the potential joint programs, including Arabic courses, civilizational dialogue, and the inscription of the Afghan heritage sites on the Islamic World Heritage List.

She also commended ICESCO’s support to Member States and programs during the pandemic.