The 36th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is scheduled to be held in the Syrian capital Damascus, from 23 to 25 May 2009, under the theme 'Promoting Islamic Solidarity'.

The meeting, which pools together the foreign ministers of 57 Muslim states members in the OIC, will discuss a host of political issues, notably the issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Developments in the Holy City of Al-Quds and Israeli relentless aggressions against Palestinians will top the meeting's agenda. The meeting will also dwell on the status quo of the Mideast peace process and the current situation in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as well as the continuing Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory.

The OIC Secretary General, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, will expectedly deliver a speech at the CFM opening session. The speech is poised to shed light on OIC activities so far since the 35th CFM Session held Kampala, Uganda.

Participating Ministers will also explore other major political issues, such as the situation in Iraq, and the unfortunate developments in Somalia in the wake of worsening security conditions and the recent outbreak of deadly clashes on the outskirts of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The unraveling developments in Sudan will also figure high on the meeting's work agenda. The Ministers of the OIC Member States will endeavor to put up a unified front vis-ŕ-vis the International Criminal Court's move to indict Sudanese President al-Bashir.

The CFM Meeting will broach additional political dossiers, particularly the reform of the UN and the expansion of the UN Security Council membership platform.

In parallel, the Ministers will examine a conceptual paper on the OIC's future role in maintaining peace, security and resolving conflicts in the Member States. The paper sets out from the premise that the Muslim world needs to have peacekeeping troops, as myriad conflicts are waged within Muslim territories, not to mention that OIC Member States provide the largest contribution to UN peacekeeping forces.

Combating Islamophobia and the fight against the defamation of Islam will also be on the cards of the meeting. The OIC Islamophobia Observatory will publish on the occasion its second annual report. The report highlights the abuses perpetrated against Muslims and Islam, and features the reality of the phenomenon of Islamophobia across the world.

The Ministers will also discuss the issue of Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC Member States, such as the situation of Muslims in the Philippines, the situation of the Turkish Muslim minority in Western Thrace in Greece, the situation of Muslim groups in the Republic of Myanmar, and the situation of Muslims in southern Thailand.

On the humanitarian question, the Ministers will discuss the report by the Secretary General on humanitarian issues in the OIC Member States and the draft working paper on the mandate and responsibilities of the OIC Department of Humanitarian Affairs. The CFM meeting will examine at length the issue of creating an independent and permanent human rights commission.

Additionally, the Ministers will look in detail into other issues, in particular the economic endeavors associated with the implementation of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action (TYPOA) as well as issues of health-care, higher education, environment in the Muslim world, and media in the OIC Member States.

The Ministers will also discuss the details of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the OIC establishment that will run throughout the year 2009.