Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 29/11/2012
Conflict prevention and conflict resolution require a multi dimensional approach and not only the use of military means to guarantee sustainable peace, asserted Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He also announced that the OIC will establish a specialized unit within the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah dedicated to maintenance of security and conflict resolution. In his statement to the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria today, Thursday, 29 November 2012, Ihsanoglu said that the OIC attaches importance to identifying and addressing the root causes of conflicts and disputes. “Dealing with conflict through a comprehensive approach obviously carries far more benefits as against the military option alone,” he said. Bearing in mind that most conflicts and trouble spots in the world are unfortunately located in and around the Muslim world, the Secretary General pointed out that the OIC occupies a very important position and bears an added value in contributing to the global peace and security. The OIC has become a `strategic partner` of the UN, as described by the UN Secretary General. The Secretary General also pointed out that the principles embodied in the OIC’s Ten Year Program of Action of 2005 and its new Charter adopted in 2008, foresees strengthening the role of the OIC in conflict prevention, confidence building, peace keeping, conflict resolution and post conflict rehabilitation in the OIC Member States through negotiation, shuttle diplomacy, mediation and the use of good offices. The OIC has committed itself to adhere to the principles of the UN Charter, to contribute to international peace, harmony and security, and to promote inter-state relations based on justice, mutual respect and good neighborliness. To this end, Ihsanoglu said that the OIC is ready to enhance relations with other international and regional organizations in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post conflict peace building. Indeed, the OIC has pursued concrete actions to deepen its partnership and cooperation with the UN, the OSCE, the EU, the LAS and the AU on conflicts affecting their common membership. The Organization has also brought its active support to the newly formed UN Peace Building Commission to which it made a modest financial contribution. Of significance, the recent meeting in Djibouti in mid November of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, decided to establish a specialized unit within the OIC General Secretariat dedicated to maintenance of security and conflict resolution. “This will increase the role and capacity of the OIC to contribute to international efforts in terms of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and mediation,” said Ihsanoglu. To this end, the OIC has close cooperation with the UN Mediation Support Unit and it is ready to cooperate with the Conflict Prevention Center of the OSCE. In view of the foregoing, Ihsanoglu touched upon certain issues dominating the political agenda of the OIC nowadays, including the decisive and critical changes taking place in some OIC Member States, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the situation in Syria, developments in Afghanistan and Myanmar, and the OIC’s mediation efforts in Somalia, Philippines, Mali and the Sahel region. Ihsanoglu also mentioned OIC’s endeavors to strengthen human rights within the OIC member states, particularly with the establishment of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission and laying greater emphasis on the cause of empowering women. Furthermore, the OIC is concerned with the serious threat to global security due to the rise of intolerance and racial discrimination based on religious beliefs and faith. He commended the past and current Chairs in Office for prioritizing religious intolerance in the agenda of the OSCE and praised the efforts of Mr. Akhmetov of Kazakhstan, the Personal Representative of the OSCE on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, with whom he had intensive consultations in Jeddah. Ihsanoglu urged the Council to further initiate necessary remedial steps to contain the perpetrators of discrimination. The Secretary General concluded by stressing that the OIC and OSCE are uniquely positioned to adopt a common strategy in addressing the vexing issue of religious intolerance. He urged the Council to pool both organizations’ resources together and develop a network to reach the common people in raising awareness of the malaise of fanning hatred and violence.
