Astana, April 21, 2026
The International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) have agreed on a strategic partnership.
The corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed following a meeting between Gulsana Kozhabay, the Chair of the Board of the International Center, and Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, Director General of ICESCO. This document elevates the partnership to a new frontier, formalizing ICESCO's role in shaping the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions' agenda and broadening expert collaboration.
Key areas of cooperation include the development of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, increasing religious literacy, and promoting the principles of spiritual diplomacy.
During the meeting, Gulsana Kozhabay outlined a vision for the future of intercultural and interreligious cooperation. The Chair stressed the need for dialogue platforms to move beyond mere rhetoric toward practical, data-driven results. Specifically, the parties explored creating a set of criteria and an index to measure the impact of religious leaders in addressing urgent social and global issues.
These approaches closely align with the initiatives championed by ICESCO Director General Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, particularly those presented at the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
The Congress's expert-level engagement was a key focus throughout the meeting. The annual Expert Round Table serves as a forum for the expert community and religious leaders to devise tangible solutions that bridge the gap between spiritual values and practical application.
Current initiatives being implemented between sessions of the Congress were also presented. Key among those are an interfaith strategy on climate change and the development of an ethical code governing AI use in religious settings.
Both projects seek to strike a balance between technological progress and ethical foundations. The parties also agreed to present the document on AI ethics in religious contexts at ICESCO, paving the way for its international promotion and deeper cooperation in this field.
ICESCO Director General Salim Al-Malik highlighted Kazakhstan’s vital role as a global hub for intercultural and inter-civilizational dialogue. He also announced the establishment of the ICESCO Center for Inter-civilizational Dialogue, dedicated to results-oriented engagement and greater inclusivity for representatives of various denominations.
Special emphasis was placed on youth engagement, specifically the significance of ICESCO’s ‘Ambassadors of Peace’ program. focuses on cultivating a new generation of leaders, including representatives from Kazakhstan.
The Memorandum further enables the alignment of these efforts with the activities of the Congress’s Young Religious Leaders Forum.
The parties expressed confidence that this new partnership will amplify the role of religious institutions in addressing global challenges and agreed to hold a follow-up joint event at ICESCO headquarters.
