Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 18/05/2016
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The first consultative session of the OIC Wise Persons Council (WPC) and the Special Envoys of the Secretary General (SESGs) was held at the General Secretariat on 17-18 May 2016. The event marks the operationalization of the OIC mechanism for conflicts resolution and peace building, strengthening the role of the Organization in the field of mediation and preventive diplomacy.
The session, beside the OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani, was attended by the WPC members Mr. Abdullah Gul, former President of Turkey, Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former President of Indonesia and General Abdulsalami A. Abubakr, former Head of State of Nigeria alongwith the Special Envoys, Foreign Ministers Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar(Malaysia), Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio (Senegal), Ambassador Sayed Kassem El-Masry and Ambassador Abdullah A. Alim, among others.
The Secretary General’s initiative to operationalize the OIC conflicts resolution mechanism emanates from the provisions of the OIC Charter, which aspires for interstate relations based on justice, mutual respect and good neighborliness and commits its Member States to settle their disputes through peaceful means and refrain from use or threat of use of force in their relations. The OIC - 2025, a landmark document containing strategic goals for the next decade, adopted by the 13th Islamic Summit Conference (Istanbul 14-15 April 2016) aspires to enhance the role of the OIC in peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict prevention through preventive diplomacy, promotion of dialogue and mediation.
The joint meeting of the WPC and SESGs, inter alia, deliberated on various political and security challenges facing the Member States, humanitarian dimension of conflicts, combating Islamophobia, challenges in fostering inter-cultural and inter-religious harmony, conflict situations in Muslim minority areas and challenges in preventive diplomacy, mediation and conflict resolution. The meeting explored a series of steps to develop together a roadmap for realizing the OIC vision of peace architecture through promotion of dialogue, mediation, preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding. The overall envisioned role of the WPC is both consultative and mediatory to support the peace initiatives of the OIC.
The meeting underlined that preventive diplomacy is the center point of the OIC peace architecture. The members of the WPC will use their good offices to employ preventive diplomacy and support dialogue, mediation, and negotiation among conflicting parties.
From the point of view of a new vision and sense of responsibility which requires OIC to assume wider and proactive role in dealing with conflicts situations in the Muslim world, the WPC will significantly contribute in strengthening the role of the Organization in fostering peace, security, stability and harmony in the Muslim world and beyond.
