Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 05/10/2022
H.E. the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, affirmed the OIC's continued support for refugee issues and their rights, including the right to education. These remarks were part of the speech delivered by Mr. Muhammad Ali Al-Khamlichi, representative of the Humanitarian Department in the General Secretariat, on behalf of the OIC Secretary General, at the Eighth International Symposium of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), hosted by the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on 5-6 October 2022.
The Secretary-General indicated that the refugee issue represents a top priority on the agenda of the OIC, as the Islamic principles call for the protection of refugees which is a religious, moral and legal duty, and that it is in line with international refugee law and the OIC Ten-Year Program of Action which calls for justice in enabling all people to attain education, especially refugees, children and girls. He added that the resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meetings have been calling on Member States to improve the humanitarian situation of refugees.
The Secretary-General also noted that the OIC held the first ministerial conference on refugees in the Muslim world in Ashgabat in 2012, and called in this regard to follow up on its results, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The Secretary-General stressed that the OIC and its institutions, in cooperation with international partners, will spare no effort in providing support to refugees, regardless of their colour, gender and affiliation, and that Member States and institutions of the OIC are urgently called upon today to provide more support and attention to complex refugee issues, in light of the continuing crises, conflicts and wars, stressing the importance of addressing their root causes.
