Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 12/04/2016
The Foreign Ministers of the OIC Member States convened on Tuesday April 12, 2016 in Istanbul, their meeting preparatory to the 13th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (Session of Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace), being held in the Republic of Turkey from 10 – 15 April, 2016.
At the outset of the meeting, the Egyptian DeputyForeign Minister for Multilateral Affairs, and representative of the 12th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, Ambassador Hisham Badr, delivered a speech where he praised the efforts exertedby the Organization of Islamic Cooperation over the past months. Ambassador Badr highlighted that the OIC was founded on the basis of promoting solidarity among the OIC Member States and consolidating relations among the peoples of the Muslim Ummah.
Ambassador Badr stated that Egypt has signed the statute of the OIC’s Islamic Organization for Food Security, and that the House of Parliament is close to ratifying the statute of the Cairo-based OIC’s Women Development Organization.
Afterwards, H.E. Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani, the Secretary General of the OIC, delivered a speech where he emphasized that the Meeting provides an opportune time to generate the political will, make decisions, change the status quo,resolve discord and differences and give confidence and hope to the peoples who look forward to the outcomes of such meetings and the prudent and far-sighted resolutions thereof.
In his speech, Madani stated that addressing the phenomena of extremism, violence and terrorism, which pour into the reservoir of hate rhetoric for Muslims (Islamophobia) is a top priority. He also referred to the Palestinian cause and the continuous suffering of the Afghani, Syrian, Somali and Yemeni refugees, as well as to the sectarian schism and economic crises.
After that, H.E Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Meeting, took the floor. He stated that the theme of the current Islamic Summit (Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace) expresses the need of the Islamic world for unity and solidarity during these hard times when the Islamic Ummah is in need of justice and peace more than anything else.
H.E added that, at the conclusion of the Summit, an important document on the Palestinian cause will be declared. Furthermore, the Ten-year Program of Action (TYPOA) will be adopted. He asserted that, during its term of presidency of the 13th Islamic Summit, Turkey, in cooperation with the Member States, will undertake its responsibilities in addressing the problems facing the Islamic world.
Over a period of two days, the Meeting will discuss the draft agenda and program of the 13th Islamic Summit, scheduled to be held on 14-15 April.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs are studying the outcome documents presented to the Islamic SummitConference. The documents revolve around the Palestinian cause, the Arab-Israeli conflict, dispute cases and migration issues in the Islamic world, the situation of the Muslim local communities in non-Member States and countering terrorism, extremism and violence.
The documents presented include Islamophobia files, the humanitarian situation in the Islamic world and the new OIC Ten-Year Program of Action (2015-2025). The Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) is also studying the current situation in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Somalia, Mali, Jammu and Kashmir and Bosnia Herzegovina, as well as the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan and the situation in other Islamic countries falling under the yoke of disputes and the volatile security conditions. Recommendations and proposals regarding these issues will be submitted to the Islamic Summit Conference.
