OIC Journal - Issue 37

First S&T Summit Nurturing the «Thinking Mind»

May - September - 2017

Issue No. 37 Numéro

500 Million Youth Under the Microscope of OIC Foreign Ministers

About OIC

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.

The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) following the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general. Dr. Yousef Ahmed Al-Othaimeen is the 11th Secretary General who assumed the office in November 2016.

The first OIC Charter was adopted by the 3rd ICFM Session held in 1972. The Charter laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States. Over the last 40 years, the membership has grown from its founding members of 30 to 57 states. The Charter was amended to keep pace with the developments that have unraveled across the world. The present Charter of the OIC was adopted by the Eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar on 13-14 March 2008 to become the pillar of the OIC future Islamic action in line with the requirements of the 21st century.

The Organization has the singular honor to galvanize the Ummah into a unified body and have actively represented the Muslims by espousing all causes close to the hearts of over 1.5 billion Muslims of the world. The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States. In safeguarding the true values of Islam and the Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and have strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against the Muslims in all forms and manifestations.

The Member States of the OIC face many challenges in the 21st century and to address those challenges, the third extraordinary session of the Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005, laid down the blue print called the Ten-Year Program of Action. It has successfully concluded with the close of 2015. A successor programme for the next decade (2016-2025) has been adopted.

The new programme OIC-2025 is anchored in the provisions of the OIC Charter and focuses on 18 priority areas with 107 goals. The priority areas include issues of Peace and Security, Palestine and Al-Quds, Poverty Alleviation, Counter-terrorism, Investment and Finance, Food Security, Science and Technology, Climate Change and Sustainability, Moderation, Culture and Interfaith Harmony, Empowerment of Women, Joint Islamic Humanitarian Action, Human Rights and Good Governance, among others.

Among the OIC’s key bodies: the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the General Secretariat, in addition to the Al-Quds Committee and three permanent committees concerned with science and technology, economy and trade, and information and culture. There are also specialized organs under the banner of the OIC including the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as subsidiary and affiliate organs that play a vital role in boosting cooperation in various fields among the OIC member states.

For more details, visit the OIC website at www.oic-oci.org

OIC - OCI

OUR MESSAGE SIGNIFICANCE OF ASTANA SUMMIT

T Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

The Summit has put in place the necessary frameworks to erect a scientific edifice that encompasses the collective effort of 57 Member States to elevate the various scientific fields in our Muslim World.

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he Summit on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in the Kazakh capital of Astana on 10-11 September 2017, was a remarkable success and had multifaceted implications, most notably the enthusiasm of the host State, the Republic of Kazakhstan. This was evident in the generous sponsorship of H.E. President Nursultan Nazarbayev that embraced all participants as well as the hospitality accorded to all participants in the days leading up to that meticulously organized Summit.

This historic Summit marked a qualitative leap in the OIC course as the OIC Member States proved their keenness to proceed with this remarkable event by deciding on its rotational convention with the Republic of Uzbekistan offering to host its second edition.

The Summit has put in place the necessary frameworks to erect a scientific edifice that encompasses the collective effort of 57 Member States to elevate the various scientific fields in our Muslim World.

The work program adopted by Member States in the Summit sets out a clear-cut road map that targets a range of areas that, to say the least, touch the daily needs of the citizens of any country in the Muslim World.

The significance of the Summit is that it presented an honorable image of Muslims who, for years, have been undergoing blind distortion and negative stereotyping. This Summit highlighted the desire of the OIC Member States to strengthen their scientific and research capabilities to prove their profound and deep-rooted contribution to human development away from the vulgar discourses, persistent accusations, and baseless suspicions against Muslims and the incessant attempts to straightjacket them into terrorism and extremism.

Far from the conflicts and crises that plague many regions of our Muslim World, the STI Summit identified the safest way out and the most plausible solution to all hindrances to progress in the Muslim World, which currently has the weakest say in human civilization while it guided other civilizations to the current unprecedented progress and development.

Astana Summit has realized many of its goals. As I mentioned above, it showed a bright picture of Muslims in terms of their keenness to spare no effort in scientific research and refuted the suspicions of extremism and backwardness used by some media to tarnish Muslim peoples. Moreover, the Summit will devise multiple plans and programs that pave the way for various projects that will allow young Muslims to learn, work and achieve.

The Summit has not only opened the door to promising projects in space, astronomy and nuclear science, but also laid the foundations for the development of education and upgrading teachers, teaching methodologies and the OIC universities to ensure the next generations stand on solid ground while freeing themselves from the side effects of poverty and underdevelopment.

The Astana Summit is an important step in the OIC development process guided by the OIC interdisciplinary comprehensive OIC-2025 Program of Action adopted by Istanbul Islamic Summit and integrates with all OIC projects, programs and visions. These plans shall contribute to realizing the OIC overall strategy, which aims to promote development in the OIC countries and support scientific research projects that ultimately lead to the achievement of many objectives, most notably the eradication of poverty, disease and ignorance allowing for consolidation of stability, prosperity and progress therein.

Finally, the Summit was a good occasion to honor some distinctive scientists from various countries of the Muslim World who excelled in nuclear physics, chemistry, electronics and medical research.

The OIC was keen to take this initiative to re-put scientific research on a pedestal, present luminous models for future generations, and encourage the young to draw on successful experiences.

The OIC General Secretariat, with the participation of its subsidiary, affiliated and specialized organs, is proud of this great event, which openly expressed the reality of the Muslim Ummah and its eagerness to move forward to re-assume its natural place among world nations and contribute its great potential to progress. Only then, the Muslim Ummah can regain its well-renowned fame as a source of science from which other civilizations benefited in terms of the inventions, ideas and theories of Muslim scientists, which have had the most impact in the rise and superiority of the human civilization.

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OIC Journal Issued by The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Chief Editor & General Supervisor Maha Mostafa Akeel Editor Bashir Sa’ad Abdullahi Layout & Design Mohammed Abdelqader Qalaba Advisory Board Ali Abolhassani Shahreza Jakhongir Khasanov Translation Amgad Hassan Yahya El-Khatib Mohamed Esseth Address: Madinah Road, P.O. Box 178, Jeddah-21411, Saudi Arabia Tel: 012 6515222 Fax: 012 6512288 Telx.: 601366 Islami SJ. Website: www.oic-oci.org For comments, enquiries

E-mail: journal@oic-oci.org OIC Permanent Observer to the UN New York Office 320 East - 51st Street New York 10022 New York, USA www.oicun.org oic@un.int OIC Permanent Observer to the UN Geneva Office ICC-20, Route Pre-Bois - Case Postal 1818 CH 1215, Geneve, Suisse www.oic-un.org oic@oic-un.org The views expressed by the writers/authors of the articles published in the OIC Journal do not necessarily represent the views of the OIC, but are the personal views of the authors themselves. However, the OIC reserves the right/discretion to amend, revise, edit, delete or scrutinize any part or portion of the text as and wherever deemed necessary.

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OIC Related Links Subsidiary Organs The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) www.fiqhacademy.org The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) www.sesrtcic.org The Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) www.ircica.org The Islamic Center for the Development of Trade (ICDT) www.icdt-oic.org The Islamic University of Technology (UIT) www.iutoic-dhaka.edu

Specialized Institutions and Organs The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) www.isdb.org International Islamic News Agency (IINA) www.islamicnews.org.sa The Islamic States Broadcasting Organization (ISBO) www.isboo.org The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Rabat (ISESCO)www.isesco.org.ma Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) www.ias-worldwide.org

Affiliated Institutions Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) www.icci-oic.org Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities (OICC) www.oicc.org Organization of the Islamic Shipowners Association (OISA) www.oisaonline.com World Federation of Arab Islamic International Schools (WFAIS) www.wfais.org Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) www.icyf.com Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) www.ias-worldwide.org

OIC Calendar: October – December 2017

4-5 Oct.: Workshop on correcting the stereotypes of women in the media – Manama, Bahrain 14-15 Oct.: IINA 25th session of Executive Council and 5th session of General Assembly – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 23-24 Oct.: Annual seminar/workshop of IPHRC – Rabat, Morocco 25-26 Oct.: Islamic Conference of Ministers of Environment – Rabat, Morocco 31 Oct-2 Nov: Workshop for preparing a guidebook for journalists on coverage of terrorist events – OIC HQ, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1-2 Nov.: OIC International Conference on ‘Islamic Action to Protect Cultural Heritage’ – Istanbul, Turkey 6-9 Nov.: Annual conference of CERT – Baku, Azerbaijan 15 Nov.: Convocation of Islamic University of Technology (IUT) – Dhaka, Bangladesh 15-16 Nov.: Meeting of OIC Water Council – Istanbul, Turkey 19-23 Nov.: 12th regular session of IPHRC – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 20-23 Nov.: 33rd session of COMCEC – Istanbul, Turkey 21-23 Nov.: 10th Islamic Conference of Cultural Ministers – Khartoum, Sudan 21-23 Nov.: 4th Meeting of the Islamic Advisory Group on Polio Eradication – Cairo, Egypt 27-30 Nov.: OIC Culture Week – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 6-7 Dec.: 6th Islamic Conference of Health Ministers – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 8-11 Dec.: Round table on interreligious dialogue in Central African Republic – Dakar, Senegal 18-20 Dec.: Conference on interreligious dialogue in South and Southeast Asia – Bangkok, Thailand

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CONTENTS In Focus: 4: Baku 2017: A Celebration of Islamic Solidarity Games in Style

Palestine File: 8: OIC lashes out at Israel over Situation of Palestinian Prisoners

World Affairs: 12: Riyadh Historic Summit

OIC Launches Global Action to Save the Muslim Rohingya from Systematic Persecution and Annihilation

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44th Council of Foreign Ministers to Proffer Appropriate Solutions to Unprecedented Challenges

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Palestinian Issue & Rohingya Tragedy High Priority at Annual Coordination Meeting in New York

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Winners of Second Edition of Human Face of Ramadan Photo Contest Set to Claim their Prizes

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First Summit on Science & Technology: Nurturing the “Thinking Mind”

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OIC News: 21: Islamic Solidarity Fund Projects Financing Approvals for 2017 Total US$ 249 million

Humanitarian Affairs: 34: OIC Calls on the International Community to Intensify Efforts to Contain Cholera in Yemen 36: Al-Othaimeen Calls on International Community to Scale Up Assistance to Somali People Facing Hunger

Human Rights: 38: OIC-IPHRC’s 11th Regular Session focuses on ‘Protecting Human Rights while Countering Terrorism’

Culture: 42: OIC, France Cooperate to Preserve Cultural Heritage in OIC Member States 45: Sennar: Arab Region’s Capital of Islamic Culture 2017

Media: 47: International Forum in London to Explore Mechanisms for Countering Islamophobia

Economy: 60: Series of Actions to Tackle Challenges of Unemployment in OIC Member States

Opinion Articles 17:Countering the extremist narratives 56: How the Islamic world can reclaim its role in science

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IN FOCUS

Baku 2017: A Celebration

of Islamic Solidarity Games in Style B

aku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games have come and gone, but the memories of the grandeur opening ceremony and sparkling closing ceremony, coupled with mesmerizing ways in which the entire games were successfully hosted kept the memories of the games alive and evergreen.

After 10 days of competition (12-22 May 2017) involving 54 Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation countries from four continents, the host country, Azerbaijan finished top with 75 gold medals, four more than the Games’ next hosts Turkey.

Azerbaijani President H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev officially opened the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games during a spectacular ceremony in

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the Baku Olympic Stadium on Friday night, 12 May 2017.

“We are very honored to host the Games,” said Azerbaijani Vice President and Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva as she addressed the crowd.

“Today Azerbaijan welcomes the entire Islamic world. The Baku Islamic Solidarity Games are a bright, new chapter in Azerbaijan’s dynamic development.”

“We can all be proud of what we have accomplished together. Our Games will send a message beyond the borders of Azerbaijan, that solidarity is our strength.”

In his address, the OIC Secretary General

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Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen stressed that the magnificent session will contribute to the promotion of sports in the OIC countries and support youth in the Islamic world.

He added that the holding of the 4th edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, coincides with the declaration of 2017 as the Year of Islamic Solidarity in Azerbaijan, which is not only a testament to Azerbaijan’s commitment to the cause of the advancement of youth and sports in Member States, but also its active participation towards strengthening multiculturalism as well as inter-cultural and inter-civilizational dialogue and propagating knowledge of the Islamic values globally through Sports.

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IN FOCUS Sporting Success The opening show followed a theme of togetherness in the Islamic world, and the introduction of the 2,800 athletes from 54 countries who participated in the games was followed by the story of a young girl called Mina, who explored the world with a kite while looking to spread peace and harmony.

After a celebration of the 12,000 volunteers that helped make the Games a reality, the baton was passed over to Azerbaijan’s traditional good friends Turkey, with Istanbul set to hold the fifth Solidarity Games in 2021.

A concert featuring six famous local musicians concluded the ceremony, before a firework display of 15,000 pyrotechnics above the stadium sent the spectators home in fine fashion.

The host country Azerbaijan top the overall medals table, followed by Turkey, as Iran finished third.

Stars from many countries played their parts in the exciting Games, as the likes of Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Cameroon all claimed their maiden gold medals.

Hosts Azerbaijan, like Saudi Arabia (2005) and Indonesia (2013) before them, were worthy champions, but Turkey can look forward with genuine optimism.

The next Solidarity Games will be held in Istanbul in 2021.

A Competition Like no other Athletes from 54 countries of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) were represented at the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, an exciting multi-sport event uniting the Islamic world. They took part in the 12 days of competition across 20 different sports which include (Athletics and Para Athletics, Aquatics – Diving, Aquatics – Swimming, Aquatics – Water Polo, Basketball 3x3, Football, Gymnastics – Artistic, Gymnastics – Rhythmic, Wushu, Table Tennis, Handball, Judo and Blind Judo, Wrestling – Greco, Wrestling – Freestyle, Shooting, Tennis, Volleyball, Boxing, Zurkhaneh, Karate, Taekwondo and Weightlifting) in 16 world-class sporting venues in Baku.

Azerbaijan’s capital city Baku was awarded the Games at the General Assembly of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) in Jeddah in July 2013.

The Azerbaijan Islamic Solidarity Games Operations Committee (AISGOC) organized and run the Games in cooperation with the ISSF. Baku, the host city of the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games is one of the most alluring and cosmopolitan cities in the world and is located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Its name means “city of winds” or “city on the hill”. The city is a large scientific, cultural and industrial centre.

Authorities in Azerbaijan made the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games a successful, enjoyable, and high level fiesta.

The first Islamic Solidarity Games was held in 2005 in Saudi Arabia.

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PALESTINE FILE

Al-Aqsa Meetings in Jeddah & Istanbul: Al-Othaimeen Urges Muslim World to Support Inhabitants of Al-Quds

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espite several crises confronting the Muslim world, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has maintained that it is not moving the spotlight away from Palestinian cause, which remains “the central issue” for the world’s Muslim community.

In this context, the Organisation’s Secretary General Dr Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen called on OIC Member States, financial and private institutions, the private sector and individuals to provide all forms of assistance to the Palestinian people of Al-Quds particularly in the critical sectors, such as education, housing and health.

He made the call in his address to the opening session of the Open-Ended Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee at the level of Foreign Ministers on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, held in Istanbul on Tuesday, 1 August 2017.

The Secretary General explained that the OIC, through the Islamic Development Bank, is executing projects covering all aspects of social and economic development in Palestine.

This is in addition to financing provided by the Islamic Solidarity Fund, which since in-

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ception, has executed many projects in the State of Palestine to the tune of US$ 27 million, particularly in the maintenance of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and infrastructure projects in the Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

Al-Othaimeen emphasized that the meeting is important in order to coordinate the efforts of the OIC Member States to confront the plans by Israel, the occupying power, to take control of Al-Aqsa and Judaize AlQuds, which it has blockaded and isolated from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories.

Al-Othaimeen warned that the continuation of open Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Al-Quds places singular and collective responsibility on the shoulder of OIC Member States so that they can take measures to confront these challenges by working with the international community to assume responsibility for ending Israeli aggressions and infractions in Al-Quds.

In this connection, the Secretary General renewed his tribute to the Palestinian people in Al-Quds, affirming their connection to their land and holy sites. He praised the determination of the Jerusalemites which forced the Israeli occupation succumb to

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their legitimate demands.

He also underscored the religious and spiritual centrality of the city and the eternal connection of Muslims all over the world to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the rejection of any attempt to compromise the rights of the Palestinians to full sovereignty over Al-Quds, capital of the State of Palestine.

The Istanbul meeting was held in light of the decision at the time by Israeli occupying power aimed at restricting the entry to AlAqsa Mosque.

The meeting sent a unified message to the international community by the Muslim World, demanding it to commit Israel, the occupying Power, to respect the resolutions of the international legitimacy, the Geneva Conventions and all resolutions on the Palestinian issue, especially Al-Quds Al-Sharif, which is an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967.

The OIC had held an emergency meeting of the permanent representatives of the OIC Member States on 24 July to discuss the Israeli escalation against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and an international forum on Al-Quds in Baku, Azerbaijan, as part of its continuous

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PALESTINE FILE

efforts to demand the international community and the influential actors worldwide to prevent the recurrence of such serious violations.

During the Permanent Representatives meeting, the OIC Secretary General noted that that the issue of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line that can never be toyed with under any circumstances. He added that compromising the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in any form and under any circumstances would have very grave consequences and destabilize the region.

The final communique issued at the end of the Istanbul meeting of the Executive committee reiterated the fact that Al-Haram AlSharif, being the first Qibla of Islam and one of its three most sacred Masjids, is a sanctuary that belongs to Islam.

The Executive Committee members strongly condemned Israel’s provocative actions, which included the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound (Al-Haram Al-Sharif) and the banning of Palestinian Muslims and Christians from their natural right to worship in the holy sites in Al Quds Al Sharif, through employing collective punishment measures and the use of lethal and excessive force against peaceful Palestinian worshipers, which led to the killing and injuring of many Palestinians in Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

The communique however, welcome UNESCO World Heritage Committee resolution on the Old City and City Walls of Al-Quds

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and the selection of Al-Quds Al-Shariaf as the OIC Youth Capital for 2018.

The communique also reaffirmed the centrality of the Cause of Palestine and the religious and spiritual character of the City of Al Quds Al Sharif for the entire Muslim Ummah and its determination to defend it from all threats caused by the colonial Israeli occupation.

It equally emphasized the Arab and Islamic character of Al Quds Al Sharif (East Jerusalem), capital of the State of Palestine and affirmed its rejection of any attempts susceptible to prejudice the Palestinian right to full sovereignty over the city of Al-Quds AlSharif (East Jerusalem) as the Capital of the State of Palestine.

The meeting saluted the steadfastness and strength of Palestinian people in Jerusalem, who confronted the illegal Israeli measures with mass peaceful protests and prayers and reiterated absolute support and admiration to the strength and perseverance of the Palestinian people, who are protecting Al Quds Al Sharif on behalf of the Ummah.

The Foreign Ministers also saluted the support and efforts exerted by the Palestinian people under the leadership of his Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas in the face of the illegal Israeli measures.

The Executive committee thanked the Republic of Turkey, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kingdom of Morocco for their princi-

pled and longstanding and proactive support and also appreciated and commended the efforts being made by other leaders of Member States in supporting the Palestinian cause and in countering the illegal actions by Israel, the occupying power, in AlQuds Al-Sharif.

The Istanbul meeting therefore called on member states to uphold their responsibilities towards the Cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, by extending all possible forms of support that would help hold Israel accountable for its crimes and protect the Palestinian people, their territory and property and by opposing and responding to attempts by some states to legislate recognition and/or support of Israel’s illegal occupation of Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

The meeting also urged member states to take practical and effective measures to ensure a complete ban of all settlement products from their markets as well as measures to ensure that companies profiteering from the illegal occupation of Palestine are denied access to OIC Member States.

After series of international pressure, the Israeli restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa mosque were removed, and the OIC subsequently expressed its satisfaction that the Palestinian worshippers were able to enter the compounds of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, after the Israeli occupation forces had removed the electronic gates initially erected.

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PALESTINE FILE OIC lashes out at Israel

over Situation of

T

Palestinian Prisoners

he Permanent Representatives Committee of the Organisation OIC Member States, convened at the General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 18 May 2017 to debate the issue of Palestinian prisoners who were on hunger strike in the Israeli occupation jails, at a request from the State of Palestine.

The meeting reiteratied that the practices and policies pursued by Israel, the occupant power, against the Palestinian prisoners represent a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian law, the Human Rights Charter, the standard elementary regulations of prisoner treatment and other relevant international conventions.

The OIC expressed its profound concern over the plight of more than one thousand Palestinian detainees and prisoners, led by imprisoned Palestinian leader and parliamentarian Marwan Barghouthi, who embarked on an open-ended hunger strike from 17 April 2017 that lasted for more than 40 days.

The OIC expressed solidarity with the peaceful, non-violent action, called the “Freedom and Dignity Strike”, by the detainees and prisoners in protest of their inhumane treatment by Israel, the occupying power, and calls for respect of their rights in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law.

The OIC condemned Israeli attempts to break the hunger strike by force, including through incitement, punitive measures, and threats of force-feeding which amounts to torture.

The OIC reiterated its grave concern that there are more than 6,500 Palestinian civilians, including 300 children and 65 women, currently imprisoned by Israel, among them nearly 500 held in administrative detention without charge. These prisoners are being held under harsh, inhumane conditions and

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being subjected to physical and mental illtreatment, including torture, severe interrogations, intimidation and solitary confinement, and denied access to proper medical care and family visits.

The OIC noted the shocking statistics that these Palestinians are among the more than 800,000 Palestinians, including children, imprisoned by Israel, the occupant power, since 1967 and that the conviction rate of Palestinians in front of Israeli military courts has ranged between 90 and over 99 percent in recent years. These numbers clearly indicate that Israel is resorting to mass arbitrary arrest as a means to subjugate the Palestinian people and suppress their freedoms and rights, including to self-determination, and that the Israeli courts are in breach of international law.

The OIC reiterateed its call for proper international access to Palestinian detainees and prisoners and the inspection of their conditions, stressing that Israel, the occupying power, must be held fully accountable for their well-being.

In this regard the OIC reaffirmed its continued support for the cause of Palestinian detainees and prisoners “International Campaign for the Freedom of Marwan Barghouti and all the Palestinian Prisoners” The meeting stressed on the centrality of the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al Sharif for the OIC as the pivotal issue in whose defense the Member States are unanimously agreed and around which their stand is united in all international fora.

In this respect the meeting expresses its deep concern over the recurrent negative voting of certain Member States on resolutions pertaining to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian People or to the defense of the cause of Al-Quds fully in harmony with the resolutions of the OIC summit and ministerial conferences, the latest such instance being the one involving a Member State

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recently voting against the resolution presented to the 201st session of the UNESCO under the heading of “Occupied Palestine” in defense of the City of Al-Quds against the Israeli violations, as well as the abstention of certain Member States and the absence of others, thus denying the resolution their support, in addition to the failure of one member of state to lend its support to the resolutions relevant to the Palestinian people’s human rights, including their right to self-determination, at the 34th session of the Human Rights Commission, which could thus encourage Israel, the occupant force, to persist in its violation of the Palestinian people’s rights.

The meeting reaffirmed the need for all Member States to abide by the resolutions issued by the OIC summit and ministerial conferences which, among other things, call for voting in favour of the resolutions of the Palestine State in international fora, particularly against the background of Israel, the occupation force, persisting in its illegitimate practices and violations against international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy, including through the construction of colonialist settlements, the robbing of Palestinian land and the judeization of Al-Quds.

The Meeting requested the General Secretariat to take the necessary steps, to ensure support for the OIC-backed resolutions regarding the cause of Palestine.

Hundreds of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners ended the 40-day hunger strike after Israel acceded to some of their demands for more family visits, an end to solitary confinement, better health care, greater access to education and improved treatment for female inmates.

The strike provoked widespread demonstrations among Palestinians in solidarity with the protesters and clashes with Israeli occupying security forces.

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PALESTINE FILE Al-Othaimeen Underscores the Importance of Providing Economic Support to Palestinians to Face Occupation The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen underscored the importance of stepping up the economic support for the Palestinian people as one of the engines of its steadfastness in the face of Israeli occupation and the constraints it imposes on their livelihood.

On 8 May2017, the Secretary General addressed the international forum on Al-Quds Waqfs held in Istanbul, Turkey, under the theme “Role of Waqfs in Economic Development in and around the city of Al-Quds Al-Shareef”.

In his statement, the Secretary General said that the Palestinian cause has been the first and major cause on the OIC’s agenda. He reaffirmed the OIC’s position in support for the Palestinian people in their struggle to regain their legitimate rights, chief of which are freedom and the establishment of their Palestinian independent and fully sovereign state based on the 1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Shareef as its capital.

Al-Othaimeen added that the OIC welcomes initiatives in support of Al-Quds Al-Shareef, in constant coordination with the State of Palestine, and within the framework of the relevant resolutions and initiatives adopted by different sessions of the Islamic Summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers.

Side Meetings The Secretary General held talks with Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Rami Al-Hamdallah, on means of enhancing cooperation

and joint Islamic action to support the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

During the meeting held in Istanbul on the sidelines of the International Forum for the Endowments of Al-Quds, Al-Othaimeen was briefed on the latest situation in AlQuds and the political developments. He also discussed the mobilization of more support for the city and its resilient people.

Furthermore, the Secretary General reiterated the Organization’s firm commitment to continue efforts to empower Palestinian citizens in Al-Quds and to strengthen their steadfastness, as well as to face Israeli measures aimed at Judaizing the city and isolating it from its Palestinian surroundings.

Also, Turkish Prime Minister, Ben Ali Yildirim, received the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, at the historic Dolma Bahja Palace in Istanbul, and discussed with him issues of common concern, including the political efforts exerted

by the OIC to establish peace and stability in the Middle East and to combat Islamophobia.

Yildirim expressed the concern of Turkey, Chair of the 13th OIC Summit, over the grave situation in the city of Al-Quds and the Haram al-Sharif, stressing that Turkey continues to draw the attention of its international counterparts to the serious repercussions of such developments on regional security and stability, and that it will work to keep this issue high on the agenda of the international community.

On his part, Al-Othaimeen valued the positions of the Turkish government and people in support of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their active contributions to empower Al-Quds inhabitants and strengthen their resilience in the face of Israeli Judaization policies in the city of Jerusalem.

The Secretary General, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen also met with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss political developments and issues of common concern.

During the meeting, Erdogan stressed Turkey’s continued support for the OIC and its role in promoting joint Islamic action in order to uphold the causes of the Muslim Ummah in general and the Palestinian cause in particular. On his part, the Secretary General paid tribute to the constructive positions of the Turkish Republic and its active initiatives to promote joint Islamic action.

OIC Briefs Baku Conference on Israeli Aggression against Al Aqsa The International Conference titled (Role of International Community in Providing Political and Economic Support to Al Quds) co-organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, was held in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan on 20 July 2017.

OIC Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Al Quds Affairs, Ambassador Samir Bakr Diyab, delivered a speech on behalf of the Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen in which he highlighted Israel’s unprecedented and dangerous escalation

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of its violations, the recent and most serious of which are closure of Al Aqsa Mosque and installation of electronic gates in an attempt to change the status quo.

The Secretary General’s speech pointed out that Israel, the occupying power, continues its policy to impose new reality on the ground in order to alter the demographic nature of the occupied Al Quds city and eradicate its identity, attacking the Islamic and Christian holy sites in an attempt to isolate Al Quds from its Palestinian surroundings in clear violation of international law and relevant resolutions of international

legitimacy. Ambassador Bakr renewed the OIC warning against the dangerous continuation of these violations that constitute an aggression and unprecedented provocation to the feelings of Muslims and further lead to expansion of the sphere of conflict taking it to a dangerous religious dimension.

Baku two-day meeting comes within a series of meetings organized by the OIC in partnership with the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in an attempt to raise international awareness of the current developments in the question of Palestine.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017

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PALESTINE FILE OIC Welcomes UNESCO Resolutions on Palestine and Accession of Palestine to Interpol The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the ratification in May by the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) of two resolutions on “Occupied Palestine” and “Cultural and Educational Institutions in the Occupied Arab Territories”. It commended the positions of states having supported these resolutions that affirm the international community’s rejection and condemnation of Israeli occupation policies and measures aimed at infringing on the inalienable political, cultural and religious

rights of the Palestinian people in the city of Al-Quds, the capital of the State of Palestine.

The OIC Secretary General, Yousef A. AlOthaimeen underscored the importance of implementing these resolutions and called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take the requisite steps to end serious Israeli violations of the landmarks of the Arab-Islamic heritage in Palestine and particularly in the cities of AlQuds and Al-Khaleel, which are in contradiction with the principles of international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also welcomed the admission of the State of Palestine to the membership of the International Police Organization “Interpol”, a political achievement, in its view, which will consolidate the role and standing of the State of Palestine in the international arena. The OIC Secretary General commended the states that stood up in favour of the Palestinians’ right and reaffirmed the OIC’s full support to the State of Palestine in any quest to join even more international conventions and organizations.

Successful Municipal Elections in Palestine Hailed The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed its satisfaction with the smooth process of the Palestinian municipal elections, which took place in a well-organized, transparent and credible competitive atmosphere.

The General Secretariat also paid tribute to the efforts made to enable the Palestinian people to overcome obstacles and reach this important and crucial stage, and emphasized that these elections represent a positive step within the framework of anchoring and consolidating commitment to and participation in the democratic process and respect for institutions in the State of

Palestine.

The Secretary General sent a delegation from the OIC General Secretariat to par-

ticipate in the monitoring process of the municipal elections, which took place on 13 May 2017, in response to an invitation received from the chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Committee as a confirmation of the OIC’s interest in this pivotal exercise.

The OIC observer mission concluded that the elections process at the visited polling stations were carried out in a serene, transparent and well organized manner and that the Palestinian Central Elections Committee saw to it that the electoral legislations relevant to the Palestinian local authorities were duly respected.

OIC Condemns Ratification of a Plan for 4000 New Settlement Units in Al-Quds

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, strongly condemned the decision of the Israeli occupation authorities to ratify the construction of 4000 new settlement units in the occupied city of Al-Quds, stat-

10 OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017

ing that settlements built on the occupied territory of the State of Palestine are illegitimate by virtue of international law and relevant UN resolutions.

Al-Othaimeen warned against the serious impact of the decision of the Israeli occupation authority to set up a council for the administration of the affairs of settlers in Hebron, considering the decision a serious precedent aimed at consecrating settlement and imposing discriminatory regulations as part of the Israeli occupation’s plans to judaize the old town of Hebron. He added that continued Israeli settlement activities are an open aggression on the rights of the Palestinian people and reflect the insistence of Israel, the occupation power, on its policies designed to undermine international efforts to achieve the two-state solution.

Al-Othaimeen reiterated its call on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities in Hebron and compel Israel, the occupation power, to respect its international commitments and halt its settlement policies considered as a crime against humanity that must be brought to an end.

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WORLD AFFAIRS Al-Othaimeen Congratulates Erdogan on the Outcome of Constitutional Amendments

In a letter to His Excellency the President of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, extended to the President and Turkish people his heartfelt felicitations

on the outcome of the referendum for the constitutional amendments held in Turkey on 16 April 2017.

The Secretary General stressed that the results of this key popular vote are an emphatic expression that the Turkish people are keen on having a strong constitutional regime capable of securing political stability and economic prosperity.

The Secretary General took the opportunity to assure the President that the OIC is determined, as it has always been, to deepen its bilateral cooperation with the Republic of Turkey, being an important Member State and the current chair of the Islamic Summit, for the sake of better serving the interests of our Ummah at this admittedly critical

juncture.

The Secretary General concluded his letter by wishing President Erdogan and the people of Turkey ever-greater affluence, wellbeing and progress.

A constitutional referendum was held throughout Turkey on 16 April 2017 on whether to approve 18 proposed amendments to the Turkish constitution that were brought forward by the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Under the approved referendum, the office of the Prime Minister was abolished and the existing parliamentary system of government was be replaced with an executive presidency and a presidential system.

OIC Welcomes the Libyan Dialogue in the UAE The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the constructive meeting held between Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj of the Government of National Accord and the Commander of the Libyan army, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, at the kind initiative of the United Arab Emirates.

The official spokesperson for the OIC considered this meeting a positive step on the correct track, expressing hope for continued dialogue among the parties concerned with a view to resolving the Libyan crisis through peaceful means and away from any escalation.

The official spokesperson underscored the OIC’s keenness to bring about peace, security and stability in Libya, and its readiness

General Khalifa Hafta

Fayez Al Sarraj

to utilize its full potential to that end.

Ever since its foundation, UAE has worked to support dialogue and peaceful resolution

of disputes that have plagued the region.

Therefore, it was very much in this tradition of facilitating rational discussion that Fayez Al Sarraj, head of the United Nationsbacked government in Tripoli, and General Khalifa Haftar, who commands the Libyan National Army, met in Abu Dhabi to see how they can work together for the betterment of their country.

The two men head rival Libyan groups that have divided Libya between them in that country’s long civil war.

Therefore, it was encouraging when they both issued statements after their meeting in which both called for a resolution to Libya’s political and economic crises and for joint efforts to defeat armed groups.

Secretary General Congratulates Algerian People on the Successful Legislative Elections

At the invitation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, a delegation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) took part in the observation of the legislative elections in Algeria on 4 May 2017. The delegation met with representatives of the competent authorities and political parties and with observers from other

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international organizations participating in the observation of the election process. The delegation also visited many poll centers and took stock of the course of the electoral process and the ballot counting, which took place in a calm, organized and transparent atmosphere.

The OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, expressed satisfaction with the success of the legislative elections, and congratulated the Algerian people for having once again demonstrated commitment to the values of democracy and respect for institutions, expressing hope that these elections would contribute to strengthening the country’s rich experience on the track of democracy, development and good governance.

In addition to General Secretariat representatives, the OIC delegation consisted of observers from Member States, namely, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Malaysia.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 11

WORLD AFFAIRS Riyadh Historic Summit

A United Muslim Front Against Extremism and Terrorism

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he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and to the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince on the success of the USArab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was attended by leaders of 55 OIC Member States.

The Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, praised the statement delivered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the Summit on Sunday, 21 May 2017 which addressed the risks of terrorism and extremism.

Al Othaimeen affirmed that the positions voiced by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques are reflective of the Saudi leadership’s keenness to always be responsive to the events surrounding the Islamic world, and represent an extension of the Saudi Kingdom’s unwavering stands in favour of coordinating efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism at both the regional and international levels.

The Secretary General renewed the OIC’s firm stand in condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and noted that the danger that threatens the Islamic world consists in the growth of this phe-

nomenon along with the other phenomena of extremism and sectarian infights, thus representing serious challenges that call for sustained cooperation among the Member States to confront them.

He also recalled that the OIC had, on multiple occasions, raised the alarm against the danger of the extremist groups that had hijacked Islam and given themselves the right to speak on its behalf, whereas Islam with its matrix of values, parameters and goals is totally foreign to such concepts.

The Secretary General stressed on the need to disintegrate the environment that feeds the growth of terrorism and extremism, and to identify and track down the parties that support these evils.

Etidal Centre Al Othaimeen also praised the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in launching an international centre for combating extremist ideology, an initiative which, he noted, is indicative of a pertinent vision and rare genius in spreading a culture of balance and moderation, which form the essence of the noble Islamic faith, the religion of peace, tolerance and mutuality.

Al Othaimeen, laid stress on the OIC’s readiness to cooperate with the Centre in achieving its anticipated goals, particularly as the OIC itself has recently set up an Out-

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reach Centre to combat extremist ideology.

The Secretary General further welcomed the US-Gulf Centre for combating terrorist funding, noting that the centre represents an important step towards draining the sources of terrorism.

The Secretary General described the initiative as heralding the beginning of an advanced and attuned stage in combating extremism intellectually and digitally, and in enhancing coexistence and tolerance among nations.

The Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) aims to promote the culture of moderation by monitoring, analyzing and anticipating extremist ideology, addressing it, confronting it and preventing it, and to cooperate with governments and relevant organizations to achieve success.

Palestinian Cause The OIC Secretary General Dr Youesf AlOthaimeen also seconded the substantive views carried in the statement of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques during the Riyadh Summit as to the need to achieve peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis as a fair demand that calls for sacrifices on both sides and a genuine resolve to serve the common interest.

Al Othaimeen asserted in this respect the OIC’s permanent commitment to stand by the Palestinian people and support the efforts made by the Palestinian leadership on the international scene in the defense of their legitimate rights.

Al Othaimeen also insisted on the OIC’s consistent efforts in combating terrorism and extremism at all levels: political, economic, social and cultural, as well as on the need to boost the values of balance, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General welcomed the statements made by the leaders of the Islamic States who attended the Summit, and asserted that the summit was a demonstration of the Islamic world’s keenness in combating the danger of terrorism and extremism, which target the Member States’ stability, security and sovereignty and threaten international peace and security and the adherence to non-interference in the affairs of other states and to the ideal of good neighborhood in accordance with the OIC charter.

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WORLD AFFAIRS OIC Secretary General Sends Congratulatory Message to French President-elect Macron The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, on 8 May 2017 sent a congratulatory message to the new President of the French Republic, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron, wishing him full success in his mandate.

Al-Othaimeen said he was confident that France would remain a model for democracy where people from varied ethnic and religious origins peacefully coexist, always united in liberty, equality and fraternity against violence, extremism and hatred.

He added that as one of the Muslim world’s principal partners, France closely cooperates with both the Member States and the OIC, as part of annual political consultations, on common issues relative to countering terrorism, promoting stability in the Member States and reviving the peace process in the Middle East.

Emmanuel Macron has vowed to unite a divided France after winning a decisive victory over the far-right Front National candidate Marine Le Pen in the country’s presidential election.

OIC Welcomes the Choice of Prince Muhammad Ibn Salman as Crown Prince The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation welcomed the choice by the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud – may Allah preserve him – of His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad Ibn Salman Ibn Abdulaziz as Crown Prince and Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers while continuing in his role as Defense Minister.

The Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen expressed his congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques over this blessed choice given HRH Prince Muhammad Ibn Salman’s experience, wisdom and vision in the management of the affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, his

dedication to the service of his religion, na-

tion and ummah, and his commitment to taking far-reaching steps on joint Islamic action in the interest of the Islamic ummah. The Secretary General also stated that the internal and external achievements attained by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Muhammad Ibn Salman in the recent past, the latest being the huge success achieved by the US-Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh, made him the man of the moment.

The Secretary General prayed Allah to protect the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques and His loyal Crown Prince in the service of the religion, the nation and the Islamic ummah at this critical stage in the history of the Islamic ummah.

OIC Expresses Solidarity with Muslims in Sri Lanka

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Al-

Othaimeen stressed the OIC’s full solidarity with and support for the Muslim community of Sri Lanka against the apparent rising trend of violence instigated by extremists which is spreading fear and mistrust among the population. The Secretary General expressed that the reports of attacks on homes, businesses and mosques are of great concern and deeply regrettable.

While appealing for calm and peaceful re-

lations between the communities, Dr. AlOthaimeen urged the authorities to enforce the rule of law, investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice. He noted that the Muslim community in Sri Lanka has a long-standing presence in the country and a tradition of living in peace and harmony with their compatriots and contributing to the cultural and economic life of the country as a whole.

Al-Othaimeen Hail Kuwait and Cote d’Ivoire on Their Election as Non-Permanent Members of UNSC The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, congratulated Kuwait and the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire on their election as non-permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2018 - 2019.

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The Secretary General stated that the election of Kuwait and Cote d’Ivoire testifies to the significant contribution the two nations have been making to peace and security at the regional and international levels. He expressed confidence that the two countries will avail their position at the UNSC to fur-

ther the interests of the OIC and its Member States.

In a single round of voting, the United Nations General Assembly elected Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Peru and Poland as non-permanent members of the Security Council for the next two years.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 13

WORLD AFFAIRS Bangsamoro Coordination Forum Convened Informal Consultation Meeting in Jeddah to Discuss the Peace Process in the Southern Philippine

U

The Secretary General chairs the consultation meeting in Jeddah

pon invitation from the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, and in implementation of the resolutions of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the question of the Muslims in Southern Philippines, a Consultation Session of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) was held at the Headquarters of the OIC in Jeddah on 8th May 2017. Ambassador Sayed El-Masry, OIC Secretary General Peace Envoy for the Southern Philippines, presided over the meeting. Invitations were issued in accordance with an agreed formula known as the Jeddah formula.

The BCF was established by the OIC on 18th May 2010 after securing the agreement of both professor Nur Misuari, Chairman of the Moro National liberation Front (MNLF) and Hajj Murad Ibrahim, Chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to establish a mechanism for coordination between the two fronts in order to consolidate their movement towards achieving the aspiration of the Bangsamoro people for a just and lasting peaceful resolution to their problem.

The OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) asked the BCF to discuss ways and means for finding common ground between the 1976 Tripoli Peace Agreement, the 1996 Jakarta Peace Agreement and the Comprehensive Agreement of Bangsamoro (CAB) in order to harmonize the two peace tracks and preserve the gains contained in these agreements which the MNLF and the MILF mutually recognize and respect.

It is to be recalled that the OIC always maintained that the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Jakarta Agreement continue to

formulate the basis for any settlement of the conflict.

It has become an urgent need at present to formulate concrete proposals to achieve this goal in view of the new initiatives of the current Philippines administration to devise a cardinal solution to the problem of unconstitutionality that has been facing the peace treaties for the last forty years.

During the meeting, the participants exchanged views about the recent development, in particular, regarding the work of the Bangsamoro Transition Council (BTC) which is entrusted with drafting the basic law for the Autonomous region. The meeting took a strong stand against any attempt to come up with a diluted version of the draft bill during the congressional review.

The meeting also discussed the enlargement of the BCF to include other stakeholders including Bangsamoro civil society organisations and the qualification for membership.

The meeting decided to adopt an incremental and inclusive approach towards the question of strengthening and enlarging the BCF. The BCF members welcomes the promise of H. E. President Duterte of the Philippines to lift the arrest warrant against chairman Misuari and to restore his freedom. The OIC Special Envoy for Peace Process in Southern Philippines and Chairman of the BCF, Amb Sayed El-Masry declared that the “OIC has always maintained that Chairman Misuari is indispensable for the peace process adding that we were assured by the Philippines Authority that they will work to remove any impediment on his participation in the peace process.”

Members of the BCF thanked the OIC and

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secretary General for its continued support, and reiterated their pledge that they continue to cooperate with the OIC and among themselves to fulfill the aspiration of the Bangsamoro people.

Similarly, the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Youssef Al Othaimeen, welcomes the cooperative and accommodating position declared by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on 19 July 2017 that it will no longer submit a draft new autonomy law to avoid complications and it will contribute directly to the fast tracking of federalism.

On the other hand, in support of the peace process the OIC Secretary General convened the 4th Session of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) on the 11th July 2017 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on the margins of the 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM).

Ambassador Sayed El-Masry, OIC Secretary General Peace Envoy on the southern Philippines presided over the meeting, and both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were represented. The OIC continues to deal with the MNLF through the Jeddah formula under the chairmanship of Professor Nur Misuari, the founding father of the MNLF The agenda of the meeting discussed the prospects of the peace process after one year of the Duterte administration and its new approach towards the Bangsamoro question; the convergence of the two peace tracks without sacrificing any of the commitments and obligations contained in all peace agreements; the principles guiding enlargement of the BCF and the current situation in Marawi.

The meeting was acquainted with the contents of the new Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), in particular, its approach regarding the remaining three contentious issues, ie, territories, referendum and strategic minerals.

The meeting noted in particular that the opt-in clause at the new proposal included the territories as stipulated in the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Final Peace Agreement, and it further welcomed the adoption of the Co-management clause as agreed upon during the Tripartite talks.

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WORLD AFFAIRS OIC Launches Global Action to Save the Muslim Rohingya from Systematic Persecution and Annihilation

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he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 29 August 2017 condemned the renewed outbreak of violence affecting the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine State, Myanmar, which has led to thousands to flee their homes to neighboring Bangladesh.

This has been clearly evidenced in the systematic and organized destruction of many villages and homes by vigilante groups under the cover of army and police forces, particularly in Quarter No. 5 in Maungdow city.

The OIC condemns the indiscriminate use of military force, including heavy artillery, on civilian populations, which has displaced more than 20,000 Rohingya across the region. The OIC calls upon the Myanmar government to immediately restore the displaced persons to their homes and allow humanitarian aid agencies to assist the affected people.

The OIC noted that, these events violate the basic rights of the Rohingya and they also represent a grave violation of Myanmar’s government’s international commitments to protect civilians. Such incidents of violence only serve to exacerbate tensions and fuel instability.

The government has blamed militants for the violence and has accused the Rohingya of setting fire to their own homes and denied any responsibility by the security forces for the chaos that has ensued. Recent at-

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tacks by militant groups are not condoned by the OIC. However, the Government of Myanmar must enforce the rule of law and work to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The OIC notes that the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Chaired by Kofi Annan clearly indicated that greater efforts are needed by the government to prevent violence, maintain peace, foster reconciliation and offer a sense of hope to the long suffering Rohingya population. The current crisis in Rakhine state has the potential of destabilizing the entire region unless the core issues of inequality, justice and citizenship are resolved. In that regard the Secretary General calls upon the United Nations Security Council to address the issue.

The OIC further calls upon Member States to abide by Resolutions adopted in the Emergency Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Kuala Lumpur on 19 January 2017 and those adopted by the 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Minsters in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire on 11 July 2017.

The OIC expresses support for the recent statements issued by OIC Member States, which highlighted concern over the violence and the deteriorating humanitarian situation facing the Rohingya and emphasizes that it is a charter obligation to “safeguard the rights, dignity and religious and

cultural identity of Muslim communities and minorities in non-Member-states.”

On his part, the OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, on 30 August 2017 addressed separate letters to Mr. António Guterres, UN Secretary General, and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, on the renewed outbreak of violence affecting the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

Referring to the indiscriminate use of force against the civilian populations in Rakhine, which had led to miserable situation affecting a huge number of civilians across the region, Dr. Al-Othaimeen reiterated OIC’s call upon the United Nations to continue exerting pressure on Myanmar to end the violence and restore to the Rohingya their basic rights. He also expressed the hope that the United Nations Security Council could urgently and effectively address the issue.

The Secretary General expressed the OIC’s concern also to the State Counsellor of Myanmar over the situation in Rakhine State and called upon the authorities to immediately cease the violence, restore the displaced persons to their homes and allow humanitarian aid agencies to assist the affected people.

On a separate occasion, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, urged the European Union and United Nations agencies to take action to alleviate the suffering of the Rohingya people of Myanmar. The Secretary General addressed separate letters to Ms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR); HRH Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), and Mr Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), calling for decisive steps to end the ongoing crisis in Rakhine State.

The Secretary General reiterated that the OIC joined the international community in calling for the recommendations of the Rakhine State Commission to be implemented, but these are long-term goals and there is an urgent and immediate need for lifesaving intervention.

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WORLD AFFAIRS OIC Secretary General congratulates Iraqi leadership on the liberation Mosul and Tal Afar The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, on 10 July 2017 congratulated Fouad Maasoum –President of the Republic of Iraq, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi, and the Iraqi people on the occasion of recapturing Mosul city from the grip of Daesh terrorist group, and reaffirmed the OIC’s support to the Iraqi government in combating terrorism and drying out its sources.

Al-Othaimeen expressed his sincere congratulations to the government and people of Iraq on the success of the armed and security forces to retake Mosul from Daesh and extend its control over the city - uprooting the terrorist group from the city. He further stressed the OIC’s commitment to

continue to coordinate with the Iraqi government to convene the second Makkah Conference, as part of the ongoing efforts to achieve security and stability in Iraq.

The Secretary General also on 28 August 2017 congratulated the President, the Prime Minister and the people of the Republic of Iraq, on the recapture of the northern city of Tal Afar from Daesh terrorist organization, affirming the OIC’s support for the efforts of the Iraqi government in fighting terror organizations and combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Kurdistan Referendum The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed deep concern over the planned referendum in Kurdistan region in Iraq on 25 September

2017. It appealed to the Presidency of Kurdistan to cancel the planned referendum as it runs against the constitution of Iraq and considering its negative impact on the current efforts to fight terrorism. The General Secretariat also underscored the need to adhere to and respect the constitution and to exert all possible efforts to preserve the unity, security, stability and territorial integrity of Iraq.

It is worth noting that, in their statements at their Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) held in New York on Friday 22 September 2017, OIC member states’ foreign ministers expressed their concern over this referendum and called for adherence to the Iraqi constitution in order to preserve the unity, security and stability of Iraq.

OIC: Bombing of Al-Nuri Mosque and Al-Hadbaa Minaret in Mosul, Iraq is a Cultural Tragedy The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the bombing of Al-Nuri Mosque in the old city in the western side of Mosul on Thursday, 22 June 2017, causing total destruction of the mosque and its famous al-Hadbaa minaret.

This mosque, which was built by the founder of the Zengid Dynasty, Amir Nur ad-Din Zengi in 1173, is one of the most prominent Islamic historical monuments in Mosul. The OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, condemned this act and described it as a cultural tragedy and crime against humanity. He also expressed his agony at the loss of this important historical

monument not only for Mosul but also for the entire world.

Dr. Al-Othaimeen called for intensified effort to preserve and protect cultural heritage particularly in conflict zones in view of

their role in promoting social security and peace, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2347 on the protection of cultural heritage in conflict zones adopted in March 2017.

The Secretary General also applauded the efforts of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) for following up on the issues of preservation of cultural heritage in the Muslim world, and called on all OIC institutions working in the domain to coordinate and make concerted efforts to protect heritage in the Muslim world against the perfidy of terrorist groups

OIC Secretary General Condemns Continued Violence against the Kashmiri People The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the continued and alarming use of violence by the Indian security forces in the Indian occupied Kashmir against the innocent civilians.

The OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, expressed his sorrow over the recent incidents resulting in the death and injury of several Kashmiris. He condemned the continued use of force by the Indian security forces and called upon India to immediately stop these excessive acts of systematic human rights violations of the Kashmiri people.

The Secretary General noted that the Kashmiris remain victims of the denial of their inalienable rights to self-determination and

have been suffering from the non-implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

In a related note, the OIC General Secretariat has reacted to a press release issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding the resolution adopted on Jammu and Kashmir by the 44th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Minsters (CFM) held in Abidjan, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, in July 2017.

The OIC General Secretariat would like to emphasize that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the oldest unresolved international disputes pending on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council and of the OIC Summit and CFM meetings.

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The OIC has always supported peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. It has also endeavored to engage with India aimed at helping the peaceful resolution of the dispute. It still hopes that the OIC Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir would be able to visit the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) for an objective and impartial judgment of the overall situation there. Likewise, it expects that the Indian Government would permit a delegation of the Independence Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) to visit IoK to verify the reported human rights violations there.

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OPINION Countering the extremist narratives

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urrently, the cyber platforms are increasingly being used by terrorist groups to spread messages of hate, despair and disillusionment and disseminate distorted interpretations of the Holy Quran and Hadith. These groups play with the sensibilities of the Muslim youth by exploiting their socioeconomic deprivations, recruit and train terrorists, spread war propaganda and their ideologies.

Ambassador Abdul Moiz Bokhari Adviser to the secretary General of the (OIC)

The Sawt Al-Hikma (Voice of Wisdom) acts in support of the CDPU in counter messaging developing authentic narrative to delegitimize the extremist discourse and projecting the true message of Islam through the social media and the internet.

Various terrorist groups, Al-Qaeda, Daesh, Boko Haram and other smaller regional terrorist groups present themselves as “the savior” and an alternative to “oppressive” governments. According to some intelligence estimates, over 50,000 Daesh supporters use Twitter accounts, utilizing software applications that enable Daesh literature to be distributed automatically via its supporters. Almost one in five Daesh supporters use English as their primary language while three quarters use Arabic.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the second largest intergovernmental body in the world after the UN, commits its Member States to promoting international peace and security, understanding and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions and fostering Islamic values of moderation, tolerance and respect for diversity. The Organisation has consistently been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism and extremism making it one of the top priorities on its agenda.

The OIC Member States are among the countries most affected by terrorism. Yet, Islam and the Muslims remain the primary target and victim of religious and faith-based intolerance and Islamophobic policies and discourse. No religion condones, much less permits, the killing of innocent people. It strongly denounces what took place in New York, Paris, Brussels, London or elsewhere in Europe and continues to take place daily in the OIC countries. This surely is condemnable based on the ethical standards of today and the rational Islamic law, the Quran and the instructions from the life of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).

The OIC being the collective voice of Muslims with first-hand knowledge and understanding of the current context, is well placed to play a key role in countering extremist propaganda, deconstructing violent ideologies, promoting moderation and providing the right interpretation of Islamic texts. Recognizing the need to contain all types of radical extremist discourse, the Organization has taken steps to disseminate the correct message and information about Islam as a religion of peace and building bridges and encouraging dialogue to promote mutual respect, tolerance and understanding.

Eestablishment of the Center for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding (CDPU) with Sawt Al-Hikma as its operational arm is an important contribution by the OIC in the war against international terrorism and violent extremism.The Sawt Al-Hikma (Voice of Wisdom) acts in support of the CDPU in counter messaging developing authentic narrative to delegitimize the extremist discourse and projecting the true message of Islam through the social media and the internet. The overall responsibility to plan and undertake activities that contribute in providing intellectual and ideological foundations to the larger efforts for promoting respect for diversity, values of moderation, tolerance, peaceful co-existence and building bridges with Muslim communities in non-OIC states, rests with the CDPU. Its other functions include serving as a resource bank for regional and local CT/PVE initiatives; evaluating current efforts and programs for countering violent extremism, specifically the development of alternative narratives, and pre-empting conditions which breed extremist discourse; and coordinating, cooperating and collaborating with other stakeholders in countering violent extremism. In order to effectively engage and optimize its outreach, the Center will make use of graphics, videos and animations as well as closely liaise with similar initiatives at national level in the Member States, relevant institutions in the OIC system and other regional and the UN bodies.

The Department of Dialogue and Outreach in the General Secretariat is currently responsible for the functioning of the Sawt Al-Hikma: Center for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding (www.oic-cdpu.org) on professional lines.

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OIC NEWS Secretary General Received Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Northern Cyprus and Cote d’Ivoire The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, has on 16 April 2017 received in his office received H.E. Mr. Tahsin Ertugruloglu, Foreign Minister of Turkish Cypriote.

The Secretary General and the Foreign Minister of Turkish Cypriote held talks on wide range of issues pertaining to OIC-Turkish Cypriot relations. During the meeting, the two sides also explored ways of improving their bilateral relations in all areas. The Secretary General further reiterated OIC’s continued support for the rightful cause of the Muslim Turkish Cypriots who constitute an integral part of the Islamic world and for a

The Secretary General with the Foreign Minister of Turkish Cypriote

peaceful resolution of the Cyprus issue.

The Secretary General and the Minister also discussed the ways and means of implementing the OIC resolutions adopted on situation in Cyprus.

The Secretary General also received in his office on 17 April 2017 His Excellency Mr. Ally Coulibaly, Minister of African Integration and Ivoirians Abroad of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.

The Secretary General and the Minister of Côte d’Ivoire discussed a wide range of issues relating to the relations between the OIC and Côte d’Ivoire. During the meeting, the two sides explored ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation relations.

They also highlighted the importance of investment, development projects in Côte d’Ivoire and security challenges related to the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.

Al -Othaimeen: 17 Countries to join OIC Contact Group on Peace and Conflict Resolution Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen has announced that 17 countries representing all geographical regions of OIC have expressed their willingness to join OIC Contact Group on Peace and Conflict Resolution (PCR).

The Secretary General stressed this in a speech delivered on his behalf by Amb. Tariq Bakhiet, OIC’s Director General of Political Affairs Department, during the first meeting of experts on OIC Contact Group on Peace and Conflict Resolution held at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah on 17 April 2017.

Al-Othaimeen noted that the number is unprecedentedly big for a contact group,

and it shows the readiness of OIC member countries to unite their efforts to serve the stability and security of the whole region rather than certain countries.

“We expect that the Contact group will contribute towards the solution of internal conflicts in the Member States and conflicts which could arise between OIC Member States, with the consent of the concerned parties and with putting values of Islamic Solidarity forward,” said Al-Othaimeen.

“Emphasis should be made on peaceful political approaches along with various principles of international relations in promoting peace. We need to be careful and totally avoid the use of violence and military approach,” he added.

The OIC Contact Group is tasked with the responsibility of building frameworks and strategies for collaboration in finding best solutions for various challenges faced by the Islamic World. It will work on emerging issues, which include radicalism, extremism, sectarianism, terrorism and challenges of peace with consent of concerned member states; as well as intra- and interstate conflict resolution in the Islamic World.

The Republic of Indonesia proposed the establishment of the Contact Group during the 42nd Session of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Kuwait in 2015 and was later supported by the Thirteen OIC Summit in Istanbul in April 2016 and 43rd Session of CFM in Tashkent.

Al-Othaimeen Received Permanent Representative of Russia and the Swedish Envoy to the OIC

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, received in his office on Sunday, 30 April 2017, Ambassador Sergey Kozlov, Permanent Representative of Russia

to the OIC. The two sides discussed OICRussia bilateral issues and issues of mutual interest.

In addition, the Secretary General on 1st May 2017 received in his office Dr. Joachim Bergstrom, the newly appointed Ambassador of Sweden to the OIC, who was at the General Secretariat for bilateral consultations with the Secretary General and senior officials.

The Secretary General and the Swedish Envoy discussed many issues of mutual interest and common concern. Dr. Bergstrom, whose main focus was on religious diplomacy, tolerance, de-radicalization and com-

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bating Islamaphobia and hatred, expressed the need for an increased joint efforts and cooperation between the OIC and Sweden in this regards.

On his part, the Secretary General welcomed the appointment of Dr. Bergstrom as an opportunity to strengthened cooperation between the OIC and Sweden. Dr Al-Othaimeen stated further that he was looking forward for more consultations that aims to deepen the relation between the two sides, especially in the fight against terrorism, development and education of youth from the OIC Member States in science and technology.

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OIC NEWS President of Mali Discusses Security Challenges with OIC Secretary General in Jeddah

The President of the Republic of Mali, His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim Boubakar Keita, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, received on Thursday, 20 April 2017, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), His Excellency Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, and his accompanying delegation at Jeddah Conference Palace.

The Malian President and the OIC Secretary General exchanged

views concerning bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The two sides addressed issues linked to social, economic and cultural development and security in the West African Sahel region, particularly in Mali.

The discussion focused on the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in Mali, reached through the “Algiers process”, and the efforts to bring it into force. President Keita briefed the Secretary General on the outcome of the National Peace Conference held in Bamako on 27 March to 2 April 2017, stressing that implementing the agreement will continue for the interest of Mali and its people.

For his part, Secretary General Al-Othaimeen emphasized on the importance of installing interim authorities in Mali. He also stressed that the OIC, which contributed in an effective way to the return of peace in Mali since 2013, will continue its work as a guarantor of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, in addition to being actively engaged in the work of the peace agreement monitoring committee and the work of the OIC Ministerial Contact Group on Mali.

The OIC Participates in “Al-Azhar World Peace Conference” The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) participated in the World Conference on Peace in Cairo, Egypt, which was held on 29 April 2017 at the invitation of Sheikh AlAzhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders.

The Secretary General of the Organization was represented by Mr. Bashir Ahmed Ansari, Director of Dialogue and Communication Department and the Voice of Wisdom Center at the OIC. He met with Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders and delivered a message from the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed AlOthaimeen, in which the OIC appreciates

and commends the role played by Al-Azhar and calls for unified efforts to promote the values of peace and tolerance and rejecting

extremism and terrorism.

It is worth mentioning that Pope Francis addressed the closing session of the two-day conference, which was attended by delegations from Islamic and Christian organizations as well as ambassadors and representatives of states in Cairo.

The conference discussed a number of topics, most notably the challenges of peace in contemporary world, the impact of misinterpretation of religion on world peace, poverty and disease and their impact on world peace, and the culture of peace in religions between hopes and realities.

Secretary General Discusses Developments in Libya with Arab League Special Representative The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, met at his office on Wednesday, 17 May 2017 with Ambassador Dr. Sallahdeen Al-Jamali, Special Representative to the Arab League Secretary General to Libya.

During the meeting, Dr. Al-Jamali gave a detailed explanation on the developments in Libya and the regional and international efforts aimed at enthroning stability and development in the country. He praised the continued support of the OIC for the Government of National Accord and for the ef-

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forts to resolve the Libyan crises by peaceful means.

For his part, the Secretary General affirmed the commitment of the OIC to bring about peace, security and stability in Libya and to harness all its capabilities to realize this objective. He stressed the need for continued coordination among the OIC, the Arab League, the United Nations and other relevant regional and international organizations in supporting the national reconciliation efforts in Libya and in encouraging Libyan-Libyan dialogue in order to achieve comprehensive political settlement in the country.

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OIC NEWS OIC Secretary General Confers with the President of Sierra Leone The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen was received on Sunday, 7th May 2017 in Jeddah by H. E. Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, who was on official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting, the Secretary General briefed the President on the current state of bilateral relations between the OIC and Sierra Leone on political, economic, social, humanitarian and cultural issues.

While expressing appreciation to the OIC for its constant support for Sierra Leone, President Koroma underscores the important role of OIC in ensuring peaceful resolution of crises in OIC Member States, including Africa as well as combatting terrorism and violent extremism.

On modalities for consolidating existing relations, both sides expressed their commitments to forge closer collaboration between their senior officials, with a view to examining all areas of mutual interests.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Meets OIC Secretary General

H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, received on Wednesday, 3 May 2017, at the Presidential Palace in Baku, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen.

The Secretary General presented comprehensive briefing on OIC’s current and future initiatives and plans, mainly focusing on various regional and international issues, ways and means of expanding bilateral relations. Dr. Al-Othaimeen once again reiterated the principled positon of the OIC of fully supporting the just cause of Azerbaijan, on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh

conflict between the Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in accordance with the generally accepted norms and principles of international law, the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

During this first official visit in his capacity as an OIC Secretary General to Azerbaijan, Dr. Al-Othaimeen met with a number of dignitaries and high officials including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Minister of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov, they discussed an array of major issues on the OIC agenda, including countering extremism and terrorism, regional conflicts, Islamophobia, and preparations to the upcoming Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, as well as issues of mutual concern and interest.

From their side, Azerbaijani high-level officials reiterated their commitment to the principles of the OIC and offered Azerbaijani Government’s full support to the Secretary General’s vision and mission to strengthen Islamic solidarity and Joint Islamic Action.

OIC Reviewed Opportunities for Collaboration with UN on Security in the Middle East The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hosted the OIC-UN brainstorming session at its headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The meeting, which was held from 10 to 11 May 2017, reviewed opportunities for collaboration between OIC and the UN on political and security situation in the Middle East.

The meeting also considered other topical issues, which include peace, security and conflict resolution mechanism in the OIC, OICUN partnership in peace process, Promotion of Dialogue, mediation and peacekeeping effort.

Other items on the agenda of the session include combatting vio-

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lent extremism, radicalization and terrorism, migration and refugee issues.

The OIC’s Director General for Political Affairs Ambassador Tariq Ali Bakhiet said “the brainstorming session was held under the existing OIC-UN bilateral cooperation and joint action on mutual issues.”

It is worth mentioning that the two major international organizations hold Biennial General Coordination Meetings to promote and enhance cooperation between OIC Institutions and related UN Agencies in addition to face-to-face meetings and exchange of phone calls between the Secretaries General of the organisations.

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OIC NEWS Islamic Solidarity Fund Projects Financing Approvals for 2017 Total US$ 249 million

The Islamic Hospital in Amman, Jordan

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he Islamic Solidarity Fund of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) announced that the number of projects approved and executed since its establishment up to 2017 is about 2, 695 projects in the amount of US $226 million. The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen lauded the ongoing generous voluntary contributions by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Turkey. He also thanked the Member States that had previously donated to the ISF and appealed to others to play their roles in supporting the Fund.

Since the establishment of the Fund in 1974, the State of Palestine has been prioritized in the receipt of direct support from the Fund to champion the just cause of the Palestinian people in the areas of health, social, cultural and educational amenities among others. The total amount provided by the ISF to support the Palestinian people is US$27 million.

On another hand, the ISF supported women and children to the tune of US$2.4million covering orphans’ welfare, child protection and advancement of rural women. It also contributed to micro financing operations for poor widows in many countries.

The ISF also paid attention to universities, having provided US$75 million to the sector, comprising the building of faculties and relevant facilities and supported student scholarships. The ISF assistance covered Islamic studies centers in reputable and world-class universities such as Harvard University in the US and Oxford University

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in the United Kingdom.

The Islamic Solidarity Fund also provided in-kind and financial assistance, which amounted to US$ 55 million to some Muslim communities affected by natural disasters and crises in 59 states in order to mitigate their impacts.

It provided financial assistance to 506 schools, 213 mosques and 109 hospitals in the amount of US$33 million while assistance to the youth and sports sector with the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation and Muslim Scouts camps totaled US$3.2 million.

ISF participated in financing academic symposia and Islamic forums to the tune of US$10 million. It provided US$36 million for several projects and programs at Islamic cultural, social and seasonal entertainment centers in the Muslim world.

Since its inception in 1974, the ISF has also contributed to Islamic dawa all over the world through financing education programs, printing Islamic books, with the amount provided totaling US7 million as of today. The ISF also contributed to the establishment of radio stations and participated in the production of Islamic films, editing and publication of Islamic manuscripts, and supporting relevant newspapers and journals.

Dr. Al-Othaimeen congratulated the Executive Committee of the Fund as well its Executive Director and his colleagues for their diligence and hard work in determining the most urgent of priorities in the Islamic World and allocating the necessary financial resources; he also called on the Member States to continue supporting the

Fund’s activities and finances.

ISF Grants $ 26.9 million to Support the Steadfastness and Struggle of the Palestinian People The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, highlighted that the OICstemmed Islamic Solidarity Fund has contributed since the beginning of its activity in 1976 until this year 2017 in funding many social, cultural, economic, educational and health projects in the State of Palestine.

The total amounts in this regard has reached around US $ 26.939 million, under what is known as the item of support to the steadfastness and struggle of the Palestinian people.

The Fund contributed to the support of the Palestinian people during tribulations, disasters and calamities with a total amount of US $ 18.155 million through the Emergency Committee, while contributing to the construction of mosques, schools and hospitals for a total amount of US $ 4.577 million.

On the other hand, the Islamic Solidarity Fund attached a particular importance to the support of the sector of universities and scientific research centers in the State of Palestine with a total amount of US $ 1.655 million.

In addition, ISF also contributed to the funding of several projects and activities of the Islamic cultural, social and recreational centers in the State of Palestine with a total amount of $ 2.552 million.

Accordingly, Dr. Al-Othaimeen welcomed the efforts of the Fund’s Executive Committee, the Executive Director and his colleagues for the support provided to the State and the people of Palestine and urged them to do more, calling upon the Member States to continue to support the Fund’s activities and its financial resources in order to enable it to carry out is duty.

It is noteworthy that Palestine and consolidating support for the steadfastness its people’s struggle remains the central issue of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as the Secretariat seeks always through its various institutions to promote the economic support for the Palestinian people, as one of the tributaries of steadfastness in the face of the Israeli occupation.

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SPECIAL REPORT OIC Held 44th Council of Foreign Ministers in Côte d’Ivoire to Proffer Appropriate Solutions to Unprecedented Challenges

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he 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was held on Monday, 10 July 2017, in Abidjan, the capital city of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, under the theme (Youth, Peace, and Development in a World of Solidarity).

The meeting was opened by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire - Alassane Ouattara – who welcomed the participants and thanked them for supporting his country’s hosting of the 44th Session of the CFM. In his statement, the President thanked the OIC Member States for their overwhelming support in electing his country as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council and pledged their commitment to use their membership of the Council as well as their Chairmanship of the CFM in the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

He recalled the contribution extended by the OIC to Côte d’Ivoire to confront various challenges in the past.

He highlighted the relevance and the importance of the theme of the conference and the need to empower the youth who constitute the majority of the population.

On the situation in the Arab-Israeli conflict, he called for its settlement on the basis of the two-state solution as advocated by the founding Ivorian President. President Ouattara urged the Member States to invest in Africa.

He identified some priorities for the Member States, which include countering terrorism and violent extremism, promoting economic and infrastructural development, education and addressing illegal migration.

Unprecedented Challenges In his address to the meeting, H.E. Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, the OIC Secretary General, commended Uzbekistan for its leadership and important initiatives during the 43rdCFM. He congratulated the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire for assuming the Chairmanship of the 44th and its recent election as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council.

The OIC Secretary General, emphasized that “the unprecedented challenges and fastpaced developments around us today make it incumbent upon us, more than ever, to duly consider taking practical and positive steps to overcome some of the differences among and within some of our Member States by studying their causes and proffering appropriate solutions to them.”

The Secretary General expressed his confidence that dialogue, together with rational, wise and respectful negotiation with the other, as enshrined in the OIC Charter, may offer the fundamental guarantees for overcoming conflicts and differences and for achieving the stability that we aspire to in the Islamic world.

OIC’s Interest in Africa The Secretary General noted that the Council’s meeting taking place on an African soil is a clear testimony to the OIC’s interest in Africa and in the African people.

He mentioned – in this regard - several development initiatives in Africa, including the Special Program for the Development of Africa (SPDA), and the establishment of the universities of Niger and Uganda, along with the establishment of special funds to

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combat poverty and advance development, and the execution of the Dakar-Port Sudan railway line.

On another hand, the OIC is working for the convening of the second donor conference to mobilize funding for the regional project on sustained tourism development with a network of parks and trans-border protected areas in West Africa.

He touched upon the issue of sustainable development in Africa and commended the efforts of ECOWAS and the AU in this regard.

Palestinian Cause The OIC Secretary General also reviewed the conflict situation in parts of the Member States and called for the end of Israeli occupation in Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution.

Al-Othaimeen added that despite the important political achievements recorded last year, the latest most recent being the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution no.2334 condemning the Israeli settlement policy and demanding its reversal, Israel, the occupying force, continues to defy the international community’s will.

It continues its policy of constructing and enlarging settlements, and denying the Palestinian people their legitimate rights, confiscating their land, and isolating the occupied city of Al-Quds, actions which are capable of undermining the efforts and opportunities for peace.

On the political level, the Secretary General noted that the OIC affirms its commitment to follow up on the resolutions adopted by the Summit and the Ministerial Council, especially those relating to the situation in So-

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SPECIAL REPORT malia, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Mali, Sahel, the Sudan, Comoros, Djibouti, Yemen, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Jammu, Kashmir, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Turkish Cyprus, the Rohingya in Myanmar, the Muslim communities in the Philippines and Thailand, and the Muslim minorities in the West.

The Secretary General affirmed that in the midst of the events being witnessed in the Muslim world, terrorism is a priority for many of the countries, particularly those that have suffered from terrorist attack.

He added that the convening of the ArabIslamic-American Summit hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently in Riyadh with a broad participation of Member States constitutes, undoubtedly, an important step towards strengthening security, peace and stability regionally and worldwide.

As such, the International Centre to Combat Extremism (Etidal), the outcome of global cooperation to counter extremist ideology leading to terrorism, was established with the view to fight back and prevent this phenomenon, by monitoring and analyzing it, and through cooperative action with governments and organizations to promote moderation and tolerance.

In this connection, the Secretary General commend the invaluable part taken by Member States’ leading centers and institutions active in fostering positive dialogue and promoting the values of tolerance, nonviolence and counter-extremism.

Al-Othaimeen also mentioned the OIC’s ongoing commitment to work assiduously in countering warped and biased ideologies about Islam “as we strive to correct this distorted image by way of an initiative to reject Islamophobia through the Islamophobia Observatory in the OIC General Secretariat,” adding that the OIC also initiated the preparation of a media strategy to counter this phenomenon and elaborated mechanisms to implement it in partnership with several leading media institutions in the West to contribute to reducing this dangerous and pervasive phenomenon and addressing its consequences. He added that the OIC Messaging Center to combat extremist narrative (Sawt al-Hikma) is working in coordination with the International Islamic Fiqh Academy to follow up news published in the social media so as to spread the images of moderation, tolerance characteristic of Islam.

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Al-Othaimeen: Youth Issues a Major Priority on the OIC Agenda

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special brain storming session was held on the topic “Youth, Peace and Development in a World of Solidarity” where Member States and OIC institutions presented a number of recommendations and proposals to enhance the conditions of youth in the Islamic world.

In his address to the session, the OIC Secretary General reiterated that youth issues constitute a priority on the OIC agenda.

The Secretary General stressed that the Muslim world is enjoying a historic demographic gift. There are around 1.75 billion youth in the 15-29 age group throughout the world, with nearly 500 million or 28.5% living in the OIC Member States.

«The current situation posses opportunities and challenges. If the capabilities of youth are properly harnessed, they can prove to be a huge asset for their countries and the world at large. They can be leaders and agents for societal change to promote peace and development and end poverty,» said Al-Othaimeen.

«We should intensify our efforts to address economic deprivation, political exclusion, social marginalization and the disintegration of families that create a fertile ground for extremists’ and terrorists’ organizations to recruit young people for their reprehensible goals» he added.

The Secretary General also noted that in today’s world of social media and global interconnectivity, there is a need to enhance media outreach and educational capacities, to convey a counter narrative to violent extremism in an effective manner. He stressed that it was one of the reasons why the OIC

established Sawt Al-Hikma (The Voice of Wisdom) «to confront extremism and terrorism through deconstructing and delegitimizing the extremist narratives using the internet and social media.»

Al-Othaimeen also highlighted the suffering of the Palestinian youth living under Israeli occupation and the suffering of young people in conflict areas, from Syria to Somalia and from Iraq to areas in West Africa under the control of Boko Haram.

He equally mentioned the countless young people that are forced to undertake risky adventures crossing seas and oceans either because they lack hope for a better future or because they are deprived of basic human rights as witnessed in Myanmar stressing that «these challenges have to be addressed in a more effective manner.»

The OIC hosted the brainstorming session due to the global realization that the involvement of youth is fundamental to achieving growth and development, and there is a constant need to discuss how political and development actors can engage with youth and translate priority areas into policies and development programs.

The brainstorming session witnessed the participation of youth from the OIC Member States who during the interactive discussion presented actionable activities, concrete initiatives and recommendations for implementation with the objective of achieving a constructive engagement and participation of youth from the OIC Member States in different domains at the national and international levels.

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SPECIAL REPORT Contact Group on Jammu & Kashmir On the sidelines of the CFM, meeting of the Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir was convened to discuss the latest developments on the ground and the way forward.

During the meeting, OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen highlighted the OIC›s activities in dealing with the question of Jammu and Kashmir.

He re-affirmed the principled position of the OIC in fully supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle to achieve their legitimate rights, in particular the right to self-determination and Human Rights.

Other distinguished members of the Contact Group also made statements and reiterated their continued support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

They all called for a peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions on the subject as well as the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The Executive Director of the OIC›s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) also briefed the meeting on the recent visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir by an IPHRC delegation to monitor the human rights situation in the region.

The Contact Group meeting was attended by the advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Foreign Affairs, and delegations of Azerbaijan, Niger, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The 4th Session of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum with the participation of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was also convened in order to close ranks and narrow the gaps between them for the purpose of strengthening the peace process in the Southern Philippines.

On the sidelines of the 44th CFM Session, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey signed the Statute of OIC Labour Centre, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Senegal signed the Statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS).

On his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh deposited the instrument of ratification of IOFS. Similarly, on the sidelines of the Session, an election was conducted for the 9 members of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission for three year time starting from February 2018.

They will serve as independent human rights experts in the Commission.

10th Annual Observatory Report on Islamophobia Launched During CFM

The OIC released its tenth annual observatory report on Islamophobia at the commencement of the 44th Council of Foreign Ministers conference in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d›Ivoire held on 10-11 July 2017.

The tenth annual report covered the period from October 2016 – May 2017.

The Islamophobia Observatory Report describes the increasing trend of Islamophobia under the reviewed period, indicated by the growing fear against Islam and Muslims in certain parts of the world, which led to negative perceptions among non-Muslims.

This negative trend, according to the report, was assessed to have been boosted mostly by three factors, namely: The US elections, Immigrant issue in Europe, and the rise of Populism and Far-Rights in Europe.

In his foreword to the report, the OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen observed that the 10th Report of the Islamophobia Observatory being released today “vindicates our position that the growing trend of Islamophobia has not subsided in any tangible way.”

“Muslims have been terrorized and discriminated. Islamic sacred symbols have been insulted. People with Islamic attires were targeted with hatred. Women with hijabs were abused on streets and public spaces.

Certain governments outlawed Islamic attires or applied restrictive access for Muslims to have prayer facilities. Right-wing Politicians and media spread evil images of Islam,” said Al-Othaimeen.

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“Acts of radical and extreme groups in the name of Islam have provided xenophobes with excuses to further their agenda. Their statements and acts have not only been irresponsible, but also conducive to the radical narratives of violent groups and terrorists, jeopardizing the positive image of Islam and boosting Islamophobia across the globe,” he added.

The Secretary General however stressed that, the OIC as mandated by the Member States has been active on combating the Islamophobia phenomenon at political, diplomatic, and operational fronts in order to raise awareness among the international community of the threats that the Islamophobia poses to global peace and security.

He noted that OIC Member States, together with the international community, need to take more serious actions to address the contemporary challenge of Islamophobia, including by enforcing laws which clearly stand for prohibition of any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.

The 44th Council of Foreign Ministers accepted the generous offer made by the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to host the 45thSession of the CFM in May 2018.

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SPECIAL REPORT President of Cote d’Ivoire Ratifies OIC Charter The President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire H.E. Alassane Ouattara received in audience the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef Al-Othaimeen on Monday, 10 July 2017 on the sidelines of the 44th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), which was hosted by Cote d’Ivoire.

The President recalled the fruitful cooperation existing between the OIC and Cote d’Ivoire since it joined the Organization in 2001, and in that framework announced that his country has ratified the OIC Charter.

The Secretary General from his side thanked President Ouattara for his support of the OIC and expressed appreciation of the good working relations between the OIC and the government of Cote d’Ivoire and looked forward for developing these relations further, especially during Cote d’Ivoire’s chairmanship of the current CFM. The Secretary General also met with a number of Foreign Ministers

and leaders of delegations who represented their member states at the session.

Tackling Poverty, Youth Unemployment and Fragility in OIC Member Countries

The President of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr. Bandar Hajjar has called on the member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to join hands in tackling poverty, youth unemployment and fragility.

Dr. Hajjar made the call during a reception organized by the IDB in honour of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan, the capital of Cote D’Ivoire. He stated that of the 1.75 billion youth population in the world, 500 million or 28.5 percent

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live in OIC member countries. He therefore stressed the need to work together in harnessing the potential of the youth so that they become an asset to the society.

“This can be done by developing special programmes for their advancement, facilitating economic empowerment opportunities for them by enhancing the quality of education, establishing business incubators to build the capacities of youth in entrepreneurship, facilitating financing for SMEs, improving the business environment, and integrating young people in socioeconomic development programmes,’’ Dr. Hajjar stated.

He stated that IDB has implemented several initiatives on youth development, which includes the Youth Employment Support (YES) programme; the Education for Employment (E4E) initiative; and the Vocational Literacy Programme (VOLIP).

Dr. Bandar Hajjar told the foreign ministers that there are 73 million unemployed youth

in OIC member countries, the IsDB therefore had organised a Youth Summit during the 42nd Annual Meeting of IDB in Jeddah.

He added that the summit recommended the establishment of Youth Community Forum in order to promote solidarity, cooperation and knowledge sharing.

The IDB President further noted that the bank is reviewing its projects in member countries to ensure that they promote entrepreneurship and capacity building.

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OIC NEWS Activating the MOU between OIC and KAICIID The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef AlOthaimeen, received in his office on 9 May 2017, the Secretary General of the King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), Mr. Faysal bin Muammar, and his accompanying delegation. The two sides exchanged views on the phenomenon of Islamophobia and ways of confronting it and on inter-religious dialogue especially in regions witnessing acts of violence with religious background, such as in Central African Re-

public, Nigeria and Myanmar. The two sides stressed on the importance of continuing the close collaboration between the OIC

and the KAICIID in facing these issues and establishing the principles of dialogue, tolerance and moderation.

Within this framework, the two sides agreed to activate the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed between the OIC and the KAICIID and draft a joint plan of action for programs and activities addressing the phenomenon of Islamophobia and confronting it as well as programs for boosting inter-religious dialogue for this year.

Meeting of the Joint OIC-LAS High-level Committee

A high-level delegation from the OIC General Secretariat, led by Ambassador Abdul-

lah Alem, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, took part in the 6th session

of the High-level Joint Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States (LAS) in charge of following up on the implementation of the terms of the cooperation agreement between the OIC and the LAS. The meeting, held at the headquarters of the LAS General Secretariat in Cairo on 8-10 May 2017, discussed issues of common interest and ways to contribute to the resolution of crises facing some states in the region, cooperation in the areas of sustainable development, women, family, childhood, disarmament, cooperation for election observation and a number of other issues of interest to the two organizations.

OIC General Secretariat Holds Consultative Meeting on Sawt al-Hikma Centre The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held at its General Secretariat in Jeddah on 17 July 2017 a consultative meeting on the work of the Sawt al-Hikma: Centre for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding (CPDU) aimed at delegitimizing terrorism and extremism narrative and confronting the two phenomena.

The meeting was attended by representatives of several OIC Member States and some international institutions and centre as well as governmental and non-governmental bodies specialized in combating terrorism and extremism. The Director of the Sawt al-Hikma Centre, Mr Bashir Ansari made a presentation on the activities of the Centre, while Ambassador Moez Bokhari, Adviser to the Secretary General who repre-

sented the Secretary General talked about the importance of the Sawt al-Hikma in combating extremism at the intellectual level and about the support the Centre expects from Member States.

After exhaustive discussions, the meeting requested Member States to provide necessary support for the Sawt al-Hikma Centre, take all measures possible to strengthen cooperation and partnership with governmental and non-governmental bodies working at the national level, and encourage the youth, scholars, the civil society and the media to participate in the activities of the Centre.

On a separate note, the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) through the Sawt al-Hikma Centre

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participated in a workshop held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco from 30 July – 2 August 2017 to develop counter-violent extremism narrative in the Middle East and North African Region. Between 15 and 20 experts and representatives of some OIC Member States participated in the workshop organized by Hidaya Centre, which is based in the United Arab Emirates.

The workshop discussed the counter–narrative to the cyber war being waged by terrorist and extremist groups in the virtual world to spread messages of violence, extremism, hatred and terrorism. The Director of the Sawt al-Hikma Centre at the OIC General Secretariat represented the OIC at the event.

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OIC NEWS Al-Othaimeen Meets the Presidents of Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Foreign Minister of Togo The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), H.E. Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen met on 10 May 2017 His Excellency Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea, in his place of residence in Jeddah during the President’s official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The two parties exchanges views on international issues, particularly on the African continent. The Secretary General underscored the OIC’s interest in encouraging and supporting investment opportunities in Africa. For his part, President Mbasogo highlighted his country’s keenness, as a non-member state of the OIC, to develop relations with OIC member states.

In addition, the Secretary General on 21 May 2017 in Riyadh held a meeting with His Excellency Dr. Robert Dussey, the Foreign Minister of the Togolese Republic.

The two sides exchanged views on a number of regional and international dossiers,

The Secretary General receives President of Guinea Bissau

especially the pressing political and socioeconomic issues facing a number of OIC Member States. The meeting discussed the question of Palestine and the recent developments bearing on the situation in Al-Quds.

The Secretary General and the Foreign Minister also examined various ways and means of further enhancing the cooperation between the OIC and Togo.

The President of the Republic of Guinea

Bissau H.E. José Mário Vaz who was on an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received the OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen in Jeddah on 23 May 2017.

The meeting featured discussion on the bilateral relations between the OIC and the Republic of Guinea Bissau and on ways to strengthen and improve them in all fields, particularly areas pertaining to the economy and development. The Secretary General in this regard emphasized the commitment of the OIC to supporting Guinea Bissau to realize the ambitions of its people for stability and sustainable development.

For his part, President José Mário Vaz expressed his appreciation for the OIC for its efforts to strengthen security, stability and development in many Member States, particularly the African states, pointing out its past contributions in supporting stability in the country.

Al-Othaimeen Embarks on His First Official Visit to Bangladesh as OIC Secretary General

On the first day of his official visit to Bangladesh, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen was received on Thursday, August 3, 2017 by the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina at her office. The two sides discussed a wide range of issues of common interests with particular focus on the worsening situation of the Rohingya refugees and the fight against the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism.

Dr. Al-Othaimeen thanked Bangladesh for providing shelter to a huge number of Rohingya refugees and highlighted the need for interfaith dialogue among the Muslim leaders and the Buddhist communities which may help to promote harmony and common

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understanding. The Prime Minister while lamenting the deplorable and inhumane living conditions of the Rohingya in their refugee camps announced her Government’s plan to develop a new living area with more decent conditions on an island to temporarily relocate the refugees pending the ultimate resolution of the long standing crisis.

During his meeting with H.E President M. Abdul Hamid, the Secretary General appreciated Bangladesh›s tremendous socioeconomic development under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He denounced the menace of terrorism and extremism and said Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance has nothing to do with violence.

In his meeting with the Foreign Minister H.E Ali Mahmoud, Dr. AlOthaimeen appreciated Bangladesh›s increasingly important role in the activities of the OIC and its decision to host two important events of the Organization - the OIC Tourism Ministers› meeting in November this year and the 45th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in the first half of next year. The Minister emphasized on the need to increase intra-OIC trade and investment, development of tourism and cooperation in the areas of science, technology, education, human resources capacity building and social security.

Finally, the Secretary General paid a courtesy call on the Leader of the Opposition Party in Parliament Honourable Rowshan Ershad.

On Friday, August 4, he visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox›s Bazar in Southern Bangladesh to see for himself the situation on the ground.

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OIC NEWS Emir of Kuwait Receives OIC Secretary General

Emir of Kuwait receives the Secretary General

His Highness Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, received Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at Bayan Palace on 5 June 2017 during his official visit to Kuwait. His Highness welcomed the Secretary General and his accompanying delegation expressing his support for the OIC and its initiatives to promote joint Islamic action and urging for greater interaction to face the great challenges facing the Muslim Ummah.

For his part, the OIC Secretary General hailed Kuwait›s continued support to the OIC and its active role in promoting joint Islamic action. During the meeting, he listened to His Highness’s wise vision of ways to strengthen Islamic solidarity. He also congratulated His Highness for Kuwait’s non-permanent seat in the Security Council for the period 2018-2019 stressing that it was an indication on the important and vital role of Kuwait at the regional and international levels.

On the other hand, Al-Othaimeen conducted official consultations at the headquarters of the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry with Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah AlKhalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. The two sides discussed the latest developments on the regional and international arenas and the ways to strengthen cooperation, notably in combating terrorism, violent extremism and Islamophobia. Both sides stressed the need to highlight the tolerant Islamic values of justice, moderation and peaceful coexistence.

The Secretary General reviewed the initiatives and programs of the OIC General Secretariat in the coming phase.

For his part, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister affirmed his country›s support for the OIC efforts in all fields, pointing out the importance of concerted efforts to address the current challenges faced by the Muslim World.

OIC Secretary General Received Spanish Ambassador and the Special Envoy of Italy to the OIC The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen received on 7 June 2017, in his office at the General Secretariat in Jeddah Álvaro Iranzo Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

Amb. Alvaro conveyed his country’s appreciation of the important role the OIC is playing at the regional and international levels and expressed Spain’s readiness to promote bilateral relations with the Organisation with the aim of jointly facing the current challenges.

The fight against the scourge of terrorism, combatting rising rightwing extremist and populist voices across the West, confronting increasing trends of Islamophobia and the promotion of cooperation in the field of science and technology were among other things identified as possible areas for mutual cooperation.

Dr. Al-Othaimeen thanked the Kingdom of Spain for its interest in the OIC and expressed the Organisation’s readiness to cooperate with Spain in all identified areas; informing the Ambassador on the need for both sides to take joint initiatives in view of establishing regular bilateral consultations and exchange of visits.

The OIC Secretary General also received, at his office on 17 July 2017, H. E. Ms. Elisabetta Martini, Consul General of Italy to Jeddah and Italian Special Envoy to the OIC. During the meeting, the Secretary General and his guest had useful exchange of views on various regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Dr. Al-Othaimeen, on his part, expressed his appreciation of Italian interest in the OIC and reiterated OIC’s interest to work together with Italy on shared issues for common benefits.

Al-Othaimeen and Siala Discuss OIC’s Efforts in Libya The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen met with H.E. the Foreign Minister of Libya, Mr Mohamed Tahir Siala, on the sideline of the of the Open-Ended Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee at the Level of Foreign Ministers, which was held in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday, 1 August 2017.

Both sides exchanged views on issues of

common interest. The Secretary General listened to Minister Siala’s explanations on the ongoing latest developments in Libya, and assured of the OIC’s full support for the efforts to reconstruct and restore stability and security in a united Libya. He also voiced the OIC’s support for comprehensive national reconciliation, by encouraging Libyan national dialogue aimed at reaching comprehensive peaceful settlement.

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Al-Othaimeen added that the OIC intends to appoint a special envoy to Libya to coordinate with the Government of National Accord and relevant regional and international organization to support the peaceful resolutions efforts.

For his part, the Libyan minister confirmed his country’s interest in the resolutions adopted by the OIC and the importance of implementing them.

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OIC NEWS OIC Holds Consultations with Iraqi Officials on Makkah 2 Conference Official consultations took place on Monday, 17 July 2017, between officials of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Iraqi Council of Ministers on one part and the delegation of the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the other part.

Mr. Qais Al-Amiri, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, headed the Iraqi side while Ambassador Dr. Tarek Ali Bakhit, Director General of Political Affairs, headed the delegation of the OIC Secretariat.

The two sides reviewed aspects of bilateral cooperation and means of supporting them in various fields and stressed the OIC’s support for the territorial unity and the people

of Iraq.

The two sides also agreed on the arrangements for holding Baghdad National Reconciliation Conference (Makkah 2) scheduled at the end of this year to support Iraq›s efforts to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation for all components of Iraqi society for the good and dignity of Iraq.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jaafari received a written communication from the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen. The letter was delivered by Ambassador Tariq Bakheet, OIC Director-General for Political Affairs at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Af-

fairs in Baghdad.

The Secretary General, in his letter, renewed his congratulation to the leadership, government and people of Iraq on the victory over Da’esh in Al-Mosul. He reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to support Iraq in its efforts for the reconstruction of Al-Mosul and other liberated cities.

Foreign Minister Jaafari, on his part, welcomed the message of the Secretary General while commending the support that Iraq receives from the OIC and its different institutions and underlining the important role of the OIC in combating terrorism and extremism.

Secretary General Receives the Grand Imam of Sholakia from Bangladesh

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, received the Grand Imam of Sholakia Eidgah Allama Farid Uddin Masoud at his office on Tuesday 18 July 2017.

Allama Farid Uddin handed over to the Secretary General a thirty volume Anti-Militancy Fatwa in light of the authentic texts of Islam signed by hundred and ten thousand religious scholars from Bangladesh. This anti-terrorism and extremism initiative from the religious scholars from Bangladesh has been praised all over the world.

Allama Farid explained the whole procedure through which his institution, a non-political one, could gather such a big number of religious scholars to stand against violence and speak in unison for peace. Secretary General Al-Othaimeen commended the grand Imam as well as the prominent role of Bangladesh in the fight against terrorism and extremism particularly by refuting the false claims of extremists in the name of Islam. He reiterated OIC’s principled position against terrorism and extremism irrespective of any justification whatsoever.

He also introduced the OIC Messaging Center “Sawt Al-Hikma” to the Imam. Both sides agreed to cooperate and contribute to the advancement of the Center.

Conference on Cultural Rapprochement between the USA and the Muslim World The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, participated in the conference on Cultural Rapprochement between the US and the Muslim World, which was organized by the Muslim World League in New York on 16-17 September 2017.

The Secretary General delivered a speech in the opening session in which he highlighted the efforts of the OIC to boost rapprochement and communication between cultures and civilizations, in particular rapprochement between the Muslim World and its international partners like the USA, because it believes in dialogue and communication in order to foster mutual respect and un-

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derstanding. Its focus continues to be one of outreach and engagement to form a meaningful and functional partnership to work together in engendering a culture of peaceful coexistence and upholding human dignity.

Al-Othaimeen pointed out that the OIC has established a separate full-fledged Department of Dialogue and Outreach in its General Secretariat. The main objective of this Department is to reach out to different cultures with an aim to reduce misunderstanding and cultural gap between them and the Muslim World. With this in mind, the Department has established a close relationship of collaboration and cooperation

with the King Abdullah International Center for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), an Intergovernmental setup established at the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia along with Austria and Spain to highlight the efficacy of cultural rapprochement as an effective tool to reduce conflict through building bridges between cultures.

He stressed that contemporary challenges like xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racism, discrimination, and hatred must be tackled through inclusive dialogue and tolerance. For this, uniting our efforts is what the world needs today.

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SPECIAL REPORT Annual Coordination Meeting of OIC Foreign Ministers in New York

Stressing on Values of Knowledge, Tolerance and Moderation

Palestinian Issue Remains Central…

Rohingya Tragedy High Priority

T

he Annual Coordination Meeting of the foreign ministers of OIC member states was convened on Friday, 22 September 2017 in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

The foreign minister of Cote d’Ivoire, the current chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers, opened the meeting. The Foreign Minister of Turkey, with Turkey being the current chair of the Islamic Summit, also delivered a speech during the opening. Both foreign ministers urged for addressing the issues of concern to the Muslim world, at the top of which are Palestine, terrorism, internal conflicts, Islamophobia and the situation in Syria, Yemen, and Libya and of Muslim minorities particularly the Rohingya.

In his statement to the meeting, OIC Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen stressed on the role of education, scientific and technological development in building strong

The OIC special meeting on Rohingya in New York

institutions, a balanced society and a stable economy. In this framework, Al-Othaimeen said that the Islamic Summit on Science and Technology, the first of its kind in the OIC history, held in September in the Kazakh capital Astana, demonstrates the importance accorded by the OIC Member States to exchanging and enriching experiences in the fields of education, science and technology.

On the other hand, the Secretary General stressed that the values of knowledge, tolerance, moderation and peaceful co-existence among peoples are the best ways to counter extremism. He pointed out that the OIC works through Sawt Al-Hikma (Voice of Wisdom) Center and in coordination with the Islamic Fiqh Academy to monitor and follow up on the current news, giving prevalence to wisdom and seeking to sensitize the youth about the danger of joining ranks

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with criminal and takfiri groups.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General commended the fruitful and constructive cooperation of OIC with the UN and its various organs, which has an important impact in addressing the issues of the Muslim World, adding that such coordination and consultation would align the efforts to resolve the escalating conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq, and restore stability in Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia and Afghanistan. It would also help reach just and lasting solutions to the Jammu and Kashmir issue and Nagorno-Karabakh region.

As for what is happening in Myanmar, AlOthaimeen stressed that the OIC is gravely concerned about the situation facing the Muslim Rohingya communities, which have been subjected to violence, marginalization, deprivation and exclusion. He reaffirmed the OIC’s position as to the need to stem

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SPECIAL REPORT the violence and allow greater access for aid agencies to improve the humanitarian situation in the Arakan region, and the need for the Government of Myanmar to guarantee the basic rights of the Rohingya Muslims, including their basic right to citizenship.

On his side, the UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman commended the long history of successful and fruitful cooperation between the OIC and the UN to promote peace, tolerance and understanding.

Centrality of the Cause of Palestine The OIC Ministerial Committee of Six on Palestine held their meeting in New York on the sidelines of the Annual Coordination Meeting on 20 September 2017.

The Ministers reaffirmed the centrality of the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif to the entire Islamic Ummah and reiterated their unwavering support for the rights of the Palestinian people to national independence and to exercise their sovereignty within their own State, based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Ministers strongly condemned all illegal and illegitimate Israeli measures, especially those aimed at altering the demography, status, and Arab-Islamic character and identity of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, settlements activities and the construction of the Apartheid wall within and around the city in order to isolate it from its natural Palestinian environs.

The Ministers further appealed to the international community to put pressure on Israel to lift the blockade and end the closure of the Gaza Strip, to remove roadblocks that are fragmenting the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and restrict the movement of Palestinian citizens.

The OIC Contact Groups on Somalia, Sierra Leone, Bosnia Herzegovina and Muslims in Europe convened at Ministerial level on the sidelines of the Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) of OIC Foreign Ministers in New York on the 18th September 2017.

The four separate meetings reviewed the prevailing developments on the ground and reaffirmed their full solidarity with the issues concerned.

High-level Meeting on Palestinian Refugees The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen co-chaired with Jordan and Sweden a high-level meeting to support Palestinian

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refugees “New Horizons for Sustainable Funding for UNRWA”, on Friday, 22 September 2017, at the UN headquarters in New York.

In his statement at the meeting the Secretary General insisted on the importance of enabling the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to continue its vital and crucial role pursuant to the mandate given by the United Nations General Assembly to serve this large segment of the Palestinian people.

The Secretary General expressed the OIC’s deep concern over the recurrent annual financial deficit in the budget of the UNRWA, which runs the risk of reducing basic services, and reaffirmed the need to commit to the legal and political terms of reference of the UNRWA and the international responsibility in enabling it to discharge its role which is that of serving Palestinian refugees.

Al-Othaimeen pointed out that OIC is following up with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) the implementation of the resolution adopted by the 44th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Abidjan, Republic of Core d’Ivoire, on 10-11 July 2017, on the preparation of a study on the proposal for establishing a fund to support Palestinians, as a means to promote Islamic countries’ joint support for Palestinian refugees at this critical time.

At the end of the meeting, the Secretary General expressed his appreciation to the countries that announced at the meeting their financial commitment to support the budget and programs of UNRWA. Contact Group on Rohingya The OIC Contact Group on the Rohingya Muslim Minority of Myanmar held a special meeting on the sidelines of the Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) in New York on 19th September 2017.

The Meeting was Chaired by the Secretary General, Yousef Al-Othaimeen and was attended by Heads of States and Foreign Ministers from across the OIC member states, which included HE Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, as Chair of OIC

Summit, HE Sheikha Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, HE Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and HE Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran. Also in attendance was Mr Jusuf Kalla, the Vice President of Indonesia, HE Mr Adel Al-Jubair, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HE Mr Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Foreign Minister of Djibouti, HE Mr Ayman AlSafadi, Foreign Minister of Jordan and HE Pehin Lim Jock Seng, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei. In addition, high level representatives attended from the UN and other international agencies as well as from the US, UK, France, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the Philippines among others.

The meeting expressed solidarity with the long-suffering Rohingya people and urged the UN to take clear and direct action to safeguard the rights of this long-suffering community. The meeting urged the government of Myanmar to stop the violence, allow refugees to return to their homes in safety and dignity and implement the recommendations of the Rakhine State Commission, chaired by Kofi Annan. The Meeting expressed concern over the huge influx of refugees into Bangladesh and requested that humanitarian assistance be increased to assist the refugees in the country.

In view of the dire situation facing the Rohingya, the meeting requested all member states to consider restricting economic relations with Myanmar and all countries to consider suspending preferential trade agreements with the country. The meeting further urged the UN Security Council to take immediate action on the issue of the Rohingya and also agreed that a resolution would be introduced in the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly on the plight of the Rohingya.

Contact Group Meetings: The OIC Contact Groups on Somalia, Sierra Leone, Bosnia Herzegovina and Muslims in Europe convened at Ministerial level on the sidelines of the Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) of OIC Foreign Ministers in New York on the 18th September 2017. The four separate meetings reviewed the prevailing developments on the ground and reaffirmed their full solidarity with the issues concerned.

On Somalia, the Ministers discussed the political progress made by Somalia through

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SPECIAL REPORT the elections of the new Federal Government under President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. They pledged their support to the new authorities to realize the goals of the key visionary documents, ‘the Security Pact’ and the ‘New Partnership for Somalia’, adopted by the May 2017 London Conference. In this regard, the Contact Group appealed to the member states to increase their assistance to Somalia to achieve the aspirations of the Somali people for peace, development, stability and security as well as to overcome the ongoing drought in the country.

On Sierra Leone, the Ministers appealed to OIC member states, institutions and the business community to invest in Sierra Leone taking advantage of its fertile lands and a thriving mining sector in support of the efforts of the government to achieve sustainable development. The Ministers expressed their profound sympathy and solidarity with Sierra Leone in the aftermath of the tragic floods and mudslides, which took the lives of hundreds of its citizens, and called for substantial assistance to be provided in order to recover from these natural disasters.

While reviewing the situation in Bosnia Herzegovina, the meeting cautioned against the negative campaign rhetoric, which could undermine the peace process, and urged for additional support towards the stabilization efforts in the country. They also called for the strengthening of the OIC Trust Fund as a means for peace building.

On Muslims in Europe, the Ministers reviewed the current situation and conditions of Muslim communities in the continent and reiterated their principled support for them with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of European countries. The Ministers voiced their concerns at the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment, Islamophobia and right wing extremism in Europe.

They called for the continued interest and support of the OIC and its member states in the conditions of Muslims in Europe and stressed the need for better integration

and community cohesion within European societies. In this regard, they agreed that regular meetings of the Contact Group be convened in Brussels and Geneva.

The OIC Contact Groups on Mali, Yemen, Jammu and Kashmir also convened at Ministerial level on the sidelines of the ACM of OIC Foreign Ministers in New York on the 20th September 2017 while the Contact Group on the Aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan met on the 19th. The four separate Ministerial meetings reviewed the prevailing developments on the ground and reaffirmed their full solidarity with Mali, Yemen, Jammu and Kashmir and Azerbaijan.

On Mali, the Ministers discussed the implementation of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali and appreciated the important progress made in this regard but voiced concern with the situation in Kidal and the wave of insecurity in the northern regions. They commended the overall leadership of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on his peacebuilding and stabilization efforts and reiterated their solidarity with Mali in its endeavors to achieve durable peace, security and reconciliation through an inclusive dialogue process.

Regarding Yemen, the Ministers reiterated their full support for the legitimate authorities represented by the Government of President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi and reaffirmed their solidarity with the country. They emphasized the importance of a political settlement through an inclusive process and encouraged the UNSG Representative to sustain his peace efforts. They commended the OIC Member States who have extended assistance to Yemen and appealed to those who are yet to do so to also provide the necessary assistance to the country.

On the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the Ministers reviewed prevailing situation on the ground and restated their solidarity with the Kashmiri people in their struggle to achieve their legitimate rights and in

particular, their right to self-determination.

They called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

On the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, the Ministers reiterated the importance of the Contact Group in finding new ways and means to help peaceful resolution of the conflict. They also reiterated their unwavering support for the resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan within the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan and called for immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan in accordance with the aforementioned resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Meeting with President of Kosovo

Meeting with Foreign Minister of Kuwait

Meeting with UN Secretary General

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Side Meetings The Secretary General of the OIC Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, on 21st September 2017, met HE. Prof. Faustin Archange Touadera, the President of the Central African Republic (CAR) on the sideline of the 72nd Session of the UNGA in New York. The two sides reviewed the latest developments in CAR. President Touadera who briefed the Secretary General on his peacebuilding efforts also expressed appreciation to the OIC for its overall support to his country and its peace initiative, which contributed significantly to the successful conduct of the general election that brought him to power thus paving way for the restoration of democratic institutions in CAR. He further thanked the Secretary General for dispatching an OIC Need Assessment Mission to his country recently. He finally urged the OIC to sustain and enhance its engagement particularly in the process of national reconciliation.

The Secretary General on his part assured the President of the commitment of the OIC to continue to support CAR in its stabiliza-

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SPECIAL REPORT humanitarian and political fronts simultaneously.

The meeting ended with acceptance of the OIC Secretary General of the Foreign Minister’s invitation to visit Sweden at a mutually convenient time.

The Secretary General and the Executive Director of the UN-Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka also signed on Friday, 22 September 2017, in New York a Memorandum of Understanding on Inter-Institutional Cooperation.

The objective of the cooperation is to achieve maximal engagement in the field of women development and empowerment around the world with tangible results.

The areas that this framework of cooperation is expected to cover are sustainable development, eradication of poverty, advancement of women, good governance and the rule of law.

The signing ceremony took place at the UN Women headquarters. Both sides took the opportunity to exchange views on some issues of common interest.

The Secretary General invited the Executive Director to visit the OIC headquarters, and she agreed to be in Jeddah soon on a mutually convenient date.

tion, development and national reconciliation agenda. He noted with happiness the gratitude of CAR to the OIC for its contributions to the peace building process and pointed out that the Organization will remain on the side of CAR and all its people without discrimination until they fully realize their aspirations for durable peace and development in an inclusive manner.

The Secretary General also met with His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, at the headquarters of Kuwait Mission to the UN. The meeting discussed a number of issues of concern to the OIC states, means of enhancing joint Islamic action and the role of the OIC in strengthening cooperation and solidarity among its Member States.

The Secretary General, also met H.E. Prof Ibrahim Gandour, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Sudan on Wednesday 20/9/2017, on the sidelines of the UNGA. The meeting discussed the OIC and Sudan’s bilateral cooperation especially at the level of the ongoing preparations for convening the OIC Conference of Ministers of Transport in Sudan next year. It also reviewed developments concerning The Dakar-Port Sudan Railways Project and the establishment of the Darfur Development Bank.

The two sides also reviewed the follow-up of the implementation of the resolutions on solidarity with Sudan, the latest of which was adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Côte d›Ivoire in July 2017.

The Secretary General also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Abdul Aziz Kamilov. Dr. Al-Othaimeen applauded the leadership of Uzbekistan and expressed appreciation for the successful holding of the Council of Foreign Ministers last year in Tashkent.

OIC Secretary General also met with the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan H. E. Salahuddin Rabbani on 19 September 2017, on sidelines of the 72nd Session of the United Nations in New York.

During the meeting, both sides discussed the situation in Afghanistan and ways to improve conditions and address challenges there. To this end, they emphasized that cooperation and coordination between Afghanistan and the OIC should continue.

While expressing his support to Afghanistan and its people, the OIC Secretary General stressed on the importance of national reconciliation and peace talks. In this context, he reaffirmed the OIC commitment to convene in the near future, the Ulema Conference on Afghanistan as mandated by the resolutions of the council of foreign ministers.

In the meantime, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, received in audience the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, and the accompanying delegation at UN Headquarters.

The two sides discussed issues of common concern, stressing the importance of continuing coordination and consultations between the two organizations, especially on political and humanitarian issues, combating terrorism and violent extremism, and cooperation on cultural, social and sustainable development issues in the member states.

The two sides discussed developments at the regional and international levels, particularly the Palestinian issue, the Middle East peace process and the issue of the Rohingya community in Myanmar.

Signing of Bilateral Agreements The Secretary General of the OIC Yousef Al-Othaimeen and the Foreign Minister of Sweden Margot Wallstrom signed a ‘Letter of Intent’ for cooperation at the sidelines of the 72nd UNGA on 20 September 2017.

The cooperation between OIC and Sweden will focus inter alia on youth and interfaith dialogue in particular.

The Secretary General and the Foreign Minister also discussed the situation of Rohingya Muslims and agreed to work together on

Cooperation on Combating Terrorism On 21 September 2017 Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakhit, Director General of Political Affairs in the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, had a meeting with Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Counter-Terrorism, on the sidelines of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

During the meeting, which took place within the framework of the cooperation between the two organizations to combat terrorism, both sides agreed to continue coordination and partnership in the area of counter-terrorism and engage with other relevant international and regional organizations and stakeholders.

Meeting with Foreign Minister of Iraq

MOU with UN-Women

Meeting with President of CAR

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OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 33

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OIC Calls on the International Community

to Intensify Efforts to Contain

T

Cholera in Yemen

he General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on the international community, the international organizations and the civil society organizations to intensify their efforts in supporting the Republic of Yemen to contain the cholera epidemic, stop its spread and address the humanitarian and health situation, which has significantly deteriorated.

The General Secretariat welcomed the announcement of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz of instructing the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Work to take the necessary steps to combat Cholera and contain it in Yemen.

Yemen›s cholera epidemic has spread rapidly due to deteriorating hygiene and sanitation conditions and disruptions to the water supply across the country. Millions of people were cut off from clean water, and waste collection has ceased in major cities.

The crisis was exacerbated when sanitation workers whose salaries had gone unpaid went on strike. This meant garbage was left on the streets, which was then washed into the water supply.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio chol-

era.

Most of those infected will have no or mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.

Cholera should be easily treatable with oral rehydration salts and access to clean water.

A nationwide cholera awareness campaign was launched, mobilizing thousands of volunteers going house-to-house and reaching millions of families in Yemen.

OIC Member State’s Intervention OIC member states have been taking initiatives to help end the epidemic in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia donated $66.7 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to help fight cholera in Yemen.

The pledge was signed in Riyadh by Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief), and Mahmoud Fikri, director of the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean office.

Al-Rabeeah said KSRelief is working closely with Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population, the Saudi Health Ministry and UN agencies to contain the disease.

KSRelief previously donated $8.2 million to the WHO, and has supplied a convoy of more than 550 tons of medicine, medical supplies, and intravenous and oral solutions.

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Al-Rabeeah reiterated his call for the UN and all international humanitarian agencies to stand firm against those who violate international humanitarian law by interfering in the supply of medicines to those in need.

Fikri noted that the donation will be used for emergency aid for preventive and curative efforts undertaken by WHO to contain the deadly disease.

There will be more fluids supplied to patients through a larger network of technical centers, and a greater number of dehydration centers.

Supportive Stance on Unity and Sovereignty in Yemen Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) renewed its strong commitment to standing by Yemen, in full support of its unity, sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity and in solidarity with the Yemeni people in their quest for freedom, democracy, social justice and comprehensive development.

Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen stressed that the OIC will continue to shore up the legitimate government in Yemen, consistent with the resolutions of the Islamic Summit and Council of Foreign Ministers, urging all Yemeni sides to support legitimacy in their country and reject all calls for division and discord.

The call for all Yemeni parties, he explained, is also to react positively to the international initiatives for a consensual solution to the crisis in Yemen, based on the relevant UNSC resolutions, along with the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanisms and the outcome of the national dialogue conference.

Acting unilaterally beyond the scope of legitimacy will lead to more fragmentation and disintegration and allow the crisis to prolong, he warned.

Further, Dr Al-Othaimeen said the Member States continue to coordinate supportive efforts through the OIC Contact Group on Yemen, while maintaining consultation with regional and international organizations, notably the United Nations, the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The ultimate goal, he explained, is to find a political solution to the crisis in Yemen, bolster the legitimate government and its authorities and provide support for humanitarian relief and development.

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS Workshop in Uganda on Building Capacity for Responding to Humanitarian Crises

A five-day workshop to strengthen the capacity of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to effectively respond to humanitarian crises and coordinate within the international humanitarian system was held in Kampala, Uganda at the initiative of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development, Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/ OFDA) and implemented by International

Medical Corps.

Participants in the Kampala workshop, who represent NGOs operating in Uganda, Somalia and the Sudan, were afforded the opportunity to develop a better understanding of the global humanitarian setting, to familiarize themselves with key actors of the humanitarian world as well as with the principles governing the international humanitarian system.

Following the 5-day workshop, International Medical Corps deployed subject matter experts in functional areas or domains identified by the participating NGOs to provide onsite support to further strengthen their capacities.

There is an increasing recognition in the international humanitarian community of the vital role that local and national NGOs play in the response to humanitarian emergencies. However, due to the complexities of funding, implementation, and reporting procedures inherent in working with international donors and engaging in international coordination structures, many local and national NGOs face barriers in establishing the institutional knowledge that would enable them to readily meet numerous donor requirements to secure funding of their humanitarian activities.

The workshop is part of a two-year initiative, entitled “Building Better Capacity of National NGOs for Response and Coordination in Humanitarian Crises” targeting local and national NGO partners of the OIC across Africa and the Middle East.

OIC Participates in the Geneva High-level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

The Permanent Representative of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Geneva Ambassador Nasima Baghli delivered a statement on behalf of the OIC during a high-level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen held in Geneva, Switzerland on 25 April 2017.

The event was organized by the United Nations and was co-hosted by the governments of Switzerland and Sweden, to pre-

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vent an impending humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, and to raise awareness and

advocate for the affected people by providing attention of the international community on the acute humanitarian needs in Yemen.

OIC’s representative at the event Ambassador Baghli noted that, since 2015, the OIC has been working tirelessly with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) and King Salman Humanitarian Centre in Riyadh on the best ways to provide the much needed humanitarian and medical assistance to the people of Yemen by organizing humanitarian convoys with the help of humanitarian organizations in OIC Member States.

“The Islamic world will soon be observing the holy month of Ramadan and the OIC and its Member States will consider how best, in this month of giving and forgiving, to intensify their efforts to mobilize support and extend the necessary assistance to the people of Yemen,” she added.

Ambassador Baghli reiterated the OIC’s unwavering commitment to find, as a matter of urgency, a political solution to the crisis in Yemen, which will alleviate the humanitarian situation and calls for the respect of Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to reject any intervention in its internal affairs.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 35

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

T

Al-Othaimeen Calls on International Community to Scale Up Assistance to Somali People Facing Hunger

he Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, called on the international community, including UN agencies and civil society organizations, to scale up assistance to address the dire humanitarian situation in hunger-stricken Somalia.

Speaking at the London Conference for Somalia, held on 11 May 2017, Dr. Al-Othaimeen urged the international community to invest in agriculture, livestock and fisheries, help advance energy infrastructure, forgo Somalia’s debts and assist in restructuring security services in the country.

He warned that Somalia is on the brink of a catastrophic famine brought on by acute drought conditions compounded by years of poor rainfall that has affected the entire region of the Horn of Africa where over 17 million are facing terrible hunger. “In Somalia alone, more than 6 million – about half the population – are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance,” he stressed.

Further, the OIC Secretary General said stability in Somalia is about to suffer a serious setback amid a grave humanitarian situation marked by rising internal displacement, economic regression and growing trends of extremism, which may seriously affect the

entire African continent given the strategic geographical location of Somalia.

Critical Moment for Somalia The London Somalia Conference brought together Heads of State and Government from across East Africa and other key partners, along with senior figures from international organisations.

The Conference comes at a critical moment for Somalia, after a more inclusive electoral process. A new Federal Parliament with increased women and youth representation and a new administration are now in place in the country.

The Somalia London Conference therefore emphasise the importance of maintaining the momentum towards positive change and reconciliation in the country, reaffirming its support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia, and pledge to support a democratic, stable and prosperous Somalia.

The conference also expressed deep concern about the serious and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia caused by the ongoing drought and resulting disease outbreaks and the risk of famine.

The heads of states and government at the conference expressed commitment to

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work together to support Somalia’s longerterm recovery and resilience building from this drought, to prevent similar crises in future including through addressing root causes of vulnerability and food insecurity, and strengthening the links between early warning and early action, as outlined in the National Development Plan.

Strengthening National Security The communique of the London Conference for Somalia recognised that effective security underpins political and economic progress, and is fundamental to preventing recurring humanitarian crises and note that progress in improving Somalia’s security needs to be accelerated.

According to the communique, to defeat terrorist organisations Somalia’s security forces need to train under a common doctrine; be better equipped, better housed, and better coordinated; and be regularly paid and with clear status and responsibilities.

The conference therefore welcome the commitment made by Somalia’s Federal Government and Federal Member State leaders to address key issues through urgent reform of the Somali security sector and a renewed Somali campaign to defeat

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HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS Al Shabaab.

The conference’s communique noted that, reaching a settlement on outstanding constitutional issues, including completing the constitutional review process, and developing more inclusive politics is crucial for Somalia’s stability and prosperity, and that the constitutional review process must promote the building of peace and rule of law in the country and contribute to addressing conflicts and building trust.

The conference also welcome the commitments of the Federal Government of Somalia to democratisation, including one person one vote elections in 2021.

New Partnership for Somalia The conference endorsed a New Partnership for Somalia in support of the National Development Program NDP as the framework through which to build on the gains made under the New Deal Compact over the last three years and deliver clear and measurable progress on Somalia’s priorities as stipulated in the NDP. This includes on security, the constitutional settlement, inclusive politics, human rights and the rule of law, good governance, measures to tackle corruption, and economic recovery.

Through the New Partnership for Somalia,

the Federal Government of Somalia and the international community reaffirmed their commitment to work closely together in a transparent, mutually accountable and coordinated manner that strengthens national systems and is in line with and in support of Somalia’s National Development Plan, to bring enduring peace, security and prosperity.

The meeting therefore committed to develop a performance and milestones-based Mutual Accountability Framework by December 2017 to measure the progress and to report to the High Level Partnership Forum on a six monthly basis

OIC-IDB-ISF Joint Delegation Undertake an Assessment Mission to the Central African Republic

The joint OIC-IDB-ISF delegation led by Ambassador Yahaya Lawal of the OIC General Secretariat has on 24th August 2017, concluded an assessment mission to Central African Republic (CAR) after spending 5 days in the country. During the period, the delegation met with senior government officials to review the political, socio-economic and humanitarian situation prevailing in the country. They also assessed the vital needs of CAR in the various domains.

On 23rd August 2017, the delegation was received in audience by the host President HE Prof. Faustin Archange Touadera at the presidential palace where it delivered the message of the OIC Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen and discussed the latest developments in the country.

The delegation also met the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a group of 10 Ministers in a separate meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital,

Bangui.

The President of the National Assembly also received in audience the OIC-IDB-ISF delegation. The two sides exchanged views on ways and means to further support democracy and grassroots development in the Central African Republic. Similarly, the delegation held discussions with the Mayor of Bangui and his councilors; the members of the Special Court as well as leading humanitarian and religious figures in CAR.

OIC Calls on Member States and Humanitarian Organization to Commemorate Orphans’ Day Natural disasters, wars and crises across the Islamic world and more particularly in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Afghanistan, in addition to the catastrophic effects of the Tsunami in East Asia, have resulted in the loss of many human lives, leaving in their wake hundreds of thousands of orphaned children, and we all know that the right of the child is one of the most sacred rights established by Islam and all other religions.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) paid particular attention to the issues of the orphans, with the launch of its pro-

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gram for the stewardship and sponsoring of orphans, subsequent to the Tsunami disaster in South East Asia in 2006. However, the needs of orphans in the disaster and crisesstruck zones continue to be of immense weight. As a consequence, the OIC hereby appeals to the Member States and to humanitarian organizations to undertake appropriate activities to raise awareness about the orphans’ issues and their needs, on the occasion of the Orphan’s Day in the Islamic World, which is commemorated on the fifteenth of Ramadhan, proceeding from our desire to honour the orphans, to remind

our societies in the Muslim world of the orphans’ hardships and to urge them to exert greater efforts in sponsoring them and offering them help and nurturance.

It is worth recalling that the fortieth session of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Council, which was held in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, on 9-11 December 2013, had issued a resolution that set the date of the 15th of Ramadhan of each year as a day dedicated for the orphans in the Islamic world and for action to educate the public about their issues and their needs.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 37

HUMAN RIGHTS OIC-IPHRC’s 11th Regular Session focuses on ‘Protecting Human Rights while Countering Terrorism’

T

he OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) held its 11th Regular Session in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 07-11 May 2017. Besides Commission Members, the Session was attended by H.E. Dr. Zuhtu Arsalan, President of the Constitutional Court of Republic of Turkey, representatives of the OIC Secretary General, International Islamic Fiqh Academy and relevant international human rights experts from UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and Jordanian National Centre for Human Rights. Representatives of OIC Member and Observer States, their National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and media also attended and actively participated in the open proceedings of the Session.

The traditional thematic debate of the Session was held on 9 May 2017 on the subject of ‘Protecting Human Rights while Countering Terrorism’.

In his opening remarks, IPHRC Chairperson, Mr. Med S.K. Kaggwa, while announcing the commencement of the IPHRC Secretariat operations from its new Headquarters building, expressed gratitude to the Government of the KSA and all the OIC Member States for their steadfast support

to the work and activities of the Commission and its Secretariat. He also thanked the OIC Secretary General and his able predecessors, whose unwavering commitment to the cause of human rights and steadfast support to the Commission had contributed immensely towards this seamless transition.

Referring to the thematic debate, the Chairperson highlighted that the ‘war on terror’, unleashed in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks, laid emphasis on the security and military means alone. The review of such counterterrorism measures has highlighted potential weaknesses and flaws vis-à-vis their effectiveness. He urged that protection of human rights while countering terrorism is both an obligation of States and a precondition for an effective counter-terrorism strategy. To this end, he reaffirmed the purposes and principles of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and OIC’s firm and principled position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomsoever and wherever and accordingly underlined the need to devise comprehensive human rights compliant strategies for addressing the root causes of and conditions conducive to terrorism.

Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen, Secretary General

38 OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017

of the OIC, in his message delivered by his representative, highlighted that terrorism not only poses serious threat to the peoples’ enjoyment of the right to life and liberty but also portends a perpetual danger to the existence of human civilization, progress, welfare and global stability. While national and global counter terrorism strategies are developed, States are responsible to ensure peace and security within their jurisdiction.

However, at the same time, they are under obligation that their counter terrorism strategies are compliant with the international human rights, refugee and humanitarian laws. He emphasized the need for transparency, information sharing and meaningful participation of civil society and NHRIs in securing human rights. He urged the international community to agree on the universal definition of what constitutes a terrorist offence within national criminal law to protect against arbitrary or discriminatory application of laws.

The Commission Members, panelists and representatives of Member States had an exhaustive and fruitful discussion that underlined the threats to and infringements of basic human rights in the counter terrorism policies and practices. They rejected

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HUMAN RIGHTS

that terrorism can be associated with any nationality or religion and highlighted the necessity of addressing the conditions that foster terrorism by promoting human rights, tolerance and multiculturalism and tackling negative socio-economic factors.

During the five days session, the Commission had in depth discussion on all items on its agenda including human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in OIC Member States as well as specific mandates given to it by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) such as Islamophobia and incitement to hatred; Standing Mechanism for monitoring human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK), as well as human rights situation of Muslim minorities in Myanmar and Central African Republic. The Commission also received briefings and inputs from OIC General Secretariat and experts on these subjects, which were instrumental in making informed and comprehensive decisions and recommendations on these subjects.

Based on the mandate given by the 42nd Session of the OIC CFM, the Commission, in its present Session, accomplished a monumental task of adopting the revised draft of the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) titled ‘The OIC Declaration of Human Rights’. As mandated, IPHRC reviewed the CDHRI against existing univer-

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sal and regional human rights instruments and accordingly has adopted a revised draft which will be presented to the 44th CFM in July 2017. The corresponding IPHRC resolution to the CFM requests the OIC Secretary General to form, on priority, an Intergovernmental Working Group to discuss and finalize the draft of the revised declaration and present its outcome report to the 45th CFM. H.E. Dr. Riyad al Maliki, Foreign Affairs Minister of Palestine, also participated in the Session and updated the Commission on latest developments on the situation in Palestine. The Commission, while condemning the deteriorating human rights situation and extrajudicial killings in Palestine at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces, and establishment and expansion of illegal settlements, expressed serious concerns over the plight of the Palestinian prisoners.

It was also decided that the IPHRC delegation shall visit Gaza strip, which continues to suffer some of the worst human rights violations. A detailed press release on the subject is issued separately.

The “Standing Mechanism for monitoring the human rights situation in the IoK” briefed the Commission about the successful conduct of the fact finding visit of the IPHRC delegation to Pakistan and the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir which took place from 27-29 March 2017. The Com-

mission appreciated the unfettered, open and transparent access provided by the Governments of Pakistan and the State of AJK to undertake its mandated task with objectivity and neutrality. The visiting delegation also presented the findings and recommendations of their visit in the form of a report which was adopted by the Commission. It will be presented to the 44th CFM for its consideration and later would will also be widely shared with all the Member States and international human rights entities. The Commission regretted Government of India’s persistent refusal to allow the IPHRC fact-finding mission to IoK but decided to continue to pursue them to allow a fact-finding visit to IoK in order to have an independent and objective assessment of the prevalent human rights abuses, which have been widely reported by national and international human rights organizations and independent media.

In its deliberations on the situation of Rohingya Muslims, the Commission noted with deep concern that the new Myanmar leadership, despite early euphoria, had failed to meet the hopes and expectations of the international community in bringing peace and security to the most persecuted Rohingyas. In fact, the Myanmar military has employed disproportionate force and failed to adequately distinguish attackers from civilians. Also, there were reports of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, mass rapes and reprisal killings. Despite these ongoing hostilities, disappointingly, the lack of consensus among OIC member States to work on the issue as a unified front is of great concern. The Commission, in an effort to raise awareness and gather firsthand information on the human rights situation, agreed to continue to actively pursue its plans to visit Myanmar, or alternatively visit one of the neighboring countries to meet with the Rohingya refugees.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 39

HUMAN RIGHTS Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs and OIC Secretary General Inaugurates IPHRC Headquarters in Jeddah  H.E. Mr. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Government of KSA and the OIC Secretary General H.E. Dr. Yousef A. Al Othaimeen inaugurated the Headquarters of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (OIC – IPHRC) in an official ceremony on 15 May 2017. The event was attended by Mem-

bers of the IPHRC, representatives of the OIC Member and Observer States and high ranking dignitaries from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of KSA, the host country.

H.E. Mr. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, reiterated the importance of promoting and protecting human rights and acknowledged the valuable work done by the Commission on the subject within the OIC countries and beyond. Recalling the importance attached by the Kingdom to the subject of human rights, the Minister took pride in hosting the OIC Human Rights Commission and hoped that it would continue to promote the laudable ideals of human rights in accordance with the teachings of our pristine religion Islam. As the Foreign Minister of host country, Mr. Al-Jubeir expressed satisfaction for ably fulfilling the promise of providing the Headquarters for IPHRC Secretariat with requisite facilities and assured them of the continued support of the Kingdom.

While welcoming the Honorable Chief

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Guest, the IPHRC Vice Chairperson Dr. Rashid Hamed Al Baloushi, expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Government of the KSA, for their generous support and continued cooperation with the Commission including provision of necessary logistical support for its effective functioning. He also thanked the OIC Member States and the OIC Secretary General for their full moral and material support which has enabled the Commission to perform its mandated tasks in an organized and independent manner.

Participants were also briefed on the work and activities of the IPHRC. In his remarks, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, the Secretary General of the OIC, thanked the Foreign Minister for his keen interest in the work and activities of the OIC and its organs and further extended his appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its generous support for the effective functioning OIC institutions. He also paid rich tributes to the IPHRC for its valuable work in the field of human rights.

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HUMAN RIGHTS No Way Back Tragedy: Juveniles across the Mediterranean Madrid (DPA) Imran Sfeini warms his lank body with a green cover, mottled in one of the corners of the rescue boat “Azur Bay”. The coldness of the Mediterranean Sea penetrates his bones. He tries to hide, leisurely sipping a cup of tea. He has not eaten for long hours. The human trafficking mafia has plunged him into the sea with 125 other people without any food or drink to face his destiny.

Aged of 12, Ivorian-born, and his family took years to raise the sum of 2200 euros, the price of the trip on the debilitated rubber death boats so that he could reach Europe. “I cannot go back. What can I tell my family? How can I tell them that the wealth they have spent is wasted? I prefer to die rather than return with shame and failure,” the young boy says with incredulous stinging sincerity. “I also cannot raise money to make the trip again”.

The Ivorian boy spent six months in a Tripoli prison with 200 others of similar conditions.

There, he knew Solomon Coulibaly, a boy of his age. His father, a fisherman, sold his boat to pay for his trip to Europe. Coulibaly dream was to play for a big football team to continue his studies because in his country, “those who do not have enough money cannot complete their studies,” he says bitterly.

Both Imran and Sulaiman, though juveniles, travel alone, on this traditional route of migration across the central Mediterranean region. Data from non-governmental The Save the Children Fund show that about 20% of illegal immigrants seeking to reach Europe through this route are not yet eighteenth years old, and nine of every ten of them travel alone.

For its part, the UNICEF said that during 2016, about 28,500 juvenile migrants who travelled in the same conditions managed to reach the Italian coasts, double of the number in 2015. Ricardo Gatti, director of the mission of the Spanish Proactiva Open Arms, another NGO, said, «None can stop their attempts to cross to Europe. They have nothing to gain in their country. Therefore, despite the risks involved in the trip, they are willing to take the risk hoping to improve their living conditions once in Europe compared to their staying in their countries.»

Proactiva Open Arms began working on

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the central Mediterranean region almost a year ago in June 2016. Its data indicate that nearly a quarter of the rescued migrants in this area were juveniles.

The figures show that about 80% of the juveniles rescued by the Spanish human rights society are from the sub-Saharan countries, but recently, it rescued illegal immigrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and sometimes Morocco. «We are trying to track the smuggling routes of mafia human traffickers who bring these juveniles to cross into Europe, where most of them end up working as prostitutes or working under forced labor, and a good number of them fall in the clutches of the organ trade mafia,» says Gatti. It should be noted that only juvenile immigrants are allowed to stay in Europe after the X-ray wrist test to determine age, while parents or older siblings are deported. Perhaps, this is the reason for the terrible increase in the number of immigrant juveniles on European territory after the trip on the central Mediterranean route.

According to UNICEF spokesperson, Sarah Crowe, reports indicate that many male

We had to pay 1,500 euros to the human trafficking mafia, who assured us that there was no risk on an organized trip

children have been subject to forced labor in Libya, while females have been victims of the worst forms of sexual exploitation since they began the journey in the country of origin.

Ibrahim Yalu, another one of these lost juveniles, departed from Guinea Conakry, where he boarded the bus with 200 people of his own country. The bus passed the usual route through Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to Libya in an odyssey that lasted for about a month. «We had to pay 1,500 euros to the human trafficking mafia, who assured us that there was no risk on an organized trip. We would not be kidnapped by the Libyans,» says the Guinean youth, the features of his innocent face have been changed by the horrors of the trip.

“If they deport me, I will try again until I reach and stay there,» says sadly and miserably. «My family spent a lot of money on the trip. I cannot disappoint them by returning empty handed. I will bring them shame and disappointment. I had better drown rather than return home.»

Like the others on board of that boat with Panama flag, he dreams to «play as a defender with any European club so that I can make money to send to my family. I also wish to complete my studies,» he says while smiling broadly with a face that dreams of achieving glory and avoiding poverty and misery prevalent in his home country.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 41

CULTURE OIC, France Cooperate to Preserve Cultural Heritage in OIC Member States

Opening session of OIC-France symposium in Jeddah

A

two-day joint symposium of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and France on “Preserving and Protecting the Cultural Heritage in OIC Member States” was held on Sunday 14-15 May 2017 at the OIC headquarters of the Secretariat.

The Secretary General of the OIC, H.E. Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, in his opening speech delivered on his behalf by the Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian and Cultural and Social Affairs, Ambassador Hesham Youssef, stressed that the Secretariat is working to strengthen the partnership with all Member States and relevant institutions of the OIC, France, and international organizations, such as UNESCO, in order to develop practical plans that will save the Islamic Cultural Heritage in all its manifestations, including the material and non-material heritage.

The Secretary General noted that the preservation of cultural heritage, its protection and enrichment will contribute to addressing the phenomenon of distorting the image of Islam and to deter vicious attacks perpetrated by the ideologues of hatred of Islam.

He called at the same time for the need to exploit the preservation of cultural heritage to spread Islamic values of tolerance as witnessed throughout history by scientific and cultural evidences that thrives in the Islamic world.

On his part, HE. Amb. Patrick Nicoloso – the

Consul General of France in Jeddah delivered a statement extending gratitude to the OIC General Secretariat and to HE the Secretary General. Dr. Yousef Al Othaimeen for accepting to hold the colloquium in partnership with the Republic of France. He noted that the event follows the Abu Dhabi conference on Preservation of Endangered Cultural Heritage held at the initiative of France and the United Arab Emirates, to which many OIC Member States contributed. Amb. Nicoloso added that the Abu Dhabi conference provided new tools to protect cultural heritage threatened by terrorism or armed conflicts, including the creation of an International Heritage protection fund (in which France contributes $ 30 million) and the establishment of an international network of refuges for endangered cultural property. He pointed out that the Republic of France through the action of its Consulate General of France in Jeddah is content to be part of the colloquium alongside the OIC and Art Jameel, who coordinated and facilitated the attendance of the international experts.

preservation of cultural heritage, its protection and enrichment will contribute to addressing the phenomenon of distorting the image of Islam

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The symposium took place at a time when some regions of the Muslim world are witnessing conflicts and wars that adversely affect the Islamic cultural heritage and led to the destruction of many archaeological and historical areas.

The symposium represents also a step towards the promotion of the cultural work made by the OIC and as a contribution to the preparation of the International Conference, which will be held in November 2017 in cooperation between the Islamic Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Research Center for History, Culture and Islamic Arts (IRCICA).

The symposium featured a presentation of the experiences of ISESCO, IRCICA, the Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIIAC) and UNESCO, as well as the invited experts on the protection of cultural heritage in the Islamic world. It also featured an exchange of best practices in this regard, with a focus on Jerusalem and some of the countries that have experience in this field.

The event included a roundtable of experts from France, UNESCO, IRCICA, ISESCO, in addition to the representatives of the Member States where they discussed the experiences and proposals of Member States on the protection of cultural heritage. The roundtable also discussed the experiences of the OIC and UNESCO, the role of civil society, the private sector and the uses of technology in the preservation of endangered cultural heritage.

During the symposium, a session was held on the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the preservation of the heritage with the participation of experts from Charitable Heritage Foundation in the Kingdom, in addition to reviewing the experiences of community members in the Kingdom in heritage preservation.

This event was held in the context of the implementation of resolution no. 10/43C on “The Protection and preservation of the Islamic and world historical and cultural heritages” adopted by the 43rd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in October 2016 in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, with the aim of developing OIC to identify proactive means and methods to safeguard and protect the cultural

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ISLAMOPHOBIA

ISLAMOPHOBIA The Trend of Outlawing Muslim

Women’s Veil

in Europe Deserves Special Attention

A

new assessment released by the Islamophobia Observatory of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stressed that the trend of outlawing veil, headscarf, hijab, niqab, and burqa in Europe deserves particular attention, especially after the decision taken on March 14 by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which ruled that employers/companies could ban staff from wearing these particular clothes.

In its latest report, the Islamophobia Observatory based at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi noted that at the time this assessment was made, at least 12 European countries have partially or fully banned veil, headscarf, hijab, niqab, and burqa i.e. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia, and Albania. More are likely on the way with intensive debates ongoing in some countries. On this new development, the Observatory sees a pattern towards a complete ban of Muslim headscarf in Europe in the future in a manner that is somehow, beyond ‘security’ consideration. A country followed by another, made the ban part of their national law, despite the clear manifestation of social discrimination behind such policy. The ECJ’ recent decision is therefore seen by the Observatory as just another step towards those ends, which was concluded based on observation across the time over the countries in the continent.

The Observatory also noted that Islamophobia trend around the world during the first three months of 2017 remains alarmingly high, and the main hotspots remain in the US and Europe.

It stressed that in the US, especially during January and February, there was an atmosphere of overwhelming chaos, as it made it clear that Islam is the ‘Public Enemy Number One’.

Among the most notorious instances was the issuance of a racist, Islamophobic and a state-sponsored provocation that flies in the

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face of America’s self-proclaimed values of freedom and equality.

The policy was called ‘Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States’, that suspend entry for nationals of certain Muslim countries.

In Europe, according to the assessment, the bleak picture of Islamophobia was seen particularly in Netherlands, France, Germany, and the UK, due to the intense campaigns against Islam and Immigrants spread by Populist-Right Wing parties amidst the on-going elections. The Islamophobia Observatory noted at least 10 major incidents mostly targeting Muslims, mosques and prayer facilities in Europe. In addition, Canada was also found among the List of the hotspots. Despite the low number of incidents targeting mosques, Islamic Centers, Muslim Communities, and Hijabi-women, the country made international headlines due to the severity caused by the incident in January 2017, when a violent Far Right supporter ransacked into a mosque in Quebec City and fatally shot several Muslims.

In the US, the Islamophobia Observatory is very much concerned by the continuous incidents of targeting Mosques and Islamic Centers. Still in the US, the serious issue of anti-Muslim discrimination at the workplace alarms the Observatory.

In term of positive developments, the ‘travel-ban’ caused rippled anger and dismay across the world as politicians, community leaders, actors, and even sport stars reacted to the entry-ban policy imposed on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations. Within the US territory itself, demonstrations were organized across the country since January, to show support for Muslims in response to the travel ban.

Amidst the escalating hatred, the Observatory noted that interfaith solidarity between Jews and Muslims is growing fast in the United States.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 43

CULTURE Secretary General Calls for Raising Global Awareness of the Dangers of the Growing Manifestations of Islamophobia

Baku – The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, called for raising global awareness of the dangers of the growing manifestations of Islamophobia by mainstreaming the principles of peace, harmony and security among all societies and peoples.

In a statement delivered at the Fourth World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijani on 5 May 2017, the Secretary General underlined the OIC’s commitment to continue supporting innovative ideas aimed at consolidating the values of tolerance among religions, cultures and civilizations, a commitment provided for in the OIC 10-year Program of Action 2025.

He pointed out that the “Istanbul Process” initiative launched by the OIC as part of its plan to implement UN Human Rights Council resolution 16/18, could contribute in a positive way to the efforts exerted to combat various forms of extremism, hatred and racial discrimination, through the establishment of a culture of dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.

Al-Othaimeen added that the OIC has always encouraged dialogue as a way to bring closer views within the framework of respecting differences and diversity, “thus, it is our joint global responsibility to propagate a culture of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding, and

to continue to develop new approaches towards intercultural dialogue through mutual acceptance and respect.”

The Secretary General said that the selection of “Advancing intercultural dialogue: New avenues for human security, peace and sustainable development”, as the theme of this year’s session of the Forum, reinforces the conviction that culture plays an important role in promoting the global framework of development. Achieving sustainable development requires a broader and deeper understanding of the security issue, which includes humanitarian, gender and environmental dimensions, and not just military aspects.

The Forum is an initiative of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and it was held in partnership with UNESCO, the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the WTO, FAO, ISESCO and the Council of Europe.

In his speech during the event, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, noted that Azerbaijan put forward the initiative six years ago and the first World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue was held in Baku. Since that time the forum has turned into a global international event addressing one of the most important issues on the world agenda – intercultural dialogue.

“In 2008, Azerbaijan initiated a very important process, which later was called Baku Process, and which is now highly appreciat-

44 OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017

ed by the international community. That initiative also was generated by these factors, which I already described, and also the fact that Azerbaijan is one of the very few countries, which is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Council of Europe at the same time,” said Aliyev.

The president added that, in 2009, Azerbaijan as a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation hosted the meeting of the ministers, and invited the ministers of the Council of Europe countries. This initiative and this format later was called “Baku Process”, noting that next year “we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Baku Process” and that the government of Azerbaijan and United Nations Alliance of Civilizations launched an initiative to create an award, Baku Process award for leadership in intercultural dialogue, which will be presented to those who play a very active role in promotion of dialogue of cultures and dialogue of civilizations.

Other speakers at the event included UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri and Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Gabriella BattainiDragoni.

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‫شؤون الشباب‬

T

he selection of Sennar as a Capital of Islamic Culture for 2017 was not a matter of chance. Indeed, the Islamic Kingdom of Sennar represented a shining example in glorifying Islam and preserving Islamic heritage for more than 300 years after the end of Muslim rule in Spain. By happy coincidence, this decision concurs with the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the Sultanate of Sennar. Historically, Sennar was not only the capital of the first Muslim sultanate of the Nilotic Sudan but also became, thanks to its location in the Sudan’s heartland and to its demographic structure which accommodated most of Sudanese ethnic groups, an emblem of the country and an important platform for Islamic and cultural influence in Africa. Besides, it represented a model of ethnic and cultural plurality under the umbrella of Islam, and epitomizes Islam’s tolerance and coexistence with local cultures. All these factors have pushed some theorists interested in the Sudanese identity to consider Sennar a good example of the country’s ethnic and cultural diversity.

Moreover, the very name of the city echoes the entire country. In fact, historical sources point out to the Sennari Corridor at AlAzhar Mosque and the Sennari Caravan on the Saharan Caravan Route, both of which refer to the Sudan as a whole. Moreover, the people of the Nilotic Sudan were known as Al-Sannariyah or Al- Sananeer in both Hejaz and Egypt during the rule of the Sennar Kingdom.

With its geographical location and sociodemographic structure, is a representative sample of the Sudan as whole. This has lead many thinkers, intellectuals and politicians to consider it as a melting pot showcasing

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Sennar Arab Region’s Capital of Islamic Culture 2017 the components of the entire nation. In the wake of independence, it was suggested to name the freshly established Sudan after Sennar but the then-president Ismail al-Azhari preferred the name “Sudan” for which the country has been known since the second half of the 19th century. However, Sennar has been a model of civilization for Sudanese intellectuals since the 1970s.

In light of this symbolic feature of the city, celebrating Sennar means celebrating all the Sudan’s sites, regions and cities with cultural and Islamic significance, which have contributed to Islam’s historical role as a religion of knowledge and learning. This gives a genuine dimension to this event and sheds light on the core of the Sudanese culture. Sennar has been a concrete incubator of civilization which carried the spirit of Islam and Arab culture in a unique symbiosis with local African elements.

History narratives suggest that Sennar, capital of the Islamic Funj Sultanate, was built by Amara Dunqas who made it capital of his kingdom. Later, thanks to the combined efforts of different human races, a new entity was later established, bringing together the Abdallabi Kingdom, the Funj Sultanate and

other annexed parts like Bedja in the east and large chunks of Kurdufan in the west.

This made the new entity the largest united geographical domain on the banks of the Middle Nile since the age of the Merowe Kingdom. Since then, Sennar has become a powerful city having relations with parts of Africa and Asia, including India, the Arab Peninsula and a major platform for the spread of Islam and science in the country.

The country also benefited from the architectural heritage of the Northern population, which dates back to ancient civilizations in both Napta and Marowe, and which contributed to the greater evolution of the country until it became a world destination.

Sennar was home to a long human experience developed in the Nilotic Sudan, the cradle of ancient Sudanese civilizations. It was on the narrow Nile banks, which stretch from the First Cataract to the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, that the Marowe or Kush Kingdom thrived (750 BC-350 AD) and the three Christian kingdoms of Nobatia, Makuria and Alodia (from 580 to1450 AD) in a later time, thus paving the way for the emergence of syncretism of Christianity and African beliefs, which spiritually federated the country, laying the ground for the rise of these kingdoms.

The choice of Sennar as capital of Islamic Culture for 2017 is a true contribution to the historical and cultural heritage of the Sudanese nation and represents a logical extension of the Sudan’s efforts to preserve Islamic culture throughout history. It is also an opportunity to publicize the city and highlight its civilizational role and potential.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 45

FAMILY

AFFAIRS

OIC Women Advisory Council’s First Session Convenes in Istanbul The OIC Women’s Advisory Council, which was set up within the framework of the Ministerial Conference on Role of Women in the Development of Member States, convened its first meeting in Istanbul on May 18, 2017, at an invitation from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Policies in the Republic of Turkey, current chairman of the Conference, with the attendance of H.E. Fatima Betul, Minister of Women’s Affairs and Social Policies in the Turkish Republic.

The meeting was attended by the Members of the Women’s Advisory Council who were selected by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of Member States to the OIC during its meeting on 16 March 2017

at the OIC General Secretariat.

The Women’s Council was established under a resolution issued by the Sixth Session of the Ministerial Conference on Role of Women in the Development of Member States, which was held in Istanbul in November 2016. It is comprised of nine members, 3 from each OIC geographical group, in addition to a representative from the General Secretariat and another from the OIC Cairobased Women’s Development Organization.

The meeting addressed the efforts that need to be undertaken by the Council to fulfill its tasks such as to be able to submit its recommendations to the next ministerial session of the conference on women, to activate the

OIC’s role in the area of women empowerment and promotion such as to allow the conference to come out with practical and implementable resolutions, as well as ways of consolidating partnership with the various parties concerned for the benefit of energizing the OIC’s role in the area of women’s empowerment.

On the other hand, the OIC General Secretariat made a presentation on its Program of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW) and its executive mechanism, as well as a summary on the results of the six past Ministerial Conference on Role of Women in the Development of Member States, which have been held since 2006.

OIC commends decision to allow women driving in Saudi Arabia The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s decision to allow women to drive, following lofty order issued on 26 September 2017 by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may Allah preserve him.

The OIC Secretary General, Dr Youssef AlOthaimeen, said this very important step comes as part of the continued reform effort to drive progress and development for

the Kingdom and its citizens, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy

Mosques, and his Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, may Allah preserve them.

The royal decree, Dr Al-Othaimeen went on, is in step with two of the OIC’s key documents, the OIC 2025 Programme of Action and the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women, where the Organization calls on the Member States to give due attention to women, by ensuring preservation of their rights and expanding their roles in society.

First Report on the State of Youth in the OIC Member States Launched

The Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan and United Nations Alliance of Civilizations has organized a High Level International Conference on “State of Muslim Youth”. The Conference held on 26 September 2017 in Istanbul under the motto Solidarity in Action, was the center event of

the activities organized in the framework of the 1st celebrations of the OIC Youth Day. The conference welcomed high level guests; Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Turkey, Republic of Azerbaijan, Minister of Culture and Sports of the State of Qatar and President of the Higher Council for Youth and Sports of the State of Palestine, heads and representatives of international organizations as well as 70 young delegates representing the OIC

46 OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017

Member States.

During the Ministerial panel on the theme “Pro-Active Youth Policy as a Key Factor in National Development”, Ministers discussed central issues related to enhancing the state of youth development and wellbeing in OIC Member States, while suggesting actionable solutions to current problems faced by youth.

The Conference has also launched the 1st Report on the State of Youth in the OIC Member States, featuring the 1st Youth Policy Score Indicator essential to measuring progress on youth policy throughout the OIC; prepared jointly by ICYF-DC and SESRIC, according to the relevant resolution of the 3rd session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYSM).

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MEDIA International Forum in London to Explore Mechanisms for Countering Islamophobia

T

he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC co-organizied a forum in London, UK on 15-16 July 2017 for media experts and civil society representatives to explore mechanisms for countering Islamophobia. The experts looked at the phenomenon of Islamophobia from a legal and human rights perspective and how it is covered and handled or promoted in the media as well as the role of civil society organizations in addressing racial discrimination, hatred and denigration of religions.

The forum was co-organized with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and hosted by the Islamic Cultural Center in London.

“The forum was held in implementation of the updated OIC anti-Islamophobia Media Strategy and its mechanisms, which was adopted by the 11th session of the OIC Ministers of Information Conference held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 21 December 2016,” said Maha Akeel, Director of Information and Communication at the OIC. The OIC Media Strategy in Countering Islamophobia consists of short, medium and long term objectives that include focusing on interaction with media outlets, academicians and experts on various related topics; producing content, publications and media literacy programs; engaging with western governments in creating awareness; and supporting efforts by Muslim civil societies in the west and involving them in the elaboration of plans and programs to counter Islamophobia.

“No doubt that there is a rise in Islamophobia in the west, which is indicated in the

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latest OIC Islamophobia Observatory report, and there is usually a spike in hate crimes against Muslims following terrorist acts perpetrated by a Muslim,” said Akeel.

“The forum looked at the role of the media and civil society in countering Islamophobia from a legal and human rights perspective because we cannot talk about the role of the media without discussing freedom of the press and freedom of expression as fundamental human rights,” said Akeel. Also, “when talking about the role of the media it is within the framework of its responsibility in the proliferation of stereotypes and its ethical and professional standards in covering and handling Islamophobic acts,” she added.

The two-day event emphasized that the phenomenon of Islamophobia is in total contradiction with the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with the relevant international conventions, declarations and covenants.

The participants called for intensified coordination and cooperation between governments, civil society institutions and the media to address those responsible for Islamophobia, and treating them as anti-peace groups at odd with the human rights culture that threaten the international efforts aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue, alliance of civilizations, tolerance, understanding and mutual respect among all human beings.

The forum also invited international governmental and civil society organizations to coordinate efforts to activate national and international charters, covenants, conventions, declarations, resolutions and laws

specifying the limits between freedom of opinion and expression, on the one hand, and the various violations and abuses committed by the media in the name of freedom opinion and expression, on the other.

The meeting also called on the Western media to abide by the standards of objectivity, honesty, fairness and avoid double standards in their coverage of events, and contribute, instead, to building good human relations and creating an atmosphere of understanding, coexistence and dialogue among human societies.

The participants also stressed the need for a responsible freedom of expression and to compelling media production institutions to promote a discourse that takes into account the diversity of the human cultural heritage, and the consequent obligation of respect for religions, particularly Islam, along with culture of Muslim minorities in the West, while adhering to the basic principles of ethics of the press, and rejecting hatred and racism.

They also invited citizens of Muslim origin in Western countries to develop and strengthen their legal knowledge about the issues media and human rights in such a way as to be able to defend their Islamic identity and culture within the framework of international laws and instruments.

The forum called on Muslim representatives of the civil society and Islamic institutions in the West to develop and foster their media discourse; interact positively with the media; launch media and cultural campaigns and programs to publicize the true image of Islam as a tolerant religion; and create an atmosphere of dialogue, mutual understanding and solidarity among society members against instigators of hatred, violence and discrimination.

The meeting commended the efforts of the OIC and ISESCO to counter Islamophobia and address it at the level of the media and the law, and invite them to prepare studies and organize workshops and seminars for Muslim journalists residing in Europe in order to initiate them to the international instruments that guarantee human rights and freedom of expression, criminalize religious and ethnic discrimination; and denigration of religions.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 47

MEDIA On World Press Freedom Day: OIC Stresses on Protecting the Safety of Journalists The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) joined the international community to mark the significant event of World Press Freedom Day, commemorated annually on May 3rd.

OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen paid tribute to the sacrifices of journalists and media professionals who risked or lost their lives while performing their professional duties at times of wars or unrests.

This year’s theme: “Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s role in advancing peace-

ful, just and inclusive societies” highlights the important role of the media in ensuring peaceful co-existence among different communities of our world.

OIC took this opportunity to emphasize on the need for protecting the safety and freedom of journalists while performing their professional duties. It also called on journalists and media professionals to display a high sense of responsibility when performing their duties and to take into consideration societal harmony and well-being.

It is worth mentioning that OIC is in the

process of instituting an International Media Prize to honor excellent media outlets and professionals who have made outstanding contributions to promoting dialogue, tolerance and harmony among cultures.

The prize seeks to encourage media professionals to eliminate hate speech, intolerance, prejudice, racial discrimination and Islamophobia, and to support intercultural dialogue and social inclusion in their reports and programs.

Winners of Second Edition of Human Face of Ramadan Photo Contest Set to Claim their Prizes

T

he Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) announced the second edition of its Ramadan Social Media Photo Competition, following the success and wide participation in the first edition of the contest.

The competition was open to all Muslims aged 18 and above from OIC member and observer states. The organizers asked the participants to submit entries for the competition depicting social, economic, political and cultural aspect of the theme of the competition: The Human Face of Ramadan.

The contest’s guideline also required the contestants to depict Ramadan’s activities and atmosphere, Ramadan’s teachings of selflessness, rituals, prayers, food, gather-

ings, mosques, celebrations, special moments, charity activities, humility, patience, Eid Celebrations and cultures, in essence, the pictures should depict what Ramadan and Eid Celebrations mean to the contestants and how they experience the precious moments. How does Ramadan and Eid season ‘look’ and ‘feel’ in their region?

The OIC has since announced the 10 winners of the second edition of Human Face of Ramadan photo contest.

The selected images depicted the theme of the competition, Ramadan’s activities and atmosphere, Ramadan’s teachings on selflessness, rituals, prayers, food, gatherings and Eid celebrations.

The 10 winners are Abdul Hafiz bin Abd Ha-

48 OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017

mid from Brunei, Khalid Sayyid from Egypt, Rabi Sufi, from Nigeria, Ahmad Fadlil Imran, from Indonesia, Emran Hossain from Bangladesh, Mohammad Emad Muhammad from Palestine, Muhammad Salisu Abdullahi from Nigeria, Boubacar Saadani from Algeria, Hasdad Abu Nabawi from Indonesia and Taysir Mahdi Kadhim from Iraq.

The winners will be sponsored for Umrah and visit to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah before the end of year 2017 as their winning prize.

The Human Face of Ramadan Photo contest competition invited amateur and professional photographers who are Muslims aged 18 and above from OIC member and observer states to submit pictures depicting social, economic, political and cultural aspect of the theme of the competition: The Human Face of Ramadan, on the condition that the photos are not published anywhere else.

The second edition of the competition received hundreds of pictures from different countries across 57 OIC member and observer states and beyond.

“We are pleased with the entries we received in the second edition of the Human Face of Ramadan Photo competition which captured the theme of the competition,” said Maha Akeel, Director of OIC’s Information Department who supervised the organization of the competition.

The entries were published on OIC website and social Media platforms throughout the month of Ramadan and Eid celebration period.

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HEALTH Polio: IAG to Support Maternal and Child Health Initiatives

The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, received the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Islamic Advisory Group for Polio Eradication (IAG), Dr. Yaqub Almazrou, at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on 19 April 2017.

Appreciating the role of IAG in dispelling misconception about polio vaccination in the polio-affected countries, the Secretary General pledged support for the expanded mandate of IAG to cover issues pertaining to maternal and child health. He emphasized that IAG should continue focusing on imparting training to the religious scholars, students and community leaders about the role of Islam in promoting maternal and child health issues.

On his part, Dr. Mazrou thanked OIC Secretary General for his leadership in mobilizing the political support for the efforts of the IAG in the fight against polio. Dr. Mazrou also briefed the Secretary General on the expanded role of IAG to support maternal and child health initiatives, particularly in the pri-

ority areas of breastfeeding, immunization, birth spacing, hygiene and sanitation and care-seeking behavior.

IAG was established in 2013 as a partnership between Al Azhar AlSharif, the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). The broad objectives of IAG, with its secretariat in EHO/ EMRO were to promote immunization and polio eradication activities as local initiatives; change the perceptions of the local communities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and other predominantly Islamic countries; help gain community confidence to increase access; and help secure greater financial, political and religious support from Islamic countries and organizations.

OIC Coordination Meeting on Health Issues Convenes during the 70th World Health Assembly The OIC General Secretariat in coordination with Turkey, Chair of the 5th Session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM) organised a Coordination Meeting on the margins of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on 22 May 2017.

Senior Officials of the Member States who were attending the weeklong 70th WHA attended the Meeting. The Meeting provided a perfect opportunity to the Member States to assess the global heath agenda from the OIC perspective and to form harmonised

positions on a number of issues of common interest.

In her remarks on behalf of the Secretary General, the OIC Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva Amb. Nassema Baghli highlighted OIC programs and activities. She noted that OIC had become an important partner in health related initiatives at the international level.

On his part, the Representative of Turkey Dr. Oner Gunar, Director General of EU and Foreign Affairs in the Ministry of Health hailed

the OIC General Secretariat for embracing this important initiative. He underscored the importance of such a gathering in affording the OIC Member States the opportunity to shape and influence the global health agenda.

The Meeting was also addressed by the Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who gave a brief on the preparations for the 6th session of ICHM scheduled to be held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 5-7 December 2017.

OIC Participates in the 4th Meeting of the Islamic Executive Bureau of Environment in Rabat

The 4th meeting of the Islamic Executive Bureau of Environment (IEBE) was held in Rabat on 10 May 2017. The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Morocco, Qatar and Cameroon. The Executive Bureau meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Khalil bin Mosleh Al-Thaqafi, President of the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Muhammad Naeem Khan, Assistant Secretary General (S&T), OIC General

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Secretariat and Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General ISESCO. Besides reviewing the progress made in implementing the recommendations and resolutions of the 6th ICEM, the meeting approved a number of proposals for the consideration of the OIC Ministers for Environment during forthcoming 7th ICEM. The Ministers emphasized the importance of increasing intra-OIC collaboration to strengthen the capabilities of the Member States en-

abling them to fulfill their obligations under the Paris Agreement that entered into force last year.

On behalf of the OIC Secretary General, Ambassador Naeem Khan underscored the importance that OIC attaches to issues pertaining to environmental protection, climate change and water, food and energy security of the Member States. He said that due to climate change, including recurrent floods, rise in sea levels, higher average temperatures and higher frequency of droughts, the OIC Member States face enormous adverse consequences impeding their ability to promote sustainable growth and development of their people.

OIC Journal May - Sebtember 2017 49

SPECIAL REPORT Astana Summit Decides to Hold Second Meeting in Uzbekistan to follow up on the OIC Science, Technology and Innovation Agenda 2026

First Summit on Science & Technology: Nurturing the “Thinking Mind” & Increasing Allocation for Education to 8% of Annual National Budgets ritania addressed the Conference on behalf of the Arab Group; followed by the President of the Republic of Guinea in his capacity as representative of the African Group.

The Summit concluded its proceedings in Astana, Kazakhstan, with the adoption of Astana Declaration, which stated that the second S&T summit would be held in Uzbekistan at a date to be determined later.

This indicates that holding a summit on S&T by the OIC member states has become periodic.

T

he First Islamic Summit on Science and Technology was held in Astana, Khazakhstan from 10-11 September 2017, in the presence of a number of leaders of OIC Member States. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, opened the proceedings of the inaugural session.

The Kazakh President called for establishing a fund for science and technology. He has decided to offer an award for scientists in the Member States, pointing out that there will be a ceremony to launch the award.

The OIC Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Yousef Bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, stated that convening of the Summit comes at a time of extreme importance for the OIC Member States, and amid unprecedented political, economic and security changes that place those states in a single trench to face the challenges of the age. Furthermore, he stated that political and security solutions of contemporary problems ought to go hand in hand with effective social, cultural and economic plans based on science and know-how.

On the other hand, the Secretary General disclosed that the OIC is currently working on a comprehensive program of scholarships, particularly, in the fields of medicine, engineering, technology and informatics for all academically outstanding young men and women from the Member States, aimed at empowering them and opening for them horizons of hope in a promising future that

takes pride in them, and helps to advance their communities and states.

A-Othaimeen also stated that the efforts, which have been exerted by the Member States, the OIC and its various organs, realized significant gains in the past decade.

Member States spend from their GDP on R&D more than before i.e. compared with 0.2% in the year 2005. Also substantial investments have been implemented in the field of higher education between the OIC Member States; 17 universities in the Member States have been classified among the 400 best universities in the world in terms of excellence by July 2017.

The President of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, underscored that the position of science, research and education in OIC Member States is saddening, as these states have become consumers and not producers of science, therefore, are in a weaker situation, especially, in the field of cybercrimes. Erdogan expressed the readiness of his country to exchange know-how and expertise with the Member States, stressing that the Islamic World is in need of unity and solidarity.

In conclusion, the President of the Republic of Pakistan, H.E. Mamnoon Hussain, took the floor in his capacity as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH). Afterwards, H.E. the President of Uzbekistan spoke on behalf of the Asian Group; and then the President of the Republic of Mau-

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OIC ST&I Agenda 2026 The Summit adopted the OIC Science, Technology and Innovation Agenda 2026 in which the leaders identified priority areas including managing energy requirements by calling for the use of renewable energy and initiating peaceful application of nuclear technology in power and non-power sector among other recommendations.

The Summit also called in the Agenda for nurturing the “Thinking Mind” by building a culture of science and innovation; making people employable through developing their education and skills; and improving the quality of higher education and research in addition to focusing on mathematics and physics, biology and biotechnology, and the chemical sciences.

The Agenda 2026 addressed other goals for achieving such as the safety of water, food and the environment; ensure healthy lives for all citizens; and managing Big data in the digital economy. The Agenda also included recommendations on the environment, climate change and sustainability; enhancing intra-OIC scientific cooperation; and working together on Big Science Programs on space, astronomy and high performance computer centers among other areas.

The summit recommended that OIC member states should consider increasing their allocation for all tiers of education to a minimum of 8% of annual national budgets in accordance with the relevant national legislation in each member state.

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he member states should also focus on the technical and vocational levels and development of common curricula and standards for enhanced productivity in agriculture, industry and service sectors, with a target of minimum 20% enrolment in technical / vocational education among the 1519 year age cohort. In this regard it is important to engage industrial and professional organizations. The summit also emphasized the need to elevate STEM education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), as a key priority in OIC Countries, while skills in ICT and digital technology must be made compulsory at all tiers of education, especially in high schools, where appropriate.

The OIC S&T Agenda 2026 also called for an increase efficiency in water use and combat desertification through the use of new technologies and farming methodologies, with the aim to maximize recycling of urban waste water and prepare national water budgets at the ‘local’ levels where possible, supplemented by monitoring of sub-aquifers, glaciers, and loss in canals.

The strategy also encourage the setting up National Gene Banks for conservation and exchange of PGR (plant genetic resources) with research centers in Member States and undertake legal and other measures for protection of the ‘geographical’ origin’ of their traditional foods and crops.

The summit also called for increase farm productivity through sharing and adoption of modern and indigenous technology, based on specific case studies and best practices in the world and to promote cooperation in the development and adaptation of the concept of “personalized agriculture”, which is the transfer of knowledge and ex-

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perience of modern sciences to a specific genotype of crops based on its response to a specific environment, soil, fertilizer, water and bio-stimulators”.

The 2026 strategy also called for Member States to collaborate with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) and national legislations to re-organise National Food Safety Authorities for integration of safety and security of the entire food chain, from the land to the factory and the table by verification of hygienic, nutritional and organoleptic qualities. They should also ensure proper identification to avoid adulteration and misrepresentation.

The summit also encouraged Member States to consider implementing International Standards such as IFS (Food Safety initiative), BRC (British Retail Consortium), EurepGAP (European Retail Protocol for Good Agricultural Practice), and ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management System) as well as the OIC/ SMIIC standards and national legislations of the Member States.

In the area of the development of public health systems, the summit called on Member States to consider increasing health financing in order to raise it to a minimum of 10% of national budgets by 2025 and allocate nearly half to cover essential scientific healthcare and financial risks in accordance with the relevant national laws in each member state.

It also called on member states to improve training of all para-medics and technicians in conformity with the best international practices.

The strategy also urged member states to consider providing reliable access to safe,

effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all, and increase the capacity for their indigenous production. This in addition to promoting rational use of drugs as a public health priority to confront the challenge of antimicrobial MDR (multiple-drug-resistance).

Member States were also urged to create a cadre of trained epidemiologists to reduce the burden of communicable / non-communicable diseases and to implement fast and cheap diagnostic systems allowing early disease prognosis and containment of epidemic cases.

The summit also encouraged the promotion of healthy lifestyle to prevent chronic diseases that would help in reducing expenditure on health and to encourage R&D in neglected tropical diseases in the OIC Member States.

Finally, the summit called for the promotion of cooperation in alternative healthcare/ medicines; tele-medicines; epidemiological studies and R&D for healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

The OIC S&T strategy urged Member States to consider doubling their annual expenditure by 2025 on scientific infrastructure and R&D in those countries which spend less than 0.3% of GDP, and aim for a target of 2.0% in countries which are at a relatively advanced level, in accordance with the relevant national laws in each member state.

The Summit also called for an increase in the share of Member States in global scientific output (publications and patents) by 100% in the next ten years in addition to doubling the number of R&D workers (all levels of scientific manpower, including certified technicians) per million population.

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The strategy stressed the need for an increase in the share of high technology goods and services in the economies and trade of Member States, aiming for 10% by 2025 and encourage Technology Parks adjacent to leading universities in OIC Member States. This will promote linkages with industry and business and aim for a minimum of 50 universities for inclusion among the top 500 universities according to recent international ranking by 2025.

The leaders of the OIC Member States also emphasized the importance of making faculty the ‘long pole’ in the tent of education and research and allow time to build a critical mass of teachers and research groups in key areas, especially for fresh PhDs and to promote networking and linkages within OIC and with leading world universities for research partnerships sharing of knowledge and experience and best practices.

They also urged the reduction in the exclusive dependence on government financing or student fee, by returning to the traditional ‘Waqf’, as is the case in many universities in the developed countries and to establish centers for Young Scientists to share their experiences and knowledge and to carry out joint research projects.

In the Astana Declaration, the leaders agreed to individually and collectively pursue cooperation among OIC countries for sustainable development, and to confront the societal challenges of the 21st Century, and affirmed their resolve to eradicate extreme poverty, including poverty of the mind and to bring forth the creative and innovative strengths of all the peoples in OIC Member States. The leaders also expressed their resolve to reach the goals of OIC S&T Agenda 2026 and agreed to take necessary measures for the practical implementation of the recommendations of OIC S&T Agen-

da 2026.

State of S&T in the Islamic World The first Islamic Summit of Science and Technology comes at a very critical stage in the history of the Muslim World and in the midst of unprecedented political, economic and security challenges. Science, technology and innovation are among the main pillars for building and developing civilizations.

That is why the OIC has, since its inception, attached utmost importance to science, technology, innovation and modernization.

In line with the OIC’s Charter which underlines the necessity to promote and develop science and technology, and encourages research and cooperation among Member States in these fields, and being consistent with the : “OIC-2025: Programme of Action” and other relevant OIC resolutions, the historic Summit which is unprecedented both in its theme and content, was held to proclaim that the OIC is the platform through which the Muslim World can voice all its concerns and preoccupations, including those related to science and technology.

Today, the Muslim world is experiencing a historic demographic shift. Most of the OIC member countries are blessed with having relatively younger population. Nonetheless, the current situation provides opportunities and at the same time poses challenges for the Muslim World. Currently, the Muslim youth face a critical reality because of the growing trend of terrorism, extremism and Islamophobia coupled with the existence of unemployment, ignorance and poverty in our countries. Supporting science and technology, combating ignorance and equipping society with knowledge have thus become a basic requirement and a basis for sensitizing, educating and building the Muslim youth, while providing them with proper

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employment opportunities to avoid their marginalization or socio-economic exclusion, which make them prone to terrorism, violence and extremism.

It is worth noting that the OIC is working on a comprehensive scholarship program particularly in the fields of medicine, engineering, technology, and IT for young students with outstanding academic background from OIC countries. The objective is to empower them through opening wide and promising prospects and consequently to ensure the advancement of their societies and countries.

During the past decade, the OIC and its institutions have considerably strengthened their activities in science and technology through programs for strengthening R&D, conducting STI Foresight studies, and promoting emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and biotechnology.

In the field of Health, the OIC has scaled up its cooperation with other regional and international partners on issues such as eradication of Polio and Cancer, and improving maternal, neonatal and child health under the ambit of the OIC Strategic Health Plan of Action 2013. On Water-related issues, the OIC Water Vision outlined a framework for cooperation among Member States in the face of the multi-dimensional challenges posed by climate change.

Efforts by the OIC Member States and concerted action by OIC and its institutions have led to important gains in the last decade. The OIC Member States now spend several times more of their GDP on R&D, as compared to just 0.2% in 2005. Major investments have been made in higher education across all the regions of the OIC and 17 Universities in Member States are ranked among the top 400 globally under the QS system by July 2017.

While recognizing the importance of adopting a clearly-defined action plan for promoting scientific and technological development and innovation in the Muslim world, the 12th Islamic Summit Conference, held in Cairo in 2013, mandated the OIC General Secretariat with the assistance of the COMSTECH, the OIC’s Standing Committee on Science and Technology, to take necessary measures to organize an Islamic Summit on Science, Technology and Innovation.

Accordingly, COMSTECH Secretariat prepared an OIC STI Agenda 2026 with the

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valuable inputs of over 120 scientists in various disciplines from several member states.

The document which was approved by OIC leaders at the Astana Summit, identified key priorities, goals, related targets and recommended actions.

The future of science in the OIC Member States depends on collective commitment to take effective decisions to address the challenges ahead by placing STI in the core of the strategic plans of OIC countries and promoting the political will for their development.

Given the fast pace of scientific progress and the world’s entry into the revolutionary era of knowledge, information and communication, OIC Member States and societies must act promptly to catch up with the technological development of the advanced countries and support scientific research and various research centers in their own countries.

Study and research centers and institutes have come to play an advanced role in providing concerned entities with practical and theoretical scientific and development studies. They also assist decision makers with the results of the analysis of local, regional and international developments at the economic, political, cultural, security and social

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levels in order to find out their impacts on societies. These centers provide, therefore, an important basis for decision-making and consequently supports building a strong economy.

The challenge ahead of OIC member states is to translate the vision into practical action as well as to develop effective solutions, which will be felt by the Citizens in Member States while reinforcing their trust in their Organization OIC, which stands as their partner and as the defender of their rights and concerns.

The OIC General Secretariat and other OIC institutions will continue to work with all Member States to promote and consolidate cooperation in all scientific and knowledge fields.

Islamic Development Bank Forms $500M Science Fund The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) announced it had formed a $500-million fund for scientific research.

Bandar Hajjar, president of the bank, said the fund will find solutions to economic adversity using scientific innovations.

He was speaking at the 33rd Ministerial Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul.

Hajjar added that the bank had received 100 million Saudi riyals ($26.6 million) as contribution to the fund.

Stressing on the need to promote green cities, he said: “Let us make more environment friendly cities and infrastructures.”

He said the IDB had partnered with COMCEC to address issues such as rapid population growth, climate change and spread of diseases.

At the first Summit on Science, Tech-

nology & Innovation under the umbrella of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Astana, Kazakhstan, the President of the Islamic Development Bank announced launching the massive US $500 million fund to support member countries improve lives and empower communities using science, technology and innovation.

The Board of Executive Directors of IDB approved the establishment of the fund in July 2017. The IDB has made a major US $100 contribution to the STI fund.

The aim of the fund is to support the Muslim World with the power of innovation, facilitate the commercialization of technology, promote joint activities among member countries, research institutions, and ensure the development of entrepreneurship.

“The Islamic Development Bank, as a development financing institution interested in linking science and technology with development issues, took the initiative to develop a roadmap as part of the IsDB President’s Programme for the next five years. This roadmap aims to integrate science, technology and innovation in all IsDB programmes, projects and businesses within the framework of an integrated strategy to maximise the developmental impact of those projects, assist our member countries in implementing the SDGs and sponsoring innovators from member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries and the world so that they may contribute to the enhancement of socio-economic development.” Dr. Hajjar stated.

IDB is also planning other initiatives according to Dr. Hajjar, which include the establishment of a platform to serve as a link between IDB and innovators in member countries, launching a unit on big data management and establishing an office for the protection of patent and intellectual property.

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SPECIAL REPORT Nazarbayev Received Al-Othaimeen on the Sidelines of OIC Summit on S&T The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, received the OIC Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Yousif Bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, on the first day of launching the Islamic Summit on Science, Technology, Creativity and Innovation, Sunday, 10 September 2017.

Al-Othaimeen underlined the lofty status enjoyed by the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Islamic World and at the United Nations.

He also commended the substantial role assumed by the country in the fields of science

and technology, pointing to the importance of science, technology and creativity in the life of peoples.

Al-Othaimeen stated that the Islamic World has been affected by actions carried out by terrorists and extremists that negatively impacted the true image of Islam as a religion of tolerance as well as its reputation in the world. His Excellency the President shared with the Secretary General his views and stressed the significance of combating terrorism and extremism.

Nazarbayev reiterated his country’s support of the OIC, and confirmed the importance of cooperation among Islamic states in the fields of science, technology, economy and trade.

He also pointed to the necessity of implementing the resolutions adopted by the OIC in this regard, as well as the commitment towards the resolutions and recommendations which were adopted by the Summit in favor of serving the Islamic World.

S&T Summit Pays Tribute to Four Scientists from OIC Member States The First Islamic Summit on Science and Technology paid tribute to selected scientists from the Islamic world for their efforts to serve their countries and Islamic world through their achievements in the scientific fields.

H.E. the OIC Secretary General, Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, said in a ceremony held on the sidelines of the Summit, on Sunday, 10 September 2017, in Astana: “Convinced of the importance of acknowledging and commending Muslim scientists and researchers for their outstanding contributions to their areas of specialization, today, the OIC will be honoring a group of them with OIC S&T Achievement Award. These prominent scientists have charted with their knowledge and excellence for the advancement and progress of their societies and countries”.

Among the honored scientists, a Moroccan lady, Prof. Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli, who holds two PhDs in nuclear physics from Joseph Fourier University in France and Mohammed V University in Morocco, and has several achievements in nuclear physics in her country. Tribute was also paid to Prof.

Yusuf Yagci from Turkey, who established a chemical laboratory of polymer, a meeting point of scientists from around the world.

Prof. Alouini, from Tunisia, specialized in electrical engineering and telecommunications, who worked in the University of Minnesota, and who currently works at the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, as well as Prof. Assan Jaye, from the Gambia, who is a prominent scientist and

the Head of Research Training and Career Development at the Medical Research Council in the Gambia, were also honored during this ceremony.

Mrs Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli is professor at Mohammed V University-Agdal (UM5A), Rabat, Morocco. She is responsible for the nuclear physics laboratory at the Faculty of Science at UM5A. She is currently Vice President for Research; Cooperation and Partnership at UM5A. Mrs. Rajaa Cherkaoui El Moursli graduated from the Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, where she got her doctorate in nuclear physics. Her first researches were led at the Laboratory of Subatomic Physics and Cosmology in Grenoble, France.

Professor Yusuf Yagci is a full professor of Chemistry at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey; with expertise in photopolymerization. He received his M.Sc. (1977) and Ph.D. (1979) degree from Liverpool University (UK). He joined Istanbul Technical University in 1980 where he continued all his academic activities till now. He has published about 600 original research papers in different peer-reviewed international journals and is the inventor and co-inventor of ten patents.

He is the recipient of several awards includ-

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ing the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (Tubitak) Young Investigator Award (1989), Tubitak Science Award (1994), Turkish Chemical Society Honorary Member Award (2002), The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) International Award (2008), and the Elginkan Foundation Technology Award (2008), OIC Ministerial COMSTEC Award (2010). Mustafa Parlar Honorary Award (2013). ​ Professor Mohamed Slim Alouini’s research interests are in the modeling, design, and performance analysis of wireless communication systems with current emphasis on MIMO, diversity, and adaptive modulation systems, cognitive radio systems, cooperative/collaborative communication systems, multi-hop communication systems, physical-layer security, MIMO RADAR systems, optical wireless communications, device-todevice communications, green communications systems and networks, and small cell/ heterogeneous networks.

At the Head of Research Training and Career Development, Dr Assan Jaye is a Senior Scientist and the Head of HIV Research at the Medical Research (MRC), at the Gambia Unit. His initial research focused on measles immune responses in children. His work produced data that helped in the understanding of measles immune response during infection and after recovery. Dr Jaye received an International Leadership award in 2007 from Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation for research on pediatric.

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SPECIAL REPORT Muslim Leaders Express Grave Concern Over Brutal Acts Against Rohingya

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he Heads of State and government of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held a meeting to discuss the current developments of the situation of the Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar, on the sidelines of the 1st OIC Summit of Science and Technology in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan, on 10th September 2017 on the initiative of H.E. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ&#x;an, President of the Republic of Turkey, current chair of the OIC Summit.

The Meeting expressed grave concern over the recent systematic brutal acts perpetrated by security forces against the Rohingya Muslim Community in Myanmar, which constitute a serious and blatant violation of international law, and which have affected, since October 2016, over 270,000 Muslims who have been forcibly displaced to Bangladesh, in addition to the burning of their houses and places of worship.

The Meeting called on the Government of Myanmar to accept the UN Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into all alleged violations of international human rights law and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Meeting also urged the Government of Myanmar to honour its obligations under international law and human rights covenants, and to take all measures to immediately halt acts of disper-

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sion and discriminatory practices against Rohingya Muslims, as well as the continuous attempts to obliterate their Islamic culture and identity, including delisting them from household lists and demolition of places of worship, institutions and houses of Muslim minorities.

The leaders called on the Government of Myanmar to eliminate the root causes, including the denial of citizenship based on the 1982 Citizenship Act which has led to statelessness and deprival of the rights of the Rohingya Muslim Minority, and to continued dispossession and discrimination against them, and urged it to work towards a just and sustainable solution to this issue.

In addition, the Meeting urged the Government of Myanmar to take urgent measures for a sustainable return of Rohingya refugees and internally and externally displaced Rohingya Muslims to their homeland, Rakhine State, in safety, security, dignity and with ensured livelihood The Meeting reiterated its call to the Government of Myanmar to revive the agreement to open an OIC Office for humanitarian affairs in Yangon after signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with the OIC to that effect. The purpose of the OIC office was to provide pure humanitarian assistance without distinction between the victims of violence.

The Meeting invited OIC Member States to join the efforts of the international community towards lifting all restrictions on freedom of movement in Rakhine State and ensuring an inclusive and transparent citizenship verification process that leaves no individual unregistered nor hinders their access to essential social services, including education and health care.

The OIC Leaders acknowledged the efforts

by Member States, which had provided humanitarian and development assistance for the Rohingya people and encouraged all States to formulate development projects that will provide education, health services and vocational training that will benefit all persons in Rakhine State, regardless of ethnicity or religion.

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OPINION How the Islamic world can reclaim its role in science

I Muhammad Naeem Khan Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology

addressing the Islamic world’s science deficit also requires a deeper, more cultural approach — one that promotes the value of informed debate and critical inquiry,

t is no secret that Muslim-majority countries have lagged behind much of the world in scientific and technological progress for far too long. On average, they spend less than 0.5 per cent of their GDP (gross domestic product) on research and development, compared with five times that in developed economies.

There has been important progress. The last decade or so has seen major investments by several OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) countries in education and scientific infrastructure.

But this is still far too little.

Three years ago, the OIC partnered with the Royal Society to conduct the first major analysis of the science deficit facing the Islamic world. The report found that OIC countries account for just 2.4 per cent of global research expenditure, 1.6 per cent of patents and 6 per cent of scientific publications, despite holding nearly a quarter of the world’s population.

The social, economic and security implications of this are staggering. It means that the Muslim world is not investing enough in the core scientific and technological tools to generate solutions for newly emerging threats from climate change, water scarcity and food insecurity. Several studies have also shown a link between the outbreak of conflict and how climate change affects drought and food prices.

That is why on September 10-11, the OIC held its first Science and Technology Summit, with heads of state and government ministers from 56 Muslim nations.

The summit was designed to tackle the science deficit by focusing on two key areas.

The first focus was to generate a consensus among the OIC’s member-states on proposals to be adopted that support science and technology. This was done successfully at the summit across a range of areas including energy, research spending, education and health.

Key proposals adopted by member states included doubling the number of global scientific publications and patents coming out of the Islamic world within the next ten years; doubling the number of scientific workers per million people; and increasing, by 10 per cent, the share of high-technology goods and services in the economies and trade activities of member states.

Ensuring this happens, and delivering on these targets, will require financial investment from member states to ensure they are able to develop the required knowledge and expertise.

Policy discussions at the summit also focused on how to improve the lives of citizens in OIC countries. On health, for instance, the OIC urged governments to raise health spending to a minimum of 10 per cent of national budgets. Policy proposals also called for universal access to education for both men and women.

Also adopted were proposals for the creation of high-technology infrastructures so Muslim countries can move into big science programmes. That includes a Center for Space Technologies that may lead to an Inter-Islamic Space Agency. It also includes proposals to connect all 57 OIC member states through a secure, high-speed intra-OIC network, and for individual member states to create national gene banks for the conservation and exchange of plant genetic resources with research centres.

However, addressing the Islamic world’s science deficit also requires a deeper, more cultural approach — one that promotes the value of informed debate and critical inquiry, essential to building the knowledgeeconomies of the future. This is the second area of focus.

National policies and investment in science will once again play an important role in achieving this.

Enhancing the quality and quantity of scientific educational resources available to young people will help to rapidly spread a culture of innovation and inquiry across the Islamic world.

Proposals discussed and adopted at the summit — to build new technology parks alongside major OIC universities, for example — will also contribute to this by creating links between centres of learning, industry and business.

However, let’s not forget that the Muslim world does not need to create a new culture of scientific enquiry — it always had one. It just needs to revive it. Part of our inspiration for organising the Islamic world’s first collective science and technology summit was Islam’s own ‘golden age’ of science.

Naeem Khan is assistant secretary general of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) and former ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.

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ECONOMY IDB Group and ITC Join Hands to Implement Projects The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group and the International Trade Centre (ITC), will work together to implement joint projects and strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs in IDB member countries. This was disclosed during an official visit by Arancha Gonzalez, Exective Director of ITC, to the President of IDB, Dr. Bandar Hajjar in Jeddah.

During the visit, two agreements were signed between the two institutions; first with IDB on creating pro-poor value chain and initiating joint projects as well as implementing trade related technical assistance.

The agreement was signed by IDB President Dr. Bandar Hajjar, and the Executive Director of ITC, Arancha Gonzalez.

The CEO of IDB Group trade financing arm, the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol signed the second agreement with ITC Executive Director, Arancha Gonzalez. The agreement with ITFC is an amendment of the Partnership Agreement for the implementation of two new development projects in Djibouti and Algeria under AfTIAS (Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab States) program.

“No institution can address development

challenges by itself alone. Cooperation is very important. IDB is interested in promoting cooperation with other development institutions. Our new approach is to transform from a development bank to a developer institution. Financing alone will not solve development challenges. We have to include trade as a package. We have to support the citizens of our member countries and teach them how to conduct business,” Dr. Bandar Hajjar stated.

Commenting on the agreements with ITC, ITFC CEO, Eng. Hani Sonbol, stated: “Feasibility study to develop a Handicrafts Export Village Project in Djibouti aims to provide the required assistance to Djibouti’s Ministry of Commerce, Handicraft and Consumption in the development of the Handicrafts Export Village as a source for wealth creation, including the analysis of required legal and regulatory settings and institutional infrastructure. Establishing Djibouti Handicrafts Export Village will assist the Government to promote local handicrafts and generate a new strategic focus for tourism. This project will lead to the diversification of the income sources and consolidate the craft sector by providing appropriate methodological tools and, finally, support craftsmen and women

to develop their activity on a sustainable basis.”

He added that “National Trade Strategy (NTS) to Support Economic Diversification Project in Algeria focuses on providing technical assistance and capacity-building to key stakeholders and institutions in Algeria to design and lead in the implementation of a NTS. ITC and ITFC received a request from the Government of Algeria for technical assistance to develop a National Trade Strategy (NTS) to enhance the country’s capability of reaping the benefits of regional and international trade.”

In her remarks, the Executive Director of ITC, Arancha Gonzalez stated that she visited IDB in order to take collaboration to the next level. She added that partnership between development institutions should help in fostering economic development for social impact.

“ITC has expertise in providing market intelligence, fostering a favorable policy and business environment, and working directly with SMEs to develop value chains. We can work together to synergise our projects and craft new ones,” added Arancha Gonzalez.

IDB and ARADO Enhance Their Capacity Building Cooperation The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO) have discussed enhancing cooperation between them in the area of capacity building in member countries, with a view to upgrading human and institutional capacity in those countries. The discussions took place during a meeting held in IDB headquarters between ARADO Director General, Dr. Nasser Alqahtani, and IDB Vice President, Dr. Sayed Aqa. Dr. Alqahtani presented to the IDB VP the objectives of ARADO and its activities geared towards upgrading and developing Arab human resources to help meet the development needs of ARADO Arab member countries. He added that there is a need for cooperation between ARADO and IDB in their common areas of operation to help ARADO to promote its activities in all member countries.

On his part, the IDB VP emphasized that human resource development is one of IDB’s main goals, and that IDB management gives it special attention, particularly in aspects related to project planning, implementation, and management, as well as capacity development in specific priority areas including high-level leadership capacity development in member countries. During the meeting,

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it was agreed that IDB and ARADO technical teams would meet to consider potential partnership areas between both organizations so as to develop a welldefined vision for cooperation between them. It was also agreed that ARADO would communicate with IDBG entities, which represent its arms in the area of private sector development, to consider potential cooperation between ARADO and IDBG entities towards upgrading the private sector’s abilities to contribute to development.

It is noteworthy that ARADO was established in 1961 as a specialized organization of the League of Arab States to contribute to realizing administrative development in Arab countries, with a view to serving overall development issues.

In its endeavour to achieve this mission, ARADO directs its efforts and provides its services and programs to the governments of its 22 Arab member countries.

ARADO’s scope of services also includes governmental organizations, business organizations, the private sector, and not-for-profit institutions through its main activities of consultancy studies, training, and awards.

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ECONOMY AfDB, IDB Sign New US $2 billion Deal to Fund Energy and SME Programs The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) have signed a landmark agreement to strengthen partnership at country level.

Both parties have agreed to jointly pull together the sum of US $2 billion over the next three years to finance projects in agriculture and food security, renewable energy, small and medium enterprises, and human development (health and education).

To realize the shared objective of the agreement, the IsDB and the Bank agreed to each contribute US $1 billion over three years for joint activities focusing on these priority areas and sectors.

Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment and interest to build a stronger partnership with the Islamic Develop-

ment Bank.

The IsDB will also engage with the Bank to implement the High 5s- the five areas in which the AfDB is focusing on to help accelerate Africa’s economic transformation.

“Today’s meeting is about collaboration and partnership. AfDB and IsDB share common traits and the agreement we are signing is the highest with any development bank.

We are very excited about the range of things we can do together and we are ready to work with you to move this movement,” Adesina said.

“We are going to work on a pipeline of projects in Africa stretching from agriculture to SMES, energy and human development.

We need to create jobs for our women and youth.”

IsDB is among the largest contributors of cofinancing to the Bank. The Bank and IsDB

have co-financed projects valued at over US$ 2.5 billion for the period 2002—2016.

The AfDB has a country presence in 21 out of the 27 common member countries with IsDB. As part of the new agreement, AfDB and IsDB are to complement and make use of each other’s staff expertise at countrylevel.

The President of the Islamic Development Bank, Bandar Hajjar described the areas of partnership as crucial.

“We look forward to working with the AfDB in moving SMEs towards industrialization, renewable energy and agriculture and food security. These areas will create jobs and lead to economic transformation and improve the lives of the people of Africa. SMEs can transform African economies from primary to industrial hubs,” Hajjar said.

Islamic Development Bank Contributes to Promoting Southeast Europe as an East West Trade Corridor

President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, says the Bank shall continue to leverage its global and regional presence, extensive client base, and wide range of products and services to support Southeastern Europe’s position as an important international economic corridor between the East and West for trade and investment.

Dr. Bandar Hajjar made the remarks during his speech at the opening ceremony of the 8th Sarajevo Business Forum (SBF) 2017, 22-24 May, in the capital city of Sarajevo, with HE Mladen Ivanic, the Hon. Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina as well as Members of the Presidency in attendance.

Praising the Sarajevo Business Forum as the most prestigious investment forum in the countries of South Eastern Europe region, the IDB Group President appreciated the great efforts of Bosnia and

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Herzegovina to develop and modernize business-friendly legislative frameworks, thus helping to attract foreign investment, integrate into the European economy and achieve the desired economic progress.

Touching upon the major achievements pulled off by the IDB Group, Dr. Bandar Hajjar said: “We take pride in furthering investment among our 57 member countries. Our members can take advantage of investment guarantees and political risk insurance that reduce uncertainties for investors.” “Since its inception 42 years ago, IDB has backed its members with more than US $120 billion in financing while having contributed more than US $650 million to development projects in South Eastern Europe, namely in; Albania, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia,” Dr. Bandar Hajjar added.

After the opening session of the Forum, HE Mladen Ivanic, the Hon. Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and HE Denis Zvizdi the Hon. Prime Minister received IDB Group President Dr. Bandar Hajjar and his accompanying delegation. The meeting focused on a number of topics of mutual interest including IDB’s contribution to foreign direct investment to Bosnia and Herzegovina from the member countries of the Islamic Development Bank Group.

At the meeting, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina HE Mladen Ivanic also expressed appreciation for the support IDB Group has provided to development efforts in his country and to organizing and holding the Sarajevo Business Forum since it was launched 7 years ago

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ECONOMY ICIEC Receives Global Islamic Export Credit Award 2017 The Islamic Cooperation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) was awarded the “Global Islamic Export Credit and Political Risk Insurance Award 2017” during the 7th Global Islamic Finance Awards Ceremony (GIFA Ceremony) held at Kazakhstan on September 6, 2017. Heads of state and governments, ministers, ambassadors and Islamic financial fraternity from around the world attended the ceremony.

The distinguished guests included HE. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, and HE. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti.

Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA) is the most prestigious Islamic finance awards program in the world, which was founded in 2011 by Edbiz Corporation as part of its advocacy for Islamic banking and finance. Since then it has annually been offering its top award – Global Islamic Finance Leadership Award – to heads of state or gov-

ernment (or equivalent) for their leadership and advocacy roles in promoting Islamic banking and finance in their respective jurisdictions or globally.

Commenting on the award conferred on ICIEC, its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Oussama Abdel Rahman Kaissi said “It is indeed an honor to receive again this year the prestigious “Global Islamic Export Credit and Political Risk Insurance Award 2017”. “We are committed to facilitate trade and promote investment between ICIEC’s member countries and the rest of the world by providing Shariah compliant risk mitigation insurance solutions”. “Receiving this award enforces our belief in the need to further expand our products’ offering in order to meet the evolving risk mitigation requirements of our clients”, he added.

“Our excellent performance did not go unnoticed globally, with no less than the Moody’s Investors

Service reaffirming in July 2017 the Aa3 insurance financial strength rating (IFSR) for the tenth consecutive year which recognizes our strong financial and operating leverage,” he pointed out.

ICIEC continues its high performance in terms of Business Insured, along with the increasing demand of the market on Investment and Credit Insurance services. The cumulated Business Insured volume has reached USD 18.15 billion within the period of 2014-2016, including Investment Insurance of USD 3.12 billion and Credit Insurance short and Medium term amounted to USD 15 billion.

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) is a member of the Islamic Development (IDB) Group.

ICIEC.

ITFC Provides US$1 Billion of Financing for the Development of Strategic Commodities in Member Countries On the side-lines of the Islamic Development (IDB) Group’s 42nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors held in Jeddah in May 2017, the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group signed two Murabaha agreements with the Republic of Tunisia. The first agreement was signed with the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company to contribute to financing resourcing of natural gas for an amount of US$ 160 million. The second agreement was signed with the Tunisian Company of the Refining Industries to contribute to financing resourcing of crude oil and petroleum products for an amount of US$ 150 million. Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC

and H.E Mohamed Fadhel Abdelkefi, Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation of Tunisia (Governor of Islamic Development Bank) signed the agreements.

ITFC also signed a US$ 35 million agreement with the Republic of Suriname for the support of the medical, agricultural, energy and industrial sectors. Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC and H.E Gillmore Hoefdraad the Minister of Finance of Suriname (Governor of Islamic Development Bank) signed the agreement.

Another agreement was signed between ITFC and the Republic of Mali for the purchase of petroleum products and electricity. The agreement which amounts to €40,000,000 was signed by

Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC and H.E Dr. Boubou CISSE, the Minister of Economy and Finance (Governor of Islamic Development Bank).

The corporation also signed a framework agreement with the Government of The Gambia amounting to US$ 210 Million over a period of 3 Years. The agreement signed is for the imports of petroleum products and fertilizers, in addition to the provision of pre-export financing for groundnuts and cashew nuts. The agreement was signed by Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC and H.E Mr. Amadou Sanneh, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs of The Gambia (Governor of Islamic Development Bank).

ICD Signs MOU with AACC to Introduce Islamic Banking in Azerbaijan The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the private sector arm of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association for Azerbaijan-Arab Countries Cooperation (AACC) in order to introduce Islamic banking products in Azerbaijan and to lobby for changes in Azerbaijan banking legislation in order to incorporate Islamic banking.

With the signing of the MOU, the two institutions agreed to cooperate to facilitate information and expertise exchange in order to develop effective cooperation, which may include organising joint investment

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forums, professional programs, market research, workshops, publications, study tours, qualifications, and much more.

On this occasion, Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi said: “this MoU is strategic for both parties. We believe it will enhance cooperation between ICD and AACC in the Islamic business and finance sectors, which reflects ICD’s determination to deploy all efforts to encourage Islamic finance in the development of the private sector in Azerbaijan and in CIS region.”

Mr. Elshan Rahimov, Chairman of AACC added that the political will of Azerbaijan President of Ilham Aliyev plays an important

role in the formation of the friendly relations existing between Azerbaijan and Arab countries. Mr. Rahimov said that high-level economical and political relationship in recent years between Azerbaijan and Arab countries, expansion of cooperation between businesses, increasing visitors from Arab countries to Azerbaijan create favorable conditions for the development of the relations. We consider ICD as strategic partner in Arab region and by signing this MoU we cemented our relationships and it will help us to define our strategy for coming months.

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ECONOMY IDB Provided Loans worth over $124 Billion since its Foundation

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resident of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr. Bandar Hajjar said that the bank had offered loans worth a total of $124.3 billion to finance 8,196 projects in 57 OIC member countries.

In a statement he delivered during the Opening Ceremony of the 42ndAnnual Meeting of the IDB Board of Governors, the President of the IDB Group noted that throughout its blessed journey, for nearly four decades, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group has achieved remarkable growth in terms of the number of member countries, the size of its capital and financial allocations.

“Thanks to the cooperation and solidarity of the fifty-seven OIC member countries, today IDB is one of the world’s most recognized financial institutions, which enjoys deep trust as a fruit of continued efforts, high professionalism to improve performance, raise economic and social development indicators, develop the banking industry, strengthen the private sector, and increase intra-OIC trade,” said Hajjar.

“These achievements have culminated in the Bank receiving the highest AAA credit rating by the three international rating agencies. This achievement is credited to member countries, the IDB Board of Governors, the Board of Executive Directors and the successful management adopted by the Bank since its inception and implemented by its trustworthy, dedicated, innovative employees under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali.,” he added.

Dr. Bandar Hajjar therefore announced that, in recognition of the efforts of the former president of the IDB Group His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali, and in keeping with his good legacy and based on the directions of the Board, the Board of Executive Directors of the Bank has decided to rename the Bank’s Prize for solidarity and promotion of intra-OIC trade to become the Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali Prize for the promotion of intra-OIC trade.

Dr. Bandar Hajjar, reiterated the Bank’s steadfast support for refugees and the displaced through reconstruction efforts, youth empowerment programmes as well as initiatives to reduce unemployment and

enhance economic integration in IDB member countries.

“The Group will continue to support health, education and agriculture, and work toward achieving the bank’s objectives to become an institution for development and developers, based on its knowledge and competency to mobilize resources, and adopt necessary changes to meet development requirements,” Dr. Hajjar added.

Public Private Partnership Dr Bandar Hajjar also noted that the bank continues to mainstream Public Private Partnership in the way it conducts its business stressing that the Bank organized a PublicPrivate Partnership Forum in March 2017 in Riyadh and the Forum of Sovereign Investment in April 2017 in Bali, Indonesia, and plans to organize another forum for partnership among sectors soon.

The role of the Bank according to Dr Hajjar becomes that of an enabler and facilitator alongside that of the financier, thus becoming a true partner in the development of member countries with their various institutions, the public sector and the private sector, civil society institutions, charities,

Today IDB is one of the world’s most recognized financial institutions, which enjoys deep trust as a fruit of continued efforts, high professionalism to improve performance, raise economic and social development indicators, develop the banking industry, strengthen the private sector, and increase intra-OIC trade

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universities, research centers and other development actors.

He added that the approach ensures the participation of all in projects and programs at all stages, from needs assessment, through the development of solutions and implementation, to the development of impact assessment, thus giving citizens of member countries the opportunity to gain experience, knowledge and active participation in the development process.

“This approach in concept and practice will fulfil the expectations of our member countries. The Bank will be proactive in devising development solutions that address the real causes of the challenges, not their symptoms, and can move its human and financial resources quickly and flexibly, especially in times of crisis and emergency, all in accordance with Islamic principles and values that combine authenticity and modernity and lead to projecting the image of Islam as an evolving social economic system capable of coping with changing needs,” said IDB president.

Four Areas for Cooperation On his side, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen urged regional organizations to consider four areas for their

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ECONOMY cooperation, namely political consultations; economic cooperation; cooperation on cultural and social matters; and humanitarian assistance, while putting emphasis on intraOIC trade, transportation, agricultural and rural development.

The Secretary General made the points at the opening of the Second Consultative Forum with the Regional Cooperation Organizations held in Jeddah on 15 May 2017 on the sidelines of the 42nd Annual Meeting of IDB, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 14 May 2017 to 18 May 2017.

The Secretary General commended the ongoing efforts of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to foster closer partnership with regional cooperation organizations with a purpose of creating a structured dialogue platform for identifying and coordinating joint actions on policy and project implementation, capacity building and exchange of expertise.

This commendation was conveyed in the address of the Secretary General delivered on his behalf by Amb. Hameed Opeloyeru, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs.

The forum brought together heads of Regional Cooperation Organizations and UN regional economic commissions, including LAS, COMESA, IGAD, ECO, NEPAD Agency, and UNESCWA. Participants, which include other OIC institutions such as SESRIC, ICDT and ITFC, reviewed the various activities undertaken in partnership with regional cooperation organizations.

Financial Agreements Numerous finance agreements worth a total of US$1.2 billion were signed with 17 member countries on the last day of the 42nd Annual Meeting.

The agreements were signed with Turkey (US$363 million); Indonesia (US$250 million); Mozambique (US$200 million), Bangladesh (US$47 million); Tunisia (US$80 million); Cameroon (US$73 million); Chad (US$49 million); Comoros (US$2.6 million); Egypt (US$10 million); Mali (US$33 million), Saudi Arabia-based Zamzam Volunteer Health Foundation (US$12 million); Tajikistan (US$20 million); Uganda (US$10 million), and Uzbekistan (US$44.5 million).

The agreements covered technical aid in the form of grants to Somalia (US$280,000), Afghanistan (US$230,000) and Sudan

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(US$150,000).

Impact Investment During the 42nd Annual meeting, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched a new report that spells out the potential of Islamic finance in ‘impact investment’ for the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Impact investing refers to investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.

The report, entitled “I for Impact: Blending Islamic Finance and Impact Investing for the Global Goals,” was launched by IDB President Dr. Bandar Hajjar, and UNDP Assistant Secretary General Magdy MartinezSoliman during the 42nd Annual Meeting of the IDB Group in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It reviews recent developments and key factors for the growth of Islamic finance and impact investing, and makes policy recommendations for development actors to leverage Islamic finance for impact investing as a way of fostering inclusive finance, curbing poverty, and achieving the SDGs. The report was produced by a joint team of experts from the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) of the IDB Group and UNDP’s Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development.

Speaking during the launch, IRTI DirectorGeneral Prof. Mohamed Azmi Omar, said; «IDB Group and UNDP collaborated to produce this report in order to raise awareness of the compatibility between Islamic finance

and impact investing. Islamic finance and impact investing are both based on ethical and social criteria, and emphasize inclusiveness.

One of the key aims of the report is identifying areas of convergence of the two sectors and to develop collaborative strategies for achieving the global development agenda.»

The report recommended creating an enabling environment to promote Islamic finance impact investing as part of the larger dialogue on inclusive financial systems and responsible investing principles. It also supported the creation and functioning of an efficient capital market system for Islamic finance impact investing, including supporting existing and new intermediaries.

The report suggested formulating well thought out, comprehensive regulatory, accountability, tax and legal frameworks, and raising awareness of the current and potential levels of convergence of Islamic and impact investing.

It also recommended establishing standards for impact measurement and reporting so that the sector’s metrics are aligned with the common practices of the global impact investing community.

The report advised bringing together key stakeholders from governments, the private sector, and support organizations in both the Islamic and conventional impact investing spaces to discuss critical bottlenecks, learn from best practices, establish relationships and benefit from the cross-pollination of ideas and shared beliefs.

To further these recommendations, IDB Group and UNDP have established the Global Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Platform (GIFIIP).

The 42nd Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group held under the theme ‘Youth Economic Empowerment’, was attended by more than 2000 participants and offered an ideal platform for decision makers to discuss challenges and explore opportunities facing IsDB Group member countries. The meeting offered a significant opportunity to explore ways to help the Group’s 57 member countries connect education to labor market requirements. The meeting hosted a Youth Summit, aimed at shaping the future of youth and enhancing youth engagement in the socio-economic development.

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ECONOMY Entrepreneurship Development through IT for OIC Countries

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he Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA) an affiliated institution of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) organized a training Program on Entrepreneurship Development through IT for OIC Countries from 7-9 August 2017, in Sharjah – U.A.E. The program was held in collaboration with the Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund for SouthSouth Cooperation (PGTF) and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Twenty-Four participants attended the Training Program from 19 Countries, representing African Region, Middle East, Gulf, Europe, Central Asia and South-East Asia.

The participants were from Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Sudan, Turkey, Uganda and United Arab Emirates. In addition, representatives of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Young Leaders Network of World Islamic Economic Forum also participated.

In his welcome speech, Mr. Mohammed Amin, Assistant Director General of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized on the Sharjah Chamber’s determination to maintain its effective and sustainable contribution to the development of entrepreneurship in OIC Member countries and to work with major partners like ICCIA, in enhancing skills of young entrepreneurs that are interested in establishing or expanding their businesses, in the manner that increases the economic growth of the OIC Members and rises the level of their commercial and Industrial cooperation.

He further appreciated the efforts of the IC-

CIA in supporting the capacity building of young women and men of OIC countries and its strong working relationship with the Sharjah Chamber and its keen desire to support all efforts of joint Islamic work at the level of OIC and ICCIA and to strengthen the brotherly economic ties with the likeminded organization of the Islamic countries as well as the other international agencies such as the UNDP and Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund.

Also speaking at the occasion, Mrs. Attiya Nawazish Ali, Assistant Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA) thanked the PGTF for their generous support and Sharjah Chamber for their kind hospitality towards the organization of not only the Training Program but also the several activities held in the past with Sharjah Chamber. She highlighted the objectives of the ICCIA of focusing on economic development of the OIC

Islamic world is blessed with abundant natural and human resources and they only need to be tapped by way of creating awareness of the trade and investment opportunities in those countries in a way that will increase the current level of intra Islamic trade and investment

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countries through the private sector and underlined some of the issues being faced by the private sector, particularly the startups and youth. In this context, she mentioned that the objective of the Training Program is to not only to impart knowledge but to also learn from the experiences, expertise and best practices of the others. She mentioned that the Islamic world is blessed with abundant natural and human resources and they only need to be tapped by way of creating awareness of the trade and investment opportunities in those countries in a way that will increase the current level of intra Islamic trade and investment. She also valued the role of Sharjah Chamber in sharing its rich experience in supporting entrepreneurship and technological knowhow for the betterment of women, youth and startups.

The objectives of the Training Program on Entrepreneurship Development through IT for OIC Countries according to the organisers, was to create opportunities for selfemployment and to provide employment as well as to make entrepreneurs aware of the use of technology to promote their enterprise. The program aimed to contribute in the economic wellbeing of individuals & societies and combating poverty, moving towards self-reliance and prosperity and to provide a platform for participating Member Countries to come together and draw a roadmap to have a stable & sustainable economic growth and to develop a system that contributes to bridge the gap between the education received and the needs of the productive sector. The Training Program discussed and helped the participants to achieve online presence and increase their market reach via various online marketing strategies. The Training Program focused on youth and women entrepreneurs, particularly start-ups.

Areas covered during the training include business planning, market analysis and sizing, team building, digital market place and how to benefit from them, go to market strategies and business model canvas and financial planning among others.

At the end of the sessions, the training program adopted some recommendations based on the course outline, the discussions and the feedback from the participants.

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COUNTRY PROFILE Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Country Profile Brunei Darussalam (Brunei – ‘Abode of Peace’) is a small state in South-East Asia on the north-west coast of the island of Borneo, in the Indonesian Archipelago. Its 161 km coastline faces the South China Sea. On the landside, it is enclosed by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which divides it in two.

The districts of Brunei–Muara, Tutong and Belait make up the larger, western part of the country; Temburong district the east Background It is an absolute monarchy or sultanate. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries.

A British protectorate since 1888, Brunei was the only Malay state in 1963, which chose to remain so rather than join the federation that became Malaysia. Full independence came relatively late in 1984.

Economy The backbone of Brunei’s economy is oil and gas and the Sultan of Brunei is, famously, one of the richest people in the world with an estimated personal wealth of around 40 billion dollars. Per capita GDP is far above most other developing countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all

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Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan Population : 413,000 Area : 5,765 sq km (2,226 sq miles) Major: languages Malay, English, Chinese Religion: 78% Muslim, 8% Christian, 7% Buddhist

medical services, housing, education and subsidizes daily needs like rice.

Brunei boasts a well-educated, largely English-speaking population; excellent infrastructure; and a stable government intent on attracting foreign investment.

The Bruneian Government wants to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbon exports to other industries such as information and communications technology and halal manufacturing, permissible under Islamic law.

Culture Brunei is officially an Islamic state, with hundreds of large beautiful mosques across the country. Sale of alcohol is banned. Bringing in meat, (other than seafood) which has not been certified “halal”, (slaughtered according to Islamic law), is also banned.

The bulk of the population is Malay (67%) and there is also a significant Chinese minority of some 15% as well as a number of indigenous peoples, including the Dusun tribes who inhabit the jungle upriver and the Temburong district, (the smaller eastern part detached from the rest of Brunei).

Cities Bandar Seri Begawan. The capital, sometimes known as “Bandar” or “BSB” for short.

Bangar. Gateway town to the unspoiled nature of Temburong.

Kuala Belait. Second largest city and a useful transport hub towards Sarawak, Malaysia.

Top sights Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque Istana Nurul Iman Jerudong Park Royal Regalia Building Malay Technology Museum

Vegetation Mangrove swamps lie along the coast, and forest covers 72 per cent of the land area, a large part of this being primary forest, dense in places and of great genetic diversity. There are 15 forest reserves, covering about 40 per cent of the total land area.

The government plans to increase the area of the forest reserves. Around 15 per cent of the land area is cultivated.

Wildlife Most of the mammals are small and nocturnal, including tree shrews, moon rats and mouse deer. There are numerous bird species, especially hornbills. Some 34 mammal species and 24 bird species are thought to be endangered (2012).

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VIEWPOINT The Rohingya Wait for the World’s Conscious to Move

T Maha Mostafa Akeel Chief Editor

The Government of Myanmar must enforce the rule of law and work to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms

he tragedy of the Rohingya community in Myanmar continues to lead world news and grab its attention especially after the forced displacement and expulsion at the hands of security forces.

A renewed outbreak of violence on 25 August 2017 affecting the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine State, Myanmar, has led to thousands to flee their homes to Bangladesh and other neighboring countries. Despite international condemnations the brutal acts continued against the Rohingya forcing more than half a million of them to escape within two months, which is a third of the Rohingya population in Myanmar.

The OIC took action as soon as the violence erupted. It condemned the indiscriminate use of military force, including heavy artillery, on civilian population, and called upon the Myanmar government to immediately restore the displaced persons to their homes and allow humanitarian aid agencies to assist the affected people.

The OIC pointed out that these events violate the basic rights of the Rohingya and they also represent a grave violation of Myanmar›s government international commitments to protect civilians. Such incidents of violence only serve to exacerbate tensions and fuel instability, not only in Myanmar but the whole region because of the huge number of Rohingya who fled to neighboring countries, which makes the issue international and not internal.

The Myanmar government has blamed militants for the violence and has accused the Rohingya of setting fire to their own homes and denied any responsibility by the security forces for the chaos that has ensued. The OIC has stated that it does not condone the recent attacks by militant groups. However, the Government of Myanmar must enforce the rule of law and work to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

OIC Member States issued statements expressing concern over the violence and the deteriorating humanitarian situation facing the Rohingya. Some Member States conducted official visits to Myanmar and calls with the government to urge them to stop the violations, allow humanitarian aid agencies to assist the affected people and address the root causes of the problem. Some Member States also took immediate action and provided humanitarian assistance to the camps in Bangladesh.

From his side, Al-Othaimeen sent a letter to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, in which he reiterated OIC’s call upon the United Nations to continue exerting pressure on Myanmar to end the violence and restore to the Rohingya their basic rights. Al-Othaimeen also sent a letter to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, where he noted that the current crisis has the potential of destabilizing the entire region unless the core issues of inequality, justice and citizenship are resolved.

In his letters to the EU and UN agencies he urged for taking action to alleviate the suffering of the Rohingya people of Myanmar.

On the other hand, the OIC held high-level meetings on the Rohingya issue. The Heads of State and government of the Member States held a meeting on the sidelines of the OIC Summit of Science and Technology in Astana, Kazakhstan on 10 September. The Meeting called on the Government of Myanmar to accept the UN Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into all alleged violations of international human rights law and to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Meeting reiterated its call to the Government of Myanmar to revive the agreement to open an OIC Office for humanitarian affairs in Yangon after signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with the OIC to that effect.

The OIC Contact Group on the Rohingya Muslim Minority of Myanmar held a special meeting on the sidelines of the Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) in New York on 19 September 2017. It was chaired by the Secretary General and was attended by Heads of States and Foreign Ministers from across the OIC Member States as well as high level representatives from the UN and other international agencies as well as from the US, UK, France, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the Philippines among others. The meeting urged the UN to take clear and direct action to safeguard the rights of this long-suffering community. And in view of the dire situation facing the Rohingya, the meeting requested all Member States to consider restricting economic relations with Myanmar and all countries to consider suspending preferential trade agreements with the country.

Meanwhile, the OIC launched an awareness campaign on social media to highlight the plight of the Rohingya.

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Hosts the 44th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers

o v I ’ d e t ô C

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Organization of Islamic Cooperation Abidjan, 10-11 July 2017