Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 15/12/2010
The Permanent Representative of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Mr. Asim Mohammed Hanafi today signed the Statute of the OIC Specialized Organization for the Development of Women in the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah on behalf of his government. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and other senior officials of General Secretariat. With this, Egypt became the first country to sign the Statute. It may be mentioned here that decision to establish a specialized Organization under the OIC for the development of women with its headquarters in Cairo was a result of the OIC Plan of Action for Advancement of Women (OPAAW) that was adopted by the 36th Council of Foreign Ministers in Damascus in 2009. The draft Statute of the Organization was subsequently adopted by the 37th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in May, 2010. The Statute is open for signature and ratification by the OIC Member States. Member States have been requested to expedite their relevant internal processes with a view to facilitating its entry into force at an early date. The Specialized Organization which will be devoted to the cause of advancement of Muslim women is envisioned to play a pivotal role in addressing issues and concerns of women and for their overall development.
