ShareKUWAIT: The International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) signed on Sunday a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to enhance cooperation and humanitarian response to crises in poor countries. The Chairman of the Kuwait-based IICO, Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq, said in a speech during the signing ceremony that the IICO was proud to cooperate with the UNDP, represented by the Regional Office for Arab States, and appreciated its efforts in promoting sustainable development and eradicating poverty.
Al-Maatouq added that the signing of the memorandum was part of the authority’s strategic vision for 2022–26, aiming to establish effective strategic partnerships. He highlighted that the IICO and UNDP shared a common will on several issues, including cooperation in areas of mutual interest, leveraging expertise, and sharing resources to address social, economic, and environmental challenges affecting people globally.
Al-Maatouq noted that the memorandum would enhance strategic capabilities and institutional development by working to enhance the skills of humanitarian and charitable sector workers and adopting comprehensive systems to measure and manage the sustainable social impact of charitable activities. He indicated that among the common ideas is exploring avenues for joint financing of development projects, which the UNDP can implement internationally or regionally.
Furthermore, concepts and initiatives will be developed into jointly funded projects in areas of mutual interest, actively participating in global forums, collaborating on research and studies in the field of sustainable development, and enhancing its practices. UNDP is the United Nations global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build better lives. — KUNA
