The Thirty-Third Session of The Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers

The 33^rd Session of the OIC Ministerial Meeting Concludes

News on the Sideline of Baku Ministerial Meeting

The 33^rd Session of the OIC Ministerial Meeting in Figures

Press Release

Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu presents His Report at the Opening of the 33^rd Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Baku

Under the high patronage and in the presence of H. E. Ilham Aliyev the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the three-day Ministerial Meeting of the 33^rd Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers started today in Baku.

At the Opening Ceremony, the OIC Secretary General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu delivered a comprehensive speech in which he reported to the Ministerial Conference the different undertakings and initiatives carried out by the OIC General Secretariat. After thanking the people and government of Azerbaijan and its president H. E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, he welcomed the participating delegates in the Conference which is convening in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan between 19^th and 21^st June 2006. Ihsanoglu said that this Conference is taking place in a very felicitous juncture of the OIC history under the theme of “Harmony of Rights, Freedoms and Justice”. Professor Ihsanoglu stated that despite the fact that the Muslim Ummah is in the vortex of a changing world and facing daunting internal and external challenges, Muslims must do their best to turn such challenges into opportunities.

Ihsanoglu stressed that the Ten-Year Programme of Action that has been adopted by the third Extraordinary Summit in Makkah Al-Mukarramah last year is a practical blueprint which could shift the focus of our endeavors from rhetoric and passing resolutions to actions and tangible deeds. The Secretary General reiterated his commitment to his mission of continuing reform at the level of the General Secretariat of the OIC. He said that the scope of the OIC’s action was expanded and concentrated on the vital and major Islamic issues, and he further mentioned that extra efforts have been dedicated to raise the performance of the OIC, and services rendered to the Member States have been enhanced.

With regard to the blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), the Secretary General mentioned that the OIC has ably managed the crisis and turned such rude and defamatory acts into an opportunity to draw the attention of the West to the truth about the Muslims’ strong attachment to their faith, to their sanctities and to their culture. The ultimate objective was rather to prevent the recurrences of such acts and emphasis of the noble values of Islam and the need to respect Muslim’s feelings. In this respect the OIC issued a joint statement with the European Union and the United Nations which made it clear that the mass media should have a moral responsibility and should refrain from provocation and inciting hatred.

On a similar issue, the General Secretariat has created the OIC Observatory on Islamophobia which documents activities indicating hatred of Islam worldwide and in Europe in particular. In this respect, the Organization has opened avenues of communication and dialogue with intergovernmental organization such as the European Union, the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe and other organizations in the UK, Russian Federation, Austria, Holland, Denmark and also the councils of Ambassadors in many countries.

The Secretary General also touched on other initiatives that are being carried out under the supervision of the General Secretariat such as the meeting to revise the Islamic Fiqh Academy’s status in a bid to establish a mechanism of coordination in the field of religious rulings.

Similarly, another meeting has been held to look into ways and means to strengthen and develop the role of the Islamic Solidarity Fund. Moreover, a special fund at the Islamic Development Bank has been established as a result of the Third Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah last year. The Fund is meant to provide job opportunities in the OIC Member Countries.

During his speech, Professor Ihsanoglu urged OIC Member States to contribute towards the budget of the OIC Ministerial Conference on the Problems of Refugees in the Muslim World which will be held in cooperation with the UNHCR in Islamabad in November this year.

The Secretary General also spoke about the deteriorating situation in Palestine and reiterated the OIC’s condemnation of the Israeli illegal practices in the occupied Palestinian territories. He also stressed the need for the new Government of Palestine to deal realistically with the requirements of the prevailing international conditions.

As for the Iraqi question, Professor Ihsanoglu condemned the merciless killings and kidnappings, and said that the General Secretariat is in the process of forming an OIC Contact Group on Iraq and is currently looking into the possibility of opening an OIC Office in Baghdad.

Regarding the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the Secretary General stated that the OIC has called on Armenia to comply with the many resolutions of the United Nations Security Council on this illegitimate occupation. The OIC denounced the elections conducted by the Armenian authorities in the Azerbaijan territories and the continued settlement of Armenians in these territories. He called on Member States to assist the internally displaced persons and refugees in Azerbaijan.

With regard to Somalia, the Secretary General expressed his concern over the escalating violence in the country, particularly in Mogadishu. He mentioned that he sent a high level OIC fact-finding mission to Baidoa, the provisional capital of the Government for talks with the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of the Parliament of Somalia. A second mission has been dispatched recently to hold talks with the Islamic Courts Movement and the transitional government to find ways and means for reconciliation. The Secretary General concluded that financial and political support to the present government is badly needed and he urged Member States to contribute to fulfill such need.

The Secretary General also talked about the current situation in Kashmir, Sudan, Cyprus, Southern Thailand and the Philippines and gave his views on how to tackle them. It is worth mentioning that an OIC mission was recently dispatched to the Philippines and managed to talk to the parties in aim to find suitable solution for the conflict.

The Secretary General talked also about the economic and social situation in the African countries which are still on top of the OIC priorities. Additionally, the Secretary General highlighted the administrative and financial improvements which have been introduced at the level of the General Secretariat.

Lastly, he reiterated his appeal for a real and dedicated effort from all Member States to implement the Ten-Year Programme of Action which is a rare occasion and a major turning point in the field of Joint Islamic Action.

On the sideline of the opening of the Conference, a special ceremony was held to officially launch the Ten-Year Programme of Action adopted by the Third Extraordinary Islamic Summit last year. In a brief statement, Professor Ihsanoglu stressed the importance of this programme and launched the starting of its execution.

Baku : 19 June 2006

PRESS RELEASE

Preparatory meeting for the 33^rd Islamic conference

of foreign ministers begins in Jeddah

Ihsanoglu stresses the importance of the role of the Makkah Extraordinary Summit in infusing new spirit to Joint Islamic Action, and calls for the evaluation of the General Secretariat’s activities through its initiatives

             The proceedings of the Senior Officials Preparatory Meeting for the 33^rd Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers holding in Baku, Azerbaijan next June, began in Jeddah today, Saturday, 8 Rabiul Thani 1427H (6^th May, 2006). Addressing the participants in his opening statement, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told them that the reports laid before them were full of many things, both in form and content. This he said, include the way the reports have dealt with the events and the variety of the activities and initiative of the General Secretariat, guided by the existing spirit of reform in the new working culture which is based on renewal, development and reliance on action and not words. This spirit, he added, was the same spirit injected by the 3^rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Makkah a few months ago and led by the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdallah Ibn Abdulaziz, which was regarded as a major turning point in the history of Islamic joint action.

          The Secretary General made a quick review of the major initiatives taken by the General Secretariat in order to implement the resolutions of the 3^rd Extraordinary Summit, particularly the Ten-Year Programme of Action which aims to change the situation of the Islamic Ummah for a new one characterized by strength and prosperity and where the voice of the Ummah will be heard, and the amendment of OIC Charter to align it with the realities and challenges of the 21^st Century.

          Concerning the way of dealing with the events, Professor Ihsanoglu explained that the OIC adopted innovative means that were firstly applied to strengthen communication with Member States, particularly on some emergency issues or those that require consultation or preparation. Next he said was the effective presence of the Organization in the international arena through involvement in wide ranging international action at the highest levels. One example of this, he stated, was the crisis caused by the publication of offensive cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad SAW (PBUH). He also cited the establishment of an Observatory at the General Secretariat to monitor and document all activities relating to the phenomenon of Islamophobia in the world, particularly in Europe. These initiatives, he said, succeeded with the adoption of a universal resolution by both the International Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations General Assembly providing for respect of religions and religious symbols, especially Islam. In this connection, the Secretary-General pointed to the unprecedented international symposium organized by the General Secretariat at Wilton Park, London, under the theme of “Combating Stereotypes in Europe and the Muslim World”. The symposium was aimed at opening a new chapter of political dialogue between the Western governments and their Islamic counterparts, with emphasis on the role of the media in promoting dialogue and addressing the real causes leading to the incitement of hatred in the Western and Islamic sides.

        The Secretary-General’s statement addressed a number of political, economic, social and cultural issues in the Muslim world. He touched briefly on the Palestinian question, the conditions in Iraq, Kashmir, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Cyprus, and Azerbaijan, the socio-economic situation in African States and the Least Developed OIC Member States, international terrorism, human rights, as well as other issues. He mentioned the measures taken by the General Secretariat and its contributions with the other international and regional organizations to find appropriate solutions, while reaffirming the unwavering positions of the Organization and its Member States regarding support to these causes touching the Islamic societies.

The OIC Secretary-General stated that he looked forward to the participants’ evaluation and observations of the General Secretariat’s efforts so that it may achieve the quality and enhancement which is considered to be the cornerstone for strengthening the Islamic Ummah and make it overcome the current crisis.

The preparatory Senior Officials Meeting for the 33^rd ICFM had listened to the statement of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Yemen to the OIC, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Al Ahwal, in which he stressed that the 32^nd ICFM held last year in Sana’a made great steps toward organized and developed Joint Islamic Action. He stated that his country had been working during the past session in coordination and consultation with the General Secretariat to hold a number of consultative meetings at the highest levels concerning numerous issues, chief among these was the defamation of the noble Prophet (PBUH), the struggle of the Palestinian people and the situation in Iraq.

The delegate of Azerbaijan was then elected chairman of the meeting, and the delegates of the State of the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Cameroon, and the State of Palestine, vice-chairmen, while the delegate of Yemen was elected as rapporteur.

Jeddah : 6 May 2006