OIC Baku Ministerial Meeting endorses Two Communiqués

On the first day of its proceedings, the Ministerial Meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference convening in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan endorsed a Communiqué on the 29^th International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. The Conference called on the International Movement of the Red Cross and Crescent to shoulder its responsibilities in the face of what the Palestinian people are enduring in terms of the blatant violations perpetrated by Israel, the occupying power. The Conference’s Communiqué also called for the disapproval of the proposed amendments to the Statute of the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, and did not recognize the third distinctive emblem in light of Israel’s rejection of the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

The Ministerial Meeting endorsed also another Communiqué on the occasion of the inauguration of the Human Rights Council in which the delegates expressed their rejoice at the occasion of the inauguration of the Human Rights Council and reaffirmed their full solidarity and firm commitment to contribute towards effective functioning of the Council for promotion and protection of all human rights as well as pledged to make efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, cultures and religions by promoting tolerance, respect for and freedom of religion and belief.

On the sideline of the Ministerial Conference, the Contact Group on the conflict of Jammu and Kashmir as well as the Contact Group on the situation in Somalia held separate meetings to discuss the latest developments pertaining in the two countries. It should be noted that the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference had already dispatched two fact-finding delegations to Somalia to hold talks with the different leaders after the escalation and deterioration of the situation in this country.

Baku : 20 June 2006