International Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture - ISESCO

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, this morning visited the Grand Mosque of Paris. He met Mosque Rector Dr Dalil Boubakeur and discussed with him prospects for cooperation between ISESCO and the Mosque and its affiliate educational and preaching institutions. The two sides also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding in the near future.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, from the rostrum of UNESCO in Paris, declared that attacking peoples and violating their legitimate rights were totally unacceptable by virtue of international laws, and that the defamation and misrepresentation of religions also constituted a flagrant violation of international law.

In his opening address to the 11th Coordination Meeting of the Heads of ISESCO Member States’ Delegations taking part in the 38th General Conference of UNESCO, held at the headquarters of the international Organization in Paris today, he said that the main objective of such coordination meetings organized at UNESCO headquarters was to strengthen cooperation between ISESCO and UNESCO in all areas pertaining to comprehensive sustainable development in the Islamic world, and favoring stronger capabilities of the member States in the areas falling within the scope of their respective mandates.

He explained that ISESCO’s achievements and gains were the result of its sustained efforts and the support of its Member States, noting that ISESCO’s cooperation with international organizations, and UNESCO in particular, remains one of the Organization’s many sources of strength, which include, inter alia, its exposure to modern leading experiences, and its action plans’ sensitivity to the latest developments in the spheres of education, science, culture and communication.

In this connection, he emphasized that the outcome of cooperation between ISESCO and UNESCO had always been marked by its steady growing trend in terms of quantity and quality. This multifaceted success, he added, was the main factor which shaped the strategic choices and the future prospects for cooperation between ISESCO and UNESCO for the years 2016-2018, to be examined by the meeting, and which ISESCO was seeking to make a high-value gain for joint action with its partners.

In his address, the Director General pointed out that the report on the excavations carried out by the Israeli occupation authorities in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, which was placed on the meeting’s agenda, was a document of particular importance in such difficult times marked by the brutal Israeli onslaught on the Palestinian people who were standing up for their legitimate right to establish their independent State and live in peace with the countries of the region. This evidence-supported report, Dr Altwaijri explained, records the acts of hostility being carried out by the Israeli occupation authorities beneath and around Al-Aqsa Mosque, in flagrant violation of international law, and the resolutions of UNESCO General Conference.

The Director General seized this opportunity to hail ISESCO/UNESCO cooperation, which he deemed a shining model of international cooperation between two organizations with common interests and concerns to achieve their noble goals, on the basis of the principles and objectives enshrined in their respective charters.

  Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), called on the members of UNESCO General Conference which holds its 38th session at the headquarters of the international Organization in Paris to assume their responsibility and take the right decisions to protect the rights of oppressed peoples who are deprived of freedom, dignity, education, culture and science, and to preserve peace and security in the world as a whole. In an address delivered at UNESCO General Conference which is attended by the ministers of education and higher education of the world states, Dr Altwaijri stated that the world today abounds with challenges of varying proportions and unresolved conflicts that undermine world peace and security. “The world is therefore put to an extreme test that requires taking well-informed political decisions on this serious situation, and more particularly in the Middle East where the ongoing devastating wars and armed foreign interventions may lead to catastrophic consequences unless they are addressed by peaceful means, within the framework of the Charter of the United Nations and in accordance with the principles of international law”, he said. He also pointed out that the grave violations of human rights in the Middle East, which some Member States at this conference are directly responsible for, along with the acts of aggression that are contrary to international laws and the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in zones of armed conflict, and the resulting destruction of facilities and civilizational landmarks, systematic displacement of people and wide-spread hatred, extremism, terrorism and violence, all together pose a serious challenge to the international community and require an efficient treatment and firm response. Besides, ISESCO Director General stressed that the Palestinian people besieged by the Israeli occupation forces are living in tragic conditions as a result of Israel’s policy of aggression, repression and oppression in the Palestinian territories, under its successive governments, and for more than six decades. “This deplorable situation was brought to a climax when a group of extremist settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the protection of the Israeli authorities. All these grave and repeated acts constitute crimes against humanity, and a flagrant violation of international laws, the charters of the United Nations and UNESCO, the resolutions issued by this esteemed Conference, the relevant international covenants and declarations and the resolutions of the UN General Assembly and Security Council”, he added. In addition, ISESCO Director General emphasized that the international community is responsible, in a way or another, for the collapse of the landmarks of human civilization, including historical monuments, cultural facilities, educational institutions and museums with considerable historical significance in Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as a result of raging wars in the region. “The failure of the great powers to undertake the necessary action dictated by their political and humanitarian duty has exacerbated these human tragedies and raised serious doubts about the credibility of the positions announced. Eventually, we, as the main victims of these acute crises, rightly fear a possible failure of the political efforts being announced to solve those ailments as we no longer consider their initiators as trustworthy and reliable parties”, he pointed out. Furthermore, Dr Altwaijri said that hundreds of educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, were destroyed in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, with millions of students being deprived of continuing their education and that dozens of libraries containing treasures of handwritten heritage and hundreds of places of worship were completely demolished or seriously damaged. Moreover, ISESCO Director General stated that the terrorist groups that have suspiciously emerged in the region and breached international laws are massively engaged in the premeditated destruction of irreplaceable landmarks, and continue their unprecedented attacks against cultural diversity and human heritage. “It is surprising that regimes which commit continuing acts of killing, destruction and terror against their own people, and the regime that uses terrorism against the Palestinian people, occupying and besieging their land and desecrating their religious sanctities, still maintain their membership in the United Nations and UNESCO, and send delegates to represent them in this Conference. I therefore wonder whether the balance of justice is still maintained and whether the values ​​of freedom and human rights are still observed”, he concluded.        

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, will take part in the 38th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which kicked off in Paris on the 3rd and will continue until the 18th of November 2015.

The Director General will address the opening session of the Conference on November 7th, and will chair the 11th Coordination Meeting of the Heads of ISESCO Member States’ Delegations taking part in the Conference, on November 9th.

He will submit a set of documents to this meeting, namely ISESCO’s report on the recent Israeli violations around Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Study on Western media content on Islam in light of the international law, adopted by the 9th Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers, held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, over the period from 2 through 4 November 2015. He will also present the recommendations of the 6th Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers, held in Rabat on 9 October 2015, together with the document on Environment Governance for Environmental Sustainability in the Islamic World, also adopted by the 6th ICEM.

The Director General will also participate in the Leaders’ Forum, to be held on the sidelines of UNESCO General Conference, on 16-17 November, on the occasion of UNESCO’s 70th anniversary, with the presence of heads of state, heads of government, ministers in charge of education, higher education and scientific research in UNESCO Member States, and directors of international organizations, along with a host of academic, intellectual and political personalities.

 

 

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), jointly with the World Renewable Energy Network (WREN), is holding an international seminar on “Renewable Energy: Policy, Security, Transport, Water Resources and the Built Environment”, in Brighton, United Kingdom, from 8 through 14 November 2015.

The participants in the seminar include a host of experts from ISESCO Member States and British universities, as well as representatives from American, European and Asian renewable energy companies and organizations.

The seminar will review the role of renewable energy systems in meeting the world energy demand in electricity and focus will be on up to date technologies in manufacturing, buildings, transport and water resources and management, with a special attention accorded to climate change and rational use of energy.

The agenda of the seminar features such important topics as climate change, energy economics, update on renewable energy, wind energy technologies,  biomass industries, waste to energy, photovoltaic technology, heating and cooling applications, low energy buildings,  energy saving in buildings, low energy architecture & building materials, project finance and incentive, fuel cells, hydro power, ocean energy.

WREN Director General, Dr Ali Sayigh, will deliver a speech on behalf of ISESCO at the opening ceremony.

Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), stated that the critical context of the Muslim world today, with its multifaceted problems and crises, requires the Islamic world to consolidate Islamic solidarity by entrenching its foundations and expanding its scope, to turn it into a broad-based platform for countering the many threats and dangers looming over us, while safeguarding the religious and cultural integrity of Member States, preventing all forms of interference in their own affairs, and ensuring respect for their confessional diversity.

This comes in an address he gave at the opening of the 9th Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers today in Muscat, capital of the Sultanate of Oman, wherein he called for countering the neo-colonial policies aimed not only at weakening and subduing the Muslim Ummah, but also at occupying certain countries of the Islamic world and ultimately tearing it apart. He went on saying that the ultimate aim of such schemes is to redraw the map of the region so as for Israel to stand out as the strongest power there, and continue to occupy Palestine, subjecting its people and its Islamic sanctities to the most cruel forms of aggression and abuse, with the support of the world’s major powers. These latter, he pointed out, eventually turned out to be plotting together to fragment the Muslim world along sectarian and ethnic lines, and stir differences and conflicts to undermine the Islamic world and disrupt its development process.

Besides, Dr Altwaijri stressed that there is no other way to confront this devastating scheme than to close our ranks and transcend our differences and disputes, in order to ultimately constitute a unified front within the framework of the OIC, based on solidarity and integration among Member States. “Terrorism is a devious scheme, a corrupt doctrine and an ill-conceived understanding of religious scriptures. It is no surprise that it manifests itself through criminal acts against Muslims and humanity as a whole”, he added.

In the address delivered at the opening of this conference held on the theme “Towards a Middle Stance Culture Favouring Muslims Societies’ Development”, in cooperation between ISESCO and the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and in coordination with the Ministry of Heritage and Culture of the Sultanate of Oman, Dr Altwaijri emphasized that middle-stance is the exact opposite of extremist ideology, and that a development-oriented culture is a true alternative to backwardness, in all its manifestations: intellectual, social and economic. He also pointed out that this is exactly why the conference has chosen to stress the importance of this concept and adopt it as a core principle for joint Islamic action. Under this interpretation, he explained, culture and development are inextricably intertwined and interrelated and constitute a powerful instrument to achieve inclusive development for human civilization, and a sine qua non to promote the role of culture as a lever of sustainable, comprehensive development to which we are fully committed and dedicate all possible resources.

In addition, ISESCO Director General stressed that the culture of middle-stance is, by definition, a development-oriented culture that positively influences the mind and character. He went on saying that not only does it stem from a set of core values and norms deeply ingrained in our local and regional communities, but it is also exposed to new advances generated by modern human cultures. “As well as being a source of edification and enlightening, middle-stance is, to Muslims, a culture of deep commitment both to the magnanimous values of Islam and to the rich diversity of the Muslim world. A middle-stance culture that is conducive to the individual’s intellectual, personal and emotional development is necessarily incompatible with extremist and fanatical perceptions of cultural elements and with zealous, self-centered cultural action. Promoting the role of moderate religious discourse as an enriching component of culture is the best way for boosting cultural action, in general, and steering it towards a safe destination. Such is the judicious way to foster a better understanding of Islam and advance the role of a balanced practice of cultural action as a driving force of social development”, he pointed out.

Moreover, Dr Altwaijri said that the advancement of Muslim communities in every field is obviously the most cherished objective of our action within the framework of the Cultural Strategy for the Islamic World, adding that laying the foundations for this advancement lies at the heart of joint Islamic cultural action with its various fields and channels.

“Cultural mediation, which is the theme of a ministerial roundtable to be held as part of this Conference, is an advanced mechanism to ensure a wider participation in cultural affairs, and a roadmap for an integrated cross-cutting action oriented towards comprehensive development. It is, in this novel sense, an agent of “participatory cultural democracy” that enhances the human rights system, and provides broad avenues for the stakeholders of the different spheres of culture to contribute to the comprehensive cultural development of societies, individuals, nations, and civilizations”, he stated.

Furthermore, Dr Altwaijri pointed that the reference documents the Conference’s previous sessions go hand in hand with the two crucially important documents to be examined by the current session: namely, the (Broad Lines of a Draft Action Plan for the Promotion of the Role of Cultural Mediation in the Islamic World), and the (Study on Western Media Content on Islam in light of the International Law). “This interconnectedness is among the distinctive features of our action in this Conference, which ensure its effectiveness, credibility, sincerity and innovation. It would be therefore impossible to ensure the cultural rights of the Muslim peoples when development rates hit low records as in the case of our countries today, and when an extremist culture prevails, which stimulates evil tendencies in people, pushing them towards terrorism, or else when dialogue and peace have only meager chances to stand”, he explained.

ISESCO Director General also laid emphasis on the fact that the effective development of Muslim societies is contingent upon a deep-rooted middle-stance culture, secured cultural rights of individuals and groups, and consolidated dialogue between the followers of cultures, civilizations and religions. He went on saying that this is why we paid special attention throughout the preparation stage of this Conference to combining all three paradigms: namely, the paradigm of middle-stance culture, the paradigm of sustainable development, and the paradigm of integrated, balanced development of Muslim societies. He also stressed that this is exactly the conclusion of the Declaration to be issued by this Conference, which we consider as a roadmap for joint Islamic cultural action in the future under the Cultural Strategy for the Islamic World, and in consistency with other relevant declarations, strategies and documents.

 

Under the theme “Towards a Middle Stance Culture Favouring Muslims Societies’ Development,” the 9th session of the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers (ICCM) today morning has kicked off in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

The Conference, being held over the period from 2 to 4 November 2015 by ISESCO, in association with the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Culture, and in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), will be attended by the ministers of culture of the OIC member States, along with a host of experts and representatives of the Arab, Islamic and international organizations concerned with culture.

The Conference’s opening session was marked by the respective opening addresses of  the Omani Minister of Heritage and Culture,  His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, the Director General of ISESCO, Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, and the Secretary General of the OIC, Mr Iyad Ameen Madani.

As part of its agenda, the Conference will discuss the Broad Lines of a Draft Action Plan for the Promotion of the Role of Cultural Mediation in the Islamic World, and a Study on Western media content on Islam in light of the international law.

The conferees will also examine the Director General’s Report on the Implementation of the Cultural Strategy for the Islamic World and Sector-specific Strategies, namely with regard to ISESCO’s  efforts devoted to dialogue and cultural diversity and  to  refuting  media  smear  campaigns against Islam and Muslims, and to implementing  the  Islamic Culture Capitals Programme, the Strategy for Islamic Cultural Action outside the Islamic World, the Strategy for ICTs Development in the Islamic World, the  Executive  Plan  for  the Initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Dialogue among Followers of Religions and Cultures, and the  Islamic  Declaration on Cultural Rights.

A Ministerial Roundtable on “Promoting Cultural Mediation in the Islamic World” is also scheduled as part of the Conference.

The ICCM will also consider the OIC member States national reports on their efforts under the Cultural Strategy for the Islamic World, elect the member of the Consultative Council in charge of implementing the said Strategy, and fix the date and venue of the Conference’s 10th session.

On the sidelines of the Conference, the cultural center of the city of Nizwa will be inaugurated to mark the city’s celebration as the Arab Region’s Capital of Islamic Culture for 2015.

 

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, this morning in his office received Mr Mohammad Taqi Moayyed, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Morocco.

The two sides explored ways to boost prospects for cooperation between ISESCO and the Iranian competent parties in the areas of education, science, culture and communication under ISESCO’s action plan for 2016-2018.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, today in his office, received Mahmoud Ismail Khalil Ali, member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, head of the Department of Popular Organizations, and President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, who was accompanied by the Commission’s Secretary General, Mr Morad Soudani.

On this occasion, the two sides considered ways to strengthen cooperation between ISESCO and the competent parties in the State of Palestine in the areas of education, science, culture and communication under ISESCO’s action plan for 2016-2018.

Talks between the two sides also tackled ways to counter the Israeli occupation authorities’ grave violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and their attempts to obliterate the Islamic identity of the historical landmarks and monuments in Palestine and empty Al-Quds of its Palestinian population.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will hold an awareness day on the goals of the global coalition for heritage protection (Unite4Hertitage), at its headquarters, on 28 October 2015.

The event is aimed to sensitize the various segments of society to the importance of cultural and civilizational heritage, strengthen the role of the media in publicizing the issues of universal heritage, encourage civil society organizations’ involvement in the protection of cultural heritage against destruction factors, increase the awareness of individuals of its importance, and urge the international community to protect cultural property during armed conflicts and wars.

ISESCO Director General, Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, and the Director of the UNESCO Office in Rabat, Mr Michael Millward, will preside over the event’s opening ceremony to be attended by several of diplomatic, cultural, intellectual, educational and religious figures, representatives of regional and national institutions and organizations, and delegates of many local and international media.

This awareness day’s agenda features a visit to the archaeological sites of Chellah and Hassan Tower in Rabat, and the organization of a painting contest at the Orangers high School, Regional Academy of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer, followed by an award conferral ceremony.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and Culture of the Sultanate of Oman and in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), will hold the 9th session of the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers (ICCM) on the theme “Towards a Middle Stance Culture Favouring Muslims Societies’ Development”, in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, on 2-4 November 2015, which will be attended by the ministers of culture of the OIC member States along with a host of experts and representatives of the Arab, Islamic and international organizations concerned with culture affairs.

The Conference will discuss the Broad Lines of a Draft Action Plan for the Promotion of the Role of Cultural Mediation in the Islamic World, and a Study on Western media content on Islam in light of the international law.

As part of its agenda, the Conference will also discuss the Director General’s Report on the Implementation of the Cultural Strategy for the Islamic World and Sector-specific Strategies, namely with regard to ISESCO’s  efforts devoted to dialogue and cultural diversity and  to  refuting  media  smear  campaigns against Islam and Muslims, and to implementing  the  Islamic Culture Capitals Programme, the Strategy for Islamic Cultural Action outside the Islamic World, the Strategy for ICTs Development in the Islamic World, the  Executive  Plan  for  the Initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Dialogue among Followers of Religions and Cultures, and the  Islamic  Declaration on Cultural Rights.

On the first day of the conference, a Ministerial Roundtable will be held on “Promoting Cultural Mediation in the Islamic World.”

The ICCM will also consider the member States national reports on their efforts under the Cultural Strategy for the Islamic World, elect the member of the Consultative Council in charge of implementing the said Strategy, and fix the date and venue of the Conference’s 10th session.

On the sidelines of the Conference, the cultural center of the city of Nizwa will be inaugurated to mark the city’s celebration as the Arab Region’s Capital of Islamic Culture for 2015.

By convening the 9th session of the ICCM, ISESCO will give a strong impetus to its Cultural Strategy for the Islamic World, which was adopted by Sixth Islamic Summit Conference, held in Dakar in 1991, and whose amended version was adopted by the 4th ICCM held in Algeria in 2004. 

For the record, ISESCO held the first session of the Conference in Dakar, Republic of Senegal, in January 1998; the second in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, in  November 1998;  the third in Doha, State of Qatar, in December 2001, the fourth in Algiers, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, in December 2004; the fifth in Tripoli, Libya, in November 2007; the sixth in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, in October 2009, the seventh in Algiers, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, in December 2011, and the 8th in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in January 2014.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, is taking part in the 17th annual session of the International Summit on Transnational Crime, convened by Crans Montana Forum in Geneva from 14 through 16 October 2015.

He will give a speech at the opening session dedicated to the issue of “Global Security and Terror Threats”, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Macedonia and a constellation of ministers, intellectuals and senior personalities from the realms of politics, business and media. He will also co-chair a plenary session themed “Today’s migrations in the Mediterranean represent a major threat for Europe and the region” with United Nations Under Secretary General Philippe Douste-Blazy.

In addition, the Director General of ISESCO will chair a parallel session on “Extremism and radicalization: two new comers threatening our societies are reshaping the role of the state, the society and the family itself” with as guest of honor the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari.

The Summit will have plenary sessions on critical topics related to global security and terror threats, security challenges in the energy sector and transport, and role of corruption and economic crime as a breeding ground for terror.

The closing session will feature a ceremony both for the presentation of the Forum’s annual award and for the nomination of the new leaders for tomorrow 2015.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) condemned the terrorist bombing staged today morning by the Boko Haram terrorist group in a busy market in Baga Sola, southwestern Chad and near the border with Niger and Nigeria, causing the death of 37 persons and the injury of more than 50 others.

The incessant occurrence of such hideous crimes against innocent people in Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon, ISESCO pointed out, is a sure sign that the perpetrators are backed and funded by parties that should be identified, exposed and punished.

Further, ISESCO called on the Member States to join efforts to coordinate anti-terrorism activities. It also reaffirmed solidarity with the Republic of Chad, which is a Member State, and its full support in all measures to combat this devastating terrorist group and preserve the integrity and stability of the Chadian people.     

The Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers, at the close of its sixth session today, adopted the draft “Islamic Declaration on Environment Protection and Sustainable Development” which emphasized the need for a renewed political commitment by the Member States to the international agenda for sustainable development, in accordance with the internationally agreed principles and instruments, channeling all national and international efforts into achieving sustainable development, while taking establishing or strengthening national structures for sustainable development to implement sustainable development plans and programmes, and endowing them with in-house follow-up bodies to optimize implementation, and also involve civil society organizations and the private sector in the implementation of sustainable development plans, given their vital role in this regard.

The Declaration commended the role of the UN agencies in the sphere of the environment and sustainable development, and urged the international community to take concrete steps towards debt cancellation, easy access to markets, technology transfer and capacity building. It also called on the United Nations agencies and regional organizations to reconsider the relevant international instruments in order to enable all States to address the social, economic, environmental, cultural and human rights-related challenges facing sustainable development.

The Declaration further called for concerted efforts by the international community in order to put an end to internal wars, occupation, colonization and conflicts that have taken place in some Member States, with all the consequent damage to development infrastructure, increase in the number of refugees and destruction of historical monuments and civilizational and cultural heritage, in such a way as to stimulate the process of sustainable development, and proceed in accordance with Principle 23 of the Rio Declaration which specifically states that the environment and natural resources of people under oppression, domination and occupation shall be protected.

Besides, the Declaration stressed the need to adopt measures to reduce the risks resulting from natural disasters, by promoting preparedness and early warning, incorporating disaster reduction strategies into international and national sustainable development policies, encouraging investment in disaster risk reduction and reaching an international binding agreement to reduce and address climate change effects.

In addition, the Declaration emphasized the necessity for developed countries to assume their environmental responsibilities, take resolute measures in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol as well as subsequent international meetings on the climate, and pay more attention to degradation of biodiversity and habitat around the world.

As well as calling on the United Nations and other international organizations particularly the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), development banks, donors and global funds to support the Executive Work Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Islamic Countries, the Declaration welcomed the “Tangiers’ Call” on climate change, launched on 20 September 2015 by King Mohammed VI of Morocco and President François Hollande of France, for a strong, solidarity-based and concerted international action in favor of climate, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held next December in Paris.

Furthermore, the Declaration emphasized the need to strengthen awareness about the importance of eradicating poverty and mustering the political will to achieve this goal, for the implementation of the sustainable development agenda, capacity building and rehabilitation of human resources through education, training and qualification, and strengthening of capacities, as well as selecting the most appropriate applications and projects to eradicate poverty in the most feasible economic and technical terms and to encourage cooperation between all stakeholders for the implementation of comprehensive programmes.

The Declaration underlined that green economy creates numerous opportunities of “green jobs” in the different economic sectors, such as renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, ecosystem rehabilitation and protection, ecotourism, waste management and other sectors that can contribute to reducing youth unemployment. In this context, it called for developing policies to support small and medium enterprises and to help them adapt to poverty reduction mechanisms in rural areas, through preserving natural resources and optimizing their utilization in agricultural and non-agricultural income-generating activities, while reducing rural exodus and improving livelihoods in local communities.

The Declaration proposed developing concrete measures to address the ever-increasing rates of population growth in the Member States, despite the decreasing trend registered at the global level, by focusing on awareness-raising, education of women and girls, and development of awareness about the importance of family planning, child care and population growth control. It also warned against precarious health conditions in poor and marginalized areas, deteriorating sanitation services, escalating pollution and lack of waste management practices, the steadily rising rural exodus which leads to ruralization of cities, and the rapid urbanization process leading to burgeoning growth of slums which disturbs ecological balance.

Moreover, the Declaration stressed the crucial importance of water to sustainable development processes, food security, eradication of poverty, transition to green economy, and its indispensable character for human health and well-being, while pointing out that there is increased pressure on fresh water resources and that this may eventually create crises between States, which requires renewed commitment to improving water situation and bringing more actions under the Strategy for Management of Water Resources in the Islamic World and the OIC Water Vision 2025. It also recommended enforcing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification and mustering support for preserving arable lands.

The Declaration reaffirmed that food security is a real issue in most of the Member States, particularly in those having faced famine in the past, stressing that a profound change of food and agriculture systems is needed to nourish the ever-increasing number of people suffering from hunger in Member States and beyond.

The Declaration stated that the food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger and poverty eradication, and that agriculture, forestry and fisheries can provide food and boost income, while supporting people-centered rural development and protecting the environment. It also called for giving further attention to securing access to affordably priced GMO-free and safe food containing the fibres necessary for an active and healthy life.

The Declaration emphasized the need to adopt green economy as a major mechanism of sustainable development and to ensure a smooth transition to it, particularly in the context of poverty eradication and institutional development of Member States’ economies, while commending cooperation between Member States and the international community by advancing the agenda on cleanliness of the environment and green economy in many national planning processes.

The Declaration recommended taking into account the impact of global economic crises on developing countries, the aim being to adopt more productive and sustainable development patterns through the rational use of natural resources, with focus on placing ecosystem balance at the core of economic development and social progress. It also proposed that the international community undertake practical measures and concrete initiatives to alleviate the debt of developing countries, open markets, and facilitate movement of goods and people, technology transfer and capacity building.

The Declaration underlined the importance of developing strategies and policies to guarantee energy sustainability as a key driver for advancing economic and human development, improving living conditions and basic services, and achieving human development through education and training in the different areas, while promoting scientific research in energy efficiency and energy rationalization, together with renewable energy technology, exchange of expertise in technological and industrial areas and promotion of use of new technologies in energy operating systems.

Finally, the Declaration recommended encouraging communication and interaction between experts of the Member States, their international counterparts, industrialists, business people, environmental technology developers and users, political decision makers, and education and training specialists, promoting energy technology localization in the Member States, developing the industrial fabric in the different areas of energy use and projects of renewable energy generation, while at the same time broadening the scope of cooperation between all stakeholders in implementing and ensuring adequate funding of such projects.

The Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers (ICEM) closed its sixth session this morning at the headquarters of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), with the adoption of a set of documents and projects aimed at boosting environment protection and development sustainability in the Islamic world.

In this connection, the Conference adopted the Report of the Third Islamic Executive Bureau for the Environment (IEBE), and urged the member States to complete the appointment of focal points for the Bureau to facilitate the follow-up to the implementation of the decisions, resolutions and recommendations of the Bureau and the Conference. It also adopted the Progress Report on ISESCO's Activities with regard to Sustainable Development since the Conference’s fifth session, and invited the member States to continue intensifying their efforts to honour their regional and international commitments to sustainable development, and to work for a more coordinated and integrated joint Islamic action for sustainable development.

In addition, the Conference adopted the IEBE Chair’s proposal to set up a joint commission with the mandate to follow up and operate the Executive Work Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the OIC Member States and to put into action the roadmap for renewing coordination mechanisms to secure the required funding.

In this connection, the conference also paid tribute to ISESCO’s efforts geared to the implementation of the Islamic Agenda for Sustainable Development, and called for pursuing and strengthening relevant programmes and activities, and for coordination with the member States and the competent national, regional and international bodies, especially in the areas of climate change, renewable energy, sustainable use of natural resources, protection of the ecosystem and biodiversity, disaster management, poverty alleviation and consolidation of sustainable development mechanisms.

ICEM also adopted the document on “Environmental Governance for Environmental Sustainability in the Islamic World”, and urged  the member States to strengthen the measures aimed at promoting environmental governance, to ensure enforcement of national sustainable development policies and strategies and environment-related legislation, and to consider the possibility of cooperation with national, regional and international research institutions specialized in governance in the light of the Member States’ own specificities and needs.

In the same vein, the Conference expressed appreciation for the role of UN agencies operating in the field of the environment, and emphasized the need to harness their resources to provide technical and material support to the OIC Member States to implement projects in this regard, and recommending the development of a set of standards for sustainable governance good practices adapted to the socio-economic and cultural context of the OIC Member States, in order to enable them to evaluate and control their environmental action and to compare inter-country environmental situations.

Tribute was also paid to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s role in the implementation of the Islamic Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to its financial support to the respective meetings of ICEM and the IEBE, which has significantly contributed to their success.

The Conference adopted the document on the Strategy for Integrated Management of Water Resources in the Islamic World (Updated Version), and invited the Member States to reaffirm their commitment to ensuring water security and developing mechanisms focused on integrated and sustainable water management, while capitalizing on existing gains in this connection, adjusting the institutional and regulatory framework to make up for shortfalls, and adopting a rational and sustainable management of water resources, fresh, coastal and marine.

By the same token, ISESCO and the OIC were invited to coordinate their action for the implementation of the “OIC Water Vision: “Working Together for a Water Secure Future” and the Strategy for Integrated Management of Water Resources, the ultimate aim being to develop a synergy for water security in the Islamic world, including through enabling the Palestinian people to utilize all their water resources and putting an end to the Israeli occupation’s control over these resources.

The ICEM also adopted the Draft General Framework of the Islamic Agenda for Sustainable Development (Updated Version), commending the measures taken by the Member States, as per their capacities and priorities, to follow up the international development agenda for sustainable development, in accordance with the relevant international principles and instruments. In the same context,  the Conference opted for the principle of “Common But Differentiated Responsibility” and for working both individually and jointly for achieving the milestones of the closing document entitled “Future We Want”, adopted at the Rio+20.

More to the point, the Conference also recommended the establishment of a joint OIC Commission for Sustainable Development (OIC-CSD), on the lines of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development, with the mandate to steer cooperation for promoting sustainable development among the Member States and promote the vision of the Islamic world within the UN and other regional and international forums and conferences dedicated to environmental and sustainable development issues.

The 6th ICEM hailed the existing cooperation and collaboration among the Member States to reach a unanimous joint declaration within the framework of the Islamic countries’ participation in international environment summits and other relevant events, and suggested presenting a common and united position on the Islamic perspective on climate change at the future negotiations on the subject, especially at the Paris conference to be held in December 2015.

Moreover, the Conference adopted the Draft Islamic Declaration on Environment Protection and Sustainable Development, and mandated its Chair to present the final version of the Declaration to the COP 21 Summit and to take appropriate steps to publicize the content and vision of the Declaration.

In this connection, the Member States were invited to effectively participate in the COP 21 Summit, and to support the efforts of its Chair during the Summit, the aim being to highlight the constructive initiatives and concrete achievements made by the Conference in its previous sessions, in collaboration with the Member States and a number of specialized international organizations and bodies.

The Conference also adopted the Progress Report on the Establishment of the “Islamic Academy for the Environment and Sustainable Development”, thanking the Kingdom of Morocco for its predisposition to provide premises for this major developmental project and for the technical measures taken in this regard, namely through developing a new vision for the Academy and a comprehensive programme of action for its materialization. Similarly, the competent party in the Kingdom of Morocco was invited to coordinate with ISESCO for initiating the practical steps to establish the Academy.

Furthermore, the Conference adopted the Project on the “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award on Environmental Management in the Islamic World”, which will bolster the Islamic perspective on the environment and contribute to safeguarding natural resources and ensuring a clean sustainable environment for the present and future generations. In this regard, the Conference expressed deep gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for establishing the Award to consolidate the broad concept of environmental management and foster sustainable development in the Islamic countries.

Finally, the Conference decided to hold its seventh session at ISESCO headquarters in October 2017, and thanked the KSA for allocating a fixed budget for the convening the respective meetings of ICEM and the IEBE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the opening ceremony of the Sixth Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers, Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and Dr Abdulaziz bin Omar Al-Jasser, President of Meteorology and Environment (PME) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, President of the Conference, presented Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasna, President of Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, with the Conference’s Gold Shield, in appreciation for her leading initiatives to protect the environment and achieve sustainable development in Morocco and beyond, and in recognition of the achievements made by the Foundation under her leadership.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, said that the Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers (ICEM) has become an efficient tool for consolidating the Islamic position in international forums concerned with the environment and climate change, noting that the participation of the Islamic world in the Rio+20 Summit in 2012 was based on a rational integrated plan adopted by this Conference, namely the Islamic Declaration on Sustainable Development.

This was part of the address delivered by the Director General at the opening of the 6th Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers, which kicked off this morning at ISESCO headquarters, under the high patronage of H.M King Mohammed VI of Morocco, with the presence of HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, President of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, as guest of honor.

The Director General stressed that ISESCO’s participation in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 21) would, Allah willing, add a major impetus to the efforts of the international community to bring to fruition the projects addressing climate change, namely through the Islamic Declaration on Environment Protection and Sustainable Development to be adopted by the Conference at the close of its deliberations.

Dr Altwaijri said that this Conference’s slogan vividly expresses the preoccupations of the Islamic world with environmental issues and their related tough challenges. It also translates Muslims’ awareness of the demands of sustainable development and the synergy required in this regard for overcoming obstacles to integrated development, improving the living conditions of the peoples of the Member States, and endeavoring to secure a better future for the Islamic world, he explained.

He further explained that “the slogan “Climate Change: Future Challenges for Sustainable Development” neatly captures the issue which lies at the heart of our preoccupations at all levels, and which brings us together here today to discuss its various aspects and try to bring the best answers to them. This is all the more important amid today’s international context marked by an increasingly growing interest in environmental issues, particularly in the aftermath of the “Tangiers’ Call”  in favor of climate, launched last month by His Majesty and the French President from that beautiful Moroccan city.”

As a recap of the outcomes of the previous five sessions of the conference, the Director General said that the Conference adopted the Islamic Declaration on Sustainable Development in its first session; the Programme on Natural Disaster Reduction in the second session; the General Framework of Sustainable Development in the Islamic World, and the Programme on the Promotion of Renewable Energy in the Islamic Countries, in the third session; the Strategy on Management of Disaster Risks and Climate Change Implications in the Islamic World, and the Action Programme to Benefit from Adaptation Funds and Clean Development Mechanisms, in the fourth session, while the fifth session adopted the General Framework of the Islamic Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Executive Work Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the Islamic Countries, and the Islamic Declaration on Sustainable Development within the Framework of the Islamic World's Participation in the Rio+20 Summit.

He added that capitalizing on these gains, the Conference’s present session will examine important documents complementing the ones adopted in the previous sessions, namley the draft document on “Environmental Governance for Environmental Sustainability in the Islamic World”, the draft Strategy for Integrated Water Management in the Islamic World (Updated Version), the Progress Report on the Establishment of the “Islamic Academy for the Environment and Sustainable Development”, the draft Islamic Declaration on Environment Protection and Sustainable Development, the draft General Framework of the Islamic Agenda for Sustainable Development (Updated version), and the project on the “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award for Environment Management in the Islamic World”.