Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 12/11/2013
Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim H.E. Mr. Ali Ahmadov, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Mr. Abdusalam A. M. Ghwila, Minister of Youth and Sport of Libya, and Chair of the 3rd Islamic Conference of Ministers in-charge of Childhood, Her Excellency Mrs. Hijran Huseynova, Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Al Twaijri, Director-General of ISESCO, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me at the outset to express my pleasure to address the inaugural of the 4th Islamic Conference of Ministers Incharge of Childhood. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations and felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan for hosting the Conference in this beautiful capital city of Baku as well as for the excellent arrangements made in holding the conference and the generous hospitality accorded to the participants. I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev for his kind patronage of this important meeting. His visionary speech read out at the inaugural session has set the tone of this Meeting. The commitment and initiatives taken by President Aliyev in hosting many important OIC events including this event is indeed most praiseworthy. I would particularly take this opportunity to hail President Alieyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov for the historic initiative taken by Azerbaijan in its capacity as President of the UN Security Council, to convene the special session on “Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional and Sub regional organizations in maintaining international peace and security: Strengthening the partnership synergy between the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation”. This milestone session, the first ever in the history of the OIC, offered me the unique opportunity to address the 15 UN Member Security Council including the P- 5 Members, to brief them on the vision and raison d’etre of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation based on the principles of moderation and modernization and its positive and constructive contribution to international peace, security and development. It is a matter of great pride and accomplishment for all the OIC Member States, the General Secretariat and its institutions, for the unprecedented honour and recognition accorded to the OIC by the world body. I would also like to offer my appreciation to the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) for its commendable efforts in convening this important conference under the wise and dynamic leadership of its Director General, H.E. Abdulaziz bin Othman Al Twaijri. The ISESCO’s programmes and activities in the area of childhood issues have always been positive and constructive in carrying forward the OIC’s agenda on children’s issues. Excellencies, It is most befitting that the theme of the 4th Islamic Conference of Ministers in Charge of Childhood has been designated as “Children and the Challenges of Urbanization in the Islamic World”. Along with rapid urbanization in the OIC Member states, there is a steady increase of urban migration leading to proliferation of slums and unhealthy living environment. In such conditions, children are the worst sufferers. They are deprived of their basic rights of proper health care, education, recreation and healthy living conditions. They suffer neglect and become victims of various forms of abuse and exploitation. These underprivileged grow up in conditions that stand in stark contradiction to the children coming from affluent and advantaged families. This discrimination in opportunities and basic rights must be eliminated from our societies because Islam does not support discrimination in opportunities of the people, in particular the children who were the dearest to our great Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Issues related to children are formidable and challenging. Despite protection under national laws, children in many societies continue to face abuse including being forced into child labour, trafficking, recruitment as child soldiers and subjected to sexual abuse. This has to be addressed with a sense of urgency and priority. A challenge in the way of childhood development is poverty. This is most acute in the Least Developed Countries. We must always remain vigilant to ensure the protection of children and their security, in particular the underprivileged children in urban societies. It should therefore be our collective responsibility to ensure safe and sound environment for the children where they are provided with all basic facilities and services and are protected against all forms of abuse and social ills and injustices. Governments alone cannot fulfill this coveted goal and objective. All stakeholders including the civil society and NGOs must come together to address the issues and challenges facing underprivileged children in the urbanization process as well as those who live in rural poverty. It is encouraging to know that most of the OIC Member States are signatories and state parties to international covenants including the OIC Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its protocols and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Girl Child. These documents complement national laws to protect children and help their development both physical and mental. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen As part of its agenda, the OIC remains committed to the protection and promotion of children in the Muslim world and the need to address the issues and challenges confronting them in the best possible manner. The OIC Ten-Year Program of Action adopted by the Third Extraordinary Islamic Summit Conference in December 2005 continues to be the basis of furthering our efforts to address children’s issue. Family as the nucleus of Muslim societies plays an important role in the upbringing and raising of children. I strongly believe that children could be best looked after and served through strong family-oriented approach supported by relevant educational institutions. To support and strengthen this approach, the Department of Family Affairs was established in the OIC General Secretariat which inter-alia deals with the issues related to children. The General Secretariat of the OIC is working toward achieving the goals of the Ten-Year Program of Action in cooperation with the ISESCO and other OIC institutions and the Member States. To this end, the OIC is committed to providing free and quality education for all children and strengthen laws aimed at preserving the rights of children, ensuring for them the highest possible health levels and protecting them against all forms of violence and exploitation. The OIC Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights (IPHRC) that was established recently has prioritized children’s issues in its agenda and activities. The Commission has taken up the rights of children and I would hope and expect that it would come up with a set of concrete recommendations to expand our work on issues concerning children. I would like to draw your attention to an issue that I believe is of concern to all of us. I speak on the issue of female genital mutilation that is practiced in some societies of the OIC Member States. The practice of female genital mutilation has never been sanctioned under any Islamic law. It is a social prejudice against the girl child and poses a serious health hazard that can be fatal. I feel encouraged that the earlier sessions of the Islamic Ministers of Childhood have given due recognition to the issue. I believe that we have to do more to enlighten the concerned societies of its dangerous repercussions and raise the necessary awareness to put an end to the practice. Children are among the worst victims in natural and man-made disasters including floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, cyclones and civil strife. As I speak, my heart goes out to the millions of children in many member States in particular those affected by conflicts and crises who are the innocent sufferers and victims. These children need our immediate and priority help and support. I would hope that this session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers In charge of Childhood would take some concrete decisions on a joint action plan to bring succour to the suffering children and to ensure their safety and security. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that it is our common responsibility to do our best to provide children with all that they need and protect them from everything that harms their physical, mental and intellectual wellbeing including violence, abuse, hard labour, and trafficking. I am confident that this important 4th Islamic Meeting on Childhood in Baku will be successful in producing some landmark decisions towards addressing the issues and concerns of the Children of the OIC Member States. The OIC General Secretariat remains committed to follow-up the implementation of the decisions of this conference within the available mechanism. I thank you.
