Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 21/05/2010
I am pleased to state that the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) joins the international community in the observance of May 21, as the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 57/249 entitled, “Culture and Development”. The Day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the value of cultural diversity and its importance towards sustainable peace, security and development in the present day globalized world. The OIC is fully cognizant of the crucial relationship between culture and development and the important role of information and communication technologies in this relationship. It is important to assess and optimally utilize the interconnection between culture and development and the elimination of poverty towards bridging the digital and the development divides. It is based on an understanding of this linkage that OIC has devoted resources and energies on social development of the OIC Member States. The OIC General Secretariat along with our subsidiary, specialized and affiliated institutions have remained committed to addressing the pressing social and developmental issues concerning human rights, women, children, youths, health care , education, housing, poverty alleviation and humanitarian assistance to natural and man made disaster affected people. The centuries old recognition accorded by Islam to the concept of diversity, as the essence of human existence, serves as a source of inspiration for the OIC .We are committed to upholding cultural and religious diversity through engagement and dialogue. We took the first steps to foster interfaith and inter civilizational dialogue and spoke out strongly against all forms of violence and terrorism and cautioning the international community against stigmatizing a particular religion or civilization with the proponents of terror-who have no respect for human lives and values of inter-civilizational amity. It is heartening to note that our efforts and commitment to raising global awareness against Islamophobia and its related implications appear to have made an impact. We see encouraging responses from our partners in the west geared towards combating this common threat to all cultures and civilizations. In observing this Day, we believe greater weight and visibility must be accorded by the international community to the theme of dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions, since the protection of cultural diversity is closely linked to the larger framework of the dialogue among civilizations and cultures and its ability to achieve genuine mutual understanding, solidarity and cooperation.
