ISESCO Renamed To 'Islamic World Educational, Scientific, And Cultural Organisation'

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 30th Jan, 2020) The Executive Council of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, ISESCO, has changed its name to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation, ISWESCO.

"Changing the name of the organisation aims to remove the common confusion regarding the nature of its non-advocacy tasks, and to open wider horizons for its presence at the international level," Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ISWESCO Director-General, said during the 40th session of the organisation which kicked off on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

"The new name accurately reflects the nature of the civilisational mission that the organisation promotes in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, and the goals and objectives that it aims to achieve."

During the 40th session, the Executive Council reviews the organisation’s new vision, Action Plan for 2020-2021, the new Medium-Term Strategic Plan for 2020-2030, and a number of organisational matters submitted by the General Directorate to the Council.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik expressed his thanks and gratitude to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for the good reception and generous hospitality they offered to the Council members and guests.

He reviewed the Organisation’s new vision, stating that ISWESCO adopted an anticipatory vision that will allow it to move from idealistic aspirations to realistic achievements, position the Organisation at a leading standing to become a beacon of global outreach in its areas of competence, and develop action mechanisms that meet the Islamic world’s expectations for a better future.

Dr. AlMalik also reviewed a number of initiatives while expressing his confidence that the Executive Council will contribute to supporting and enriching the orientations of this new vision to build together an ISWESCO of the future and the world of tomorrow.

The opening session of the Executive Council began with an address from Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, wherein she said, "The Islamic world is undergoing a series of historically significant transformations in all walks of life, requiring us all to keep pace with change, adopt innovative and forward-thinking solutions, recognise and address the needs of our societies, and work towards a better future for our generations. We can do this by establishing a culture of dialogue between our nations and highlighting the Islamic vision towards solving the issues of today’s age. A key aspect of this vision is to plant the seeds of knowledge and culture-sharing, building distinct educational systems and working towards outstanding scientific achievements."

"The UAE has always believed that peace and tolerance are the key to sustainable development.

By respecting difference and accepting others, societies coexist peacefully. Through cooperation and solidarity, we can worth towards a civilisation that celebrates and highlights the intricacies of our historical cultural identity and intellectual integrity. Preserving the ancient Islamic heritage is a cornerstone of our vision to preserve Arab and Islamic civilization," she continued.

She expressed her thanks to ISWESCO Director General, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, for his efforts and vision aimed at developing the Organization’s organs and promoting effective coordination with Member States.

In his address, Dr. Boubacar Doukoure, Chairman of ISWESCO Executive Council, commended the dynamics and spirit of renewal within ISWESCO, which has achieved great results since the appointment of Dr. AlMalik as Director General. He also promised, on behalf of the Executive Council, that he will support Dr. AlMalik in the implementation of the new vision, which aims to turn ISWESCO into an outreach beacon for Member States.

On his part, Dr. Ali Zeidan Abu Zuhri, President of ISWESCO General Conference, expressed his pleasure and honor to attend the 40th Session of ISWESCO Executive Council, in the State of United Arab Emirates, which constitutes an annual educational, cultural and scientific gathering aiming to develop ISWESCO’s action.

Besides, Dr. Abu Zuhri requested the Council to seize this session to enrich the debate on the promotion of many issues relevant to the Organization so as to enable ISWESCO to open up to the world while wishing every success to the Council.

In her address, Ms. Lalla Malika Issoufou, First Lady of the Republic of Niger, praised the role that ISWESCO plays in supporting education while pointing out "Education is the key to life. Girls are marginalized in many countries such as Niger, where only 5 out of 100 girls enrolled in Primary schools reach the secondary school level."

She also conveyed to the Council the special greetings of the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, who reiterated his support to ISWESCO and the development of cooperation relations in its areas of competence.

At the close of the session, ISWESCO Director General and Noura Al Kaabi presented ISWESCO’s Prizes in the fields of Literacy and Non-Formal Education, which was won by the "Aarafa Centre" in the Republic of Chad, which was received on the Centre’s behalf by Dr. Ali Mohammed Qamar, the representative of the Republic of the Chad at the Executive Council; and ISWESCO prize for Open Source Educational Resources for the year 2018, to the representatives of the Ministry of National Education in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Senegalese Ministry of Education for their initiatives on "Digital Resources for All".

Moreover, Yanbu Digital Platform of the Centre of Learning Resources won ISWESCO Prize for Digital Educational Resources for the year 2019.