OIC/SUM-15/2024/FC/
FINAL COMMUNIQUÉ
15TH ISLAMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE
(BANJUL SUMMIT: STRENGTHENING UNITY AND SOLIDARITY THROUGH DIALOGUE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT)
BANJUL, REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA 25-26 SHAWWAL 1445 AH (MAY 4-5, 2024 CE) |
FINAL COMMUNIQUÉ
15TH ISLAMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE
(BANJUL SUMMIT: STRENGTHENING UNITY AND SOLIDARITY THROUGH DIALOGUE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT)
BANJUL, REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA 25-26 SHAWWAL 1445 AH
(MAY 4-5, 2024 CE)
In the Name Allah, Most Gracious, Merciful Merciful
- At the kind invitation and under the chairmanship of H.E. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held the 15th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (Banjul Summit: Strengthening Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development) in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia.
- The Conference expressed its profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its exemplary chairmanship of the 14th Islamic Summit Conference. The wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was also recognized and appreciated. The Conference highly commended the initiatives and efforts made by Saudi Arabia to promote joint Islamic action and serve Islamic causes.
- The Conference offered condolences to the leadership, government and people of the State of Kuwait on the great loss of the death of His Highness the late Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may Allah have mercy upon him, and extending congratulations to His Highness the Emir of the country Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may Allah protect and preserve him, upon assuming power succeeding the late Emir.
- The Conference reaffirmed its commitment to the principles and goals outlined in the OIC Charter. It emphasized the importance of unifying the ranks of the Islamic world and strengthening solidarity and cooperation to tackle the various challenges faced by both the Islamic world and the world as a whole. The Conference also underscored the need to advance joint Islamic action in a way that serves common interests and achieves the aspirations of the Member States and their peoples.
Political Affairs:
- The Conference re-emphasized the centrality of the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif for the Muslim Ummah, reaffirming its principled and continued all-level support to the Palestinian people to regain their inalienable legitimate national rights, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of the independent and sovereign State of Palestine along the 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. It also reaffirmed the need to protect the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in accordance with Resolution 194 and to roundly counter any denial of these rights.
- The Conference affirmed State of Palestine’s full sovereignty over Al-Quds Al-Sharif, its eternal capital, its rejection and standing against any Israeli decisions or measures aimed at Judaizing it and establishing its colonial occupation on it, being null and void and illegal under International Law and the relevant UN Resolutions; calls for strengthening efforts to preserve the Arab identity of Al-Qud Al-Sharif, and protect the Islamic and Christian holy sites therein; condemns any party that acknowledges Al-Quds as an alleged capital of Israel, the occupying power, considering it as an illegal and irresponsible step and as an assault on the historical, legal and national rights of the Palestinian People and the Islamic Ummah.
- The Conference condemned the Israeli occupation’s aggressions on the Islamic and Christian sanctities in Al-Quds and its illegal measures that violate the right to freedom of worship and the sanctity of the holy sites; affirmed the necessity of respecting the existing legal status of the holy sites, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque with its entire area of 144 acres, as an exclusive place of worship for Muslims only, and that the Jordanian Administration of the Endowments of Al-Quds and the Affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is the body having the exclusive authority to manage and maintain the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as regulate entry into it, as part of the historical Hashemite guardianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al-Quds.
- The Conference affirmed its standing against the crime of genocide being committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip and throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and against Israel’s endeavors to forcibly displace them from their land, through killing, blockade, starvation and mass and systematic destruction of civilian properties and infrastructures, including health and education facilities, which claimed the lives of over 34500 Palestinian citizens, and injured over 77500 others, the majority of whom are women and children, in addition to the displacement of over 1.7 million Palestinians from their homes; called for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire, the cessation of the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in Gaza, and the immediate implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2728 (2024), as well as for providing humanitarian and medical aid and relief, providing water, electricity and shelter, and opening humanitarian corridors through all possible means for the unhindered and adequate delivery of urgent assistance to the Gaza Strip; and called for compliance with UNSC Resolution 2720 (2023) demanding immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.
- The Conference stressed the responsibility of all States to fully comply with the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice in the case filed by the Republic of South Africa relating to the violation by Israel, the occupying power, of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; called for refraining from any measures contributing to the continuation of this heinous crime, and supported all international efforts aimed at prosecuting and holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes.
- The Conference called on all States to take the needed measures to prevent Israel, the occupying power, from continuing its crimes against the Palestinian people, and to take practical steps to stop its flagrant violations of international law, including the continuation of colonial settlement, the expansion and annexation policies, and other racial discrimination policies; called for imposing sanctions on Israel, the occupying power, and halting the export of weapons and ammunition used by its army to perpetrate the crime of genocide in Gaza, along with the crimes committed by the terrorist settlers and the killing of Palestinians in the West Bank including the Al-Quds Al-Sharif city; Called for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2334 of 2016, and for providing the Palestinian people with the necessary protection against the Israeli occupation’s brutality; Stressed that it fully and absolutely rejects and stands collectively against any attempts at individual or collective forced transfer, displacement, exile, or deportation of the Palestinian people, whether inside the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif, or outside their territories to any other destination, whatever it is, as this amounts to a war crime and a crime against humanity.
- The Conference emphasized that peace, security and stability in the region can only be achieved by ending the Israeli colonial occupation along with all the Israeli illegal policies and criminal practices against the Palestinian people; called on the States and international institutions to take practical steps that would enable the Palestinian people to gain their inalienable rights, particularly their right to self-determination, independence and return, based
on international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy, as well as to counter all the steps that undermine these rights and act diligently to stop them, starting with holding the occupation accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people, and to put into effect the two-State solution with meaningful and irreversible steps; and called, in this regard, for convening an international peace conference that would lay the ground for ending the occupation, implementing the relevant United Nations Resolutions, and achieving peace based on justice and law.
- The Conference affirmed the unwavering support of Member States to the struggle of the Palestinian people to realize their inalienable rights, the full membership of Palestine in the United Nations and all the resolutions related to the Palestinian Cause in international fora, and calls on the Member States to be committed to that; reaffirmed that any position to the contrary would be considered a departure from the Charter and Resolutions of the Organization; Called on all the States that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine, declared in 1988 in Algeria, to take such a step as an embodiment of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, being a prerequisite for supporting the solution based on the resolutions of international legitimacy; and called on the Islamic Group at international organizations and all capitals to mobilize the necessary international support for that.
- The Conference affirmed its support for the Palestinian government’s program for humanitarian aid and immediate relief for the Palestinian People in the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, recovery, and the stabilization of the financial and economic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; condemned the colonial occupation authorities' piracy of the Palestinian tax money; and called for enforcing all the relevant resolutions, including those regarding support and expansion of economic empowerment program for the Palestinian people, as well as providing urgent support for UNRWA so that it can continue carrying out its mandated tasks.
- The Conference affirmed its respect for the legitimacy of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, headed by H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas, and commended his efforts for Palestinian national reconciliation; called on Palestinian factions and forces to expedite the completion of national reconciliation; and appreciated the role of Egypt and all efforts exerted in this regard.
- The Conference affirmed its support for the UNRWA, rejected any impingement on to its role, denounced all the pressures and blackmail to which the Agency is exposed in view of the tragic conditions in the Gaza Strip and the scarcity of resources and aid, including the ongoing incitement campaign practiced by the Israeli occupation government against UNRWA and its desire to terminate its existence; condemned the suspension by some countries of their financial support to the Agency and demanded that they immediately abandon this position and increase their financial support; and stressed the ongoing support for the Agency’s role until the plight of the Palestinian refugees ends according to a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees their right to return to the homes from which they were displaced, and to restore their property in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, and as stipulated in UNGA Resolution 194 of December 11, 1948. In this regard, the Conference emphasizes the responsibility of the United Nations towards the Palestinian Cause in all its aspects, including the Palestinian refugee issue, and the centrality of the continued work of the UNRWA in alleviating the plight of the Palestinian refugees, helping to provide regional stability, and providing vital services to nearly 5.5 million Palestinian refugees. It also urgently called on Member States to provide sustainable financial contributions and resources, and appreciated, in this regard, the efforts of member states that mobilized resources to support the UNRWA so that it can continue carrying out its tasks and responsibilities and maintain the role played by Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees.
- The Conference renewed its solidarity and political and economic support for Lebanon and its government in order to enhance stability, achieve prosperity, and preserve national unity and sovereignty over all Lebanese territories; The Conference affirmed its rejection and condemnation of Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanese territory and its violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty by land, sea and air, its repeated targeting of civilians, paramedics and press reporters, its use of internationally-prohibited weapons, and its jamming of air navigation systems, which threatens the safety of civil aviation. The Conference called for the full and comprehensive implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701, and Israel’s withdrawal to the internationally recognized borders in southern Lebanon, including the Shebaa Farms, Kfar Shuba Hills, kharaj Al Mari town (urban expansion of Al-Ghajar village). The Conference stressed the need to put an end once and for all to Israel’s violations, while emphasizing Lebanon’s right to self-defence, standing against any Israeli aggression, and fully liberating its entire territory using all legitimate means. The Conference also expressed its support to Lebanon’s right to benefiting from its oil and gas resources in its exclusive economic zone. The Conference underscored its support to Lebanon in dealing with the crisis of Syrian refugees to its territory, while stressing the need to ensure their safe and dignified return to Syria, as Lebanon is no longer able to bear the burden of hosting them.
- The Conference emphasized the importance it gives to the preservation of Syria’s unity, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. It also reaffirmed its support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis based on the Final Communiqué of the Action Group for Syria (Geneva Communiqué 1) and UN Security Council Resolution 2254 to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, achieve their legitimate aspirations for security, peace, and decent living, and realize national reconciliation while putting an end to foreign interference in Syrian affairs. The United Nations' efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis were also commended, and the hope is that talks between the concerned Syrian parties will lead to an agreement on ways to initiate a serious political process. The UN Special Envoy to Syria's efforts to advance the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee for constitutional reform were also welcomed.
- The Conference called for increasing efforts to find a comprehensive solution in Syria, given the growing instability and intensifying violence in the country.
- The Conference welcomed the efforts of Astana platform in order to ensure the calm on the ground and to advance the political process in accordance with UNSCR 2254 and urges relevant international actors to coordinate their efforts to solve the crisis in Syria.
- The Conference emphasized the importance of convening the next round of the constitutional committee as soon as possible and expressed readiness to support its work with a view to paving the way for national reconciliation in Syria.
- The Conference supported safe, dignified and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their original places of residence in Syria in consistence with the international law and in cooperation with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
- The Conference condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and recognized the magnitude of the threat posed from terrorist organization PKK/YPG in Syria to the national security of Türkiye.
- The Conference rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives, and expressed its determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as the national security of neighboring countries.
- The Conference condemned gross and systematic violations and despicable crimes perpetrated by terrorist organization PKK/YPG and affiliated “SDF” against the Arab majority in the Deir ez Zor region and called the international community to expose these violations.
- The Conference reiterated its commitment to Yemen's unity, sovereignty, security, stability, and territorial integrity. It rejected any form of interference in the country's internal affairs and renewed its support for the international and regional efforts to resolve the Yemeni crisis. It emphasized that any political solution should be based on the three terms of reference: the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the Yemeni national dialogue, and UN Security Council Resolution No. 2216 (2015). The conference also expressed its support for the legitimate Yemeni government led by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). It commended the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen, Mr. Hans Grundberg, in resuming the political process. It emphasized the need for a comprehensive political settlement that would put an end to the war and establish lasting peace in Yemen.
- The Conference praised the initiatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council to encourage dialogue between Yemenis and contribute to peace efforts in Yemen. Saudi Arabia's initiatives to advance comprehensive political settlement efforts were appreciated, along with its efforts to communicate with the Yemeni parties to support the UN envoy in Yemen. The Houthis were called upon to engage positively with these efforts. Moreover, the Conference praised the assistance provided by Saudi Arabia and the Member States to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people and support the Yemeni economy. The prisoner exchange process that began in April 2023 between the Yemeni government and the Houthis was welcomed, and the mediation efforts made by Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman in this process were appreciated.
- The Conference welcomed the continued efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman and the existing contacts with all Yemeni parties to revive the political process, leading to achieving a comprehensive and sustainable political solution in Yemen, the necessity of a ceasefire, and the importance of the Houthis engaging positively with international and UN efforts aimed at ending the Yemeni crisis and responding thoughtfully to initiatives and peace efforts to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people.
- The Conference expressed deep concern about the military operations taking place in the Red Sea region, calls for restraint and avoiding escalation in light of the events the region is witnessing and the challenges it faces, and stresses that the solution is not to escalate tension, but to support solidarity with legitimacy in Yemen, and implement relevant international resolutions.
- The Conference affirmed commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the State of Libya and rejected all types of external interference in its affairs. The Conference urged all Libyan parties to continue the dialogue and engage constructively in the negotiations. [It asserted the principle of pure Libyan ownership of the political process] including in the framework of the good offices of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), to overcome differences and agree on electoral laws to hold national elections [and strengthening the role of Libyan institutions in fulfilling all the necessary frameworks for holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously and as soon as possible, within the framework of commitment to the Libyan Political Agreement signed in the city of Skhirat in 2015, the Libyan Constitutional Declaration and its amendments, and the terms of reference for settlement, including Security Council resolutions]. Furthermore, the Conference stressed [the need to continue supporting the efforts of the Military Committee (5+5) to establish] adhering to the ceasefire [and implement the plan for the exit of all foreign forces, mercenaries, and foreign
fighters from Libya within a specific time frame and moving forward the process of dissolving all militias, and supporting the reunification of the military and security institutions under a an elected unified executive authority capable of ruling the rest of the Libyan lands and representing the masses of the Libyan people]. It also asserted the importance of achieving lasting political stability through comprehensive national reconciliation as well as the necessity to protect Libya's capabilities and funds .
- The Conference commended the efforts made by the Kingdom of Morocco in bringing together the viewpoints of the Libyan parties and bringing them together at the dialogue table in a series of meetings in Morocco, with the aim of advancing the path of the political solution in accordance with the terms of reference of the Skhirat Agreement of 2015 to reach the desired political settlement.
- The conference affirmed its full solidarity with the people of Sudan and its government regarding the continuation of the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which began in mid-April 2023 and expanded to several regions in Sudan and the resulting loss of lives and property and the displacement of thousands of innocent civilian citizens. It stressed the importance of maintaining security, stability, and respect for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Sudan and warned against any external interference in Sudan, whatever its nature or source while maintaining the cohesion of state institutions in Sudan. The conference praised the appreciated efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within the framework of the Jeddah Platform, as well as the Egyptian efforts within the Sudan’s Neighboring Countries mechanism, as well as receiving Sudanese citizens fleeing the war. It called on the international community, the OIC Member States and institutions to provide support to those countries. It called for adherence to what was stated in the agreement signed on May 11, 2023, including taking steps to facilitate the increase of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilian areas, housing and public facilities, and the implementation of confidence-building measures and the resumption of dialogue in this framework with the aim of reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement and peaceful settlement of the conflict. The conference appealed to the OIC Member States and financial institutions to consider establishing a fund that would contribute to the reconstruction of what was destroyed by the war, including infrastructure projects, education, health, and public facilities. The conference also called on the Member States and humanitarian organizations to continue providing urgent humanitarian, health, and relief assistance to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people in Sudan and in neighboring countries.
- The Conference expressed full support for the Iraqi government in its efforts to combat terrorism and welcomed its efforts to achieve overwhelming victory culminating in the liberation of Iraqi cities from the grip of the criminal entity Daesh, emphasizing its interest in Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity. The Conference highly commended the efforts of the Iraqi government to ensure the return of displaced persons to their homes and rebuild liberated areas, such as to reinforce and support societal reconciliation and restore the stability of those regions.
- The Conference also affirmed the important role of Iraq and Iran in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, which is key to bring about peace and stability in the region.
- The Conference expressed its commitment to supporting the security, stability, unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. It also affirmed its support for the efforts made by the Somali government in the fight against terrorism, especially the Al-Shabaab Movement. The Member States were urged to provide material and technical assistance to help the government institutions strengthen their capabilities and ensure long- lasting peace, security, and stability in the region. Additionally, the OIC Member States and
institutions were called upon to support the Somali government in its efforts to combat the effects of the drought on the food security of the Somali people.
- The Conference underlined its rejection of any act violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia following the signing of Memorandum of Understanding for partnership and cooperation between the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and the region of Somaliland on 1 January 2024 against the backdrop of our commitment to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, in accordance with the OIC Charter and international law.
- The Conference emphasized its full support to the importance of upholding water for both the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Sudan. It also rejected any violation of their rights to the Nile water and emphasized refraining from taking any unilateral measures that do not take into consideration the economic and environmental. The Conference further called for the resumption of negotiations among the parties to reach a fair agreement that safeguards their interests.
- The Conference expressed support for the security, stability, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Sahel and Lake Tchad Basin countries and stands against any external interference in these countries.
- The Conference expressed its deep concern at the fragile security and humanitarian situation in the countries of the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, which keep facing recurrent attacks by terrorist groups, resulting in loss of life, massive displacement of populations and exacerbating existing humanitarian challenges and the effects of climate change.
- The Conference emphasized the need to adopt a multi-dimensional approach to address these crises that combines security, diplomatic and development efforts. It called upon all Member States and the International Community to provide the necessary assistance to those countries, so that they can overcome and eliminate terrorism, and to contribute to improving their economic and humanitarian conditions. In this regard, it requested the Member States to support the General Secretariat to enable it to empowering and strengthening its Mission in Niamey, so that it can provide the necessary services to the Member States in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region.
- The Conference expressed its deep concern over the alarming security and humanitarian situation in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region. It commended the implementation of the Women Empowerment Project in areas hosting refugees and displaced persons in Burkina Faso, and took note with appreciation the efforts made by the OIC General Secretariat and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for the implementation of this project, in coordination with the OIC regional office in Niamey. It urged Member States and the OIC General Secretariat to strengthen the capacities of this Office by providing it with the necessary human and financial means that enable it to carry out the tasks entrusted to it as appropriate, so that it can provide support to the Member States’ efforts in this region.
- The conference expressed its deep concern about the growth of extremist rhetoric inciting terrorism among young people in the Sahel region and the Lake Chad Basin, especially due to unemployment and lack of training and qualifications. It welcomed the establishment of the OIC Fund to support, qualify, and train young people in the Sahel and Lake Chad region as part of an integrated strategy to combat extremism, support the correct moderate understanding of Islam, and promote a culture of tolerance and moderation. It praised the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Chair of the 49th CFM, in implementing the CFM recommendations in this regard and took note of the results of the workshop held on February 7-8, 2024, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat to discuss the draft statute of the Fund, and requested all OIC Member States and relevant organs and institutions to support this fund when its statute
is approved as a specialized institution by the CFM during its next session and the completion of procedures related to its activation, with the aim of enhancing the OIC’s role in supporting the efforts of its Member States in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region.
- The Conference, guided by the goals and principles of the OIC Charter, and convinced of the OIC efforts in supporting its Member States, welcomed the signing on 28 December 2021 in Niamey, of the Host Country Agreement, whereby the OIC Office in Niamey will become a regional OIC Mission in Niger for the OIC Member States in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region. It praised the Organization’s achievements, through its regional Mission in Niger, aimed at promoting socio-economic development in the region. The Conference called on the Member States to provide financial, material, and logistical support and assistance to the regional Mission in Niger, to enable it to accomplish its mission in the region, through the OIC General Secretariat and in line with the principles and goals of the OIC Charter.
- The Conference praised the initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, of the Kingdom of Morocco, which aims to enable the Sahel countries to access the Atlantic Ocean and stressed the strategic importance of this initiative, which falls within the framework of the effective solidarity of the Kingdom of Morocco with the sister African countries in general and the Sahel region in particular.
- The Conference praised Algeria’s efforts in preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremism in the African Sahel, through organizing training programs for the benefit of its countries in cooperation with the Algeria-based African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism.
- The Conference applauded the leading role of the President of Algeria, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, as the African Union Coordinator on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism.
- The Conference welcomed the initiative by the President of Algeria, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to establish a civilian continental disaster preparedness and response mechanism, to ensure effective and secure synergy and support for the affected African countries.
- The Conference expressed appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its plan to host the Donor Conference to alleviate the Suffering of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Region, which is scheduled to be held in the last quarter of 2024. It called on donors to mobilize resources to support refugees, displaced persons, and those affected by the Boko Haram group in the Sahel and Lake Chad region. In this regard, it called on Member States, the OIC financial institutions, and partners to actively participate and announce pledges to address the plight of refugees and displaced persons in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region.
- The Conference commended the “Atlantic-African States” initiative launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, of the Kingdom of Morocco, as a path for an African partnership aimed at strengthening ties of cooperation and integration between the African countries overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, with a view to consolidating peace, stability and common prosperity in the region.
- The Conference expressed its total rejection of all separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of OIC Member States.
- The Conference welcomed the Kingdom of Morocco’s hosting of the 93rd Session of the General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), which will be held in Marrakesh in 2025.
- The Conference welcomed the selection of the Kingdom of Morocco by the United Nations as a partner to host the Office of the Counterterrorism and Training Program in Africa. It commended the experience of the Kingdom of Morocco in fighting terrorism through chairing the Africa Focus Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh. It also welcomed Morocco’s hosting of the Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS, held in Marrakesh, 11 May 2022.
- The Conference expressed regret over the difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, resulting from the Algiers Process, signed in 2015 and for which the OIC contributed to its conclusion and was a member of the Follow-up Committee for its implementation.
- The Conference took note in this regard, of Mali's decision to give priority to ownership of the peace process by setting up an inter-Malian dialogue framework for peace and reconciliation instead of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.
- The Conference welcomed the progress made by the Central African Republic in the field of peace building and called upon Member States and OIC Financial Institutions to provide financial and material support to the government for the implementation of sustainable development projects, long-term peace building and alleviation of the suffering of internally displaced persons.
- The Conference called on Member States and OIC Institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Solidarity Fund, to support African Member States by investing more in their development programmes.
- The Conference underscored the strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan. It stressed the importance it attached to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and reaffirmed that sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan can only be ensured through the formation of a comprehensive, broad-based and inclusive government.
- The conference reaffirmed the importance of combating terrorism and extremism in Afghanistan and ensuring that the territory of Afghanistan is not used as a platform or safe haven by any terrorist group or organization. It stressed the need to address challenges that emanate from Afghanistan and called for enhanced international cooperation in countering terrorism and extremism, tackling irregular migration and preventing illegal drug trade. It urged authorities in Afghanistan to take steps for inclusive governance for sustainable stability and protecting human rights, especially fundamental rights of Afghan women and girls. The conference is committed to continue providing humanitarian assistance to ease the suffering of the Afghan people.
- The conference took note of the performance of the Afghan de facto authorities in the fight against terrorism, which has been realized in cooperation with some countries in the region, and requested the OIC to provide the necessary support for such measures, in line with regional initiatives.
- It underlined the importance of full respect for the human rights of all Afghans and the need to protect the fundamental rights of women. It expressed disappointment at the suspension of education for women and girls in Afghanistan and called on the de facto authorities to reopen schools and universities for girls. It welcomed the visits of the OIC Special Envoy and the Ulema delegations to Afghanistan with the support of the General Secretariat and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy and called in this regard for more engagement with the authorities and the scholars in Afghanistan. It welcomed in this regard the Secretary-General’s proposal to hold a meeting that brings together Ilema from Afghanistan with Ulema from the
Islamic Ummah under the umbrella of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy in coordination with the General Secretariat. It commended the contribution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and (Republic of Uzbekistan) in providing grants for education for Afghan girls.
- The Conference affirmed its support for a peaceful, stable, prosperous Afghanistan, inclusive of all stripes. It emphasized, in this regard, the necessity of addressing the challenges faced by the Afghan people, including humanitarian conditions, human rights, ethnic communities, terrorism, drugs, and social aspects.
- The Conference urged the OIC member states, international donors, UN funds and programs, and other international actors to contribute generously to the Food Security Program for Afghanistan and to support the Islamic Organization for Food Security in implementing the mission assigned to it.
- The Conference praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the International Conference on Women in Islam (Status and Empowerment) under the OIC framework, which was held in Jeddah from 6 to 8 November 2023. It welcomed the Jeddah Document and the final statement issued by the Conference and the values and principles contained in the document that highlight the human, social, and cultural status of women in Islam, and acknowledged the adoption of this document and the dissemination thereof among relevant national, regional, and international institutions on top of which the Women Development Organization, to achieve the sublime goals it contains. It called on the General Secretariat and the relevant OIC institutions to continue to monitor the implementation of Jeddah Document on women’s rights in Islam, especially the Egypt-based Women Development Organization (WDO).
- The Conference commended the OIC Member States for their continued assistance and support to the people of Afghanistan, highly commended in this regard the contributions of the State of Qatar to bringing stability to Afghanistan and commended in this regard the generous contribution of the Humanitarian Trust Fund at IsDB, offered by KSA as well as the donations and pledges from Kuwait, Nigeria, Malaysia, Türkiye, Algeria and Uzbekistan and requests Member States to generously contribute to the Humanitarian Trust Fund at IsDB to address and alleviate the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people. The Conference praised the efforts made by the IsDB to activate the fund and sign agreements with international partners to implement humanitarian and development programs in Afghanistan.
- The Conference commended the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for hosting the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, in Islamabad, on 19 December 2021 and the consequent establishment of the Humanitarian Trust Fund under the aegis of the Islamic Development Bank, to serve as a vehicle to channel humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan including in partnership with other international actors.
- The Conference noted the necessity importance for continuation of economic cooperation to improve humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and in this regard implementation of large-scale energy, transport and communication projects, like Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, Turkmenistan- Afghanistan- Pakistan (TAP) electricity transmission line, which creates new opportunities for increasing social wellbeing of Afghan population.
- The Conference commended the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran along with other countries for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for over four decades and providing them access to their educational, medical and sociocultural facilities despite challenges to their peace and security.
- The Conference underlined the importance of the 15th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization, which took place in Ashgabat on 28 November 2021, and the Ashgabat
Consensus for Action adopted at this summit for addressing humanitarian issues in Afghanistan.
- The Conference appreciated the generous donations by some OIC Member States to the humanitarian trust fund for Afghanistan and called for more pledges to enable the Fund to support the people of Afghanistan in the humanitarian and the Economic domains. It requested the OIC Secretary General and his Special Envoy to continue the mobilization for more resources to the Fund. It commended in this regard the efforts by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for offering a grant of $30 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund.
- The Conference expressed its thanks and gratitude to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the generous support to strengthen the OIC office in Kabul, and appreciates the steps taken by the General Secretariat to strengthen the office with qualified experts.
- The Conference commended the efforts of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan in engaging with the de-facto authorities in Afghanistan, Member States and international partners and called for allocating the budget of the Special Envoy and his secretariat from the budget of the Kabul office. It emphasized the important role of Member States in the success of the Special Envoy's work. It commended Qatar’s efforts regarding the Afghan issue, as well as its hosting of the 2nd Meeting of the Special Envoys on Afghanistan under the auspices of the United Nations and in the presence of the UN Secretary General.
- The Conference lauded the role of the State of Qatar and its efforts to coordinate international efforts in Afghanistan and facilitate dialogue between the United Nations, the concerned countries, and the Afghan caretaker government to ensure compliance with the Doha Agreement to establish international peace and security in the region. It also commended Qatar’s hosting of the 2nd Meeting of the Special Envoys on Afghanistan, under the auspices of the United Nations and in the presence of the UN Secretary-General.
- The Conference reaffirmed its unwavering support for and solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. It rejected the unilateral actions taken by India since August 5, 2019 aimed at altering the demographic composition of the occupied territory and reiterated its call on India to revoke all unilateral and illegal actions in IIOJK since 5 August 2019 respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It reaffirmed that the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is indispensable for durable peace in South Asia.
- The Conference reaffirmed the continued political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people until the realization of their legitimate right to self-determination as per the relevant Security Council resolutions and called upon the international community, including the Security Council, to take affective measures to implement the relevant resolutions of the Council on Jammu and Kashmir and to enable the Kashmiri people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination through a UN-supervised plebiscite.
- The Conference welcomed the end of the armed conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its state borders, and reiterated its support for the Republic of Azerbaijan in its efforts to rehabilitate and reconstruct the liberated territories.
- The Conference reaffirmed its principled and irreversible position of support for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and called for the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of mutual recognition of and respect for each other' s
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and urged the Republic of Armenia to fulfil its commitments in this regard.
- The Conference expressed deep concern about the destiny of Azerbaijanis forcefully and systematically expelled from the territory of the present- day Armenia, and affirmed the OIC Members States' support for their right to peaceful, safe and dignified return to their places of origin.
- The Conference commended the activities of the " OIC Contact Group on the aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan” and stressed the need for continuation of activities aiming at elimination of the consequences of the aggression of the Republic of Armenia, decided to change the name of the Group to " OIC Contact Group on the elimination of the consequences of the aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- The Conference expressed grave concern over the increasing incidents of intolerance, discrimination and acts of violence in the world, and expressed concern that attempts to spread Islamophobia are increasing in many parts of the world, as evidenced by the increasing number of incidents of religious intolerance, negative stereotypes, hatred and violence against Muslims, as the incidents of burning copies of al-Mus’haf ash-Sharif aggravate the sentiments of Muslims.
- The Conference recalled the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 254/76, which designates March 15 as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia,” and welcomed the celebration of the “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” in the General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in March of each year.
- The Conference welcomed the Secretary General’s appointment of Ambassador Mehmet Paçacı from Republic of Türkiye, as the OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy on combatting Islamophobia and requested the Secretary General to finalize arrangements regarding the budget and terms of reference of the Special Envoy, in consultation with the Republic of Türkiye and other interested Member States, in accordance with the Resolution No. 68/48-POL on “International Day to Combat Islamophobia.”
- The Conference welcomed the adoption of the resolution entitled “Measures to combat Islamophobia” on March 15, 2024, which requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations to appoint a Special Envoy on Combating Islamophobia and to develop and implementation a counter-Islamophobia action plan.
- The Conference commended Pakistan’s coordinated efforts in its capacity as Chair of the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, and its leading role in adopting by consensus UN General Assembly Resolution 254/76 which designated March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia in 2022.
- The Conference commended the recent adoption of Resolution 264/76, entitled “Measures to Combat Islamophobia”, which was submitted to the General Assembly by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC on 8 March 2024, which marks the celebration of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. It also commended the leading role played by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye,Iran and other Member States for adopting the resolution, and called for expediting the appointment of a United Nations Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia and the implementation of other relevant measures contained in this resolution.
- The Conferenced commended the pioneering role of the Mohammed VI Center for Dialogue among Civilizations in the city of Coquimbo, Republic of Chile, as a bridge for cultural communication between the Islamic world and the Atlantic countries of Africa and Latin America in particular.
- The Conference recalled the UN General Assembly Resolution A/77/318 on "Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Confronting Hate Speech", adopted on 25/71 2023 which strongly deplores all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief, as well as any such acts directed against their religious symbols, holy books, places of worship, religious sites and shrines in violation of international law.
- The Conference praised the UN General Assembly resolution No. A/77/L.89, which came at the initiative of the Kingdom of Morocco regarding “promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in the face of hate speech,” and was adopted on July 25, 2023.
- The Conference welcomed the holding of an urgent debate during the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) to discuss the "alarming rise in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred as manifested by the recurrent desecration of the al-Mus'haf ash-Sharif and adoption of HRC resolution, in line with the Communique of the Extraordinary Open-ended Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee.
- The Conference welcomed the remarkable election of the Kingdom of Morocco as the president of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the year 2024, in recognition by the international community of the role of the Kingdom of Morocco in the continued defence of central human rights issues. It Commended the Marrakesh Declaration issued by the First International Conference on National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow- up in the Field of Human Rights, held in the city of Marrakesh, Kingdom of Morocco, on December 07-08, 2022.
- The Conference praised the Marrakesh Declaration issued by the African Political Meeting within the framework of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to combat the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, held in January 2024 in Marrakesh, the Kingdom of Morocco, under the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America, which urged the need to intensify regional efforts on the African continent in order to combat weapons of mass destruction, by promoting the exchange of expertise, experiences and best practices among the countries participating under this initiative.
- The Conference expressed deep concern over the resurgence of racist extremist right movements in multiple regions of the world through repeated acts of provocation by supporters of the far-right insulting Islamic religious symbols and sanctities, including the desecration of the copies of the al-Mus’haf ash-Sharif.
- The Conference strongly condemned the repeated despicable acts of religious hatred against the sanctity of the al-Mus’haf ash-Sharif in several European countries, similar to what happened in the Kingdom of Sweden and Denmark; it deplored the recurrence of acts of desecration of al-Mus’haf ash-Sharif, and deeply regrets the continued issuance by the authorities of a permit allowing that action to occur, and the failure to take the necessary measures to prevent such acts in Europe.
- The Conference called upon all relevant stakeholders, including governments, to increase efforts to address discrimination, xenophobia, racism, hate speech and religious hatred that constitutes incitement to hostility or violence, in accordance with recent resolutions adopted by the UN Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly, and general principles of international human rights law.
- The Conference welcomed Resolution No. 47/66-P issued by the 47th CFM held in Niamey on November 27-28, 2020, on the adoption of the Makkah Document that was adopted by Muslim scholars during the Muslim World League Conference under the theme “The Values of Moderation in the Qur’an and Sunnah,” which was held in Makkah on May 27-29, 2019, and called for urging the relevant national and regional institutions to adopt it as reference.
- The Conference reasserted its backing for the Member States in their efforts to promote good governance, uphold the rule of law, ensure transparent and credible elections, and facilitate peaceful transfer of power as per their respective constitutions, provisions, and legislation.
- The Conference welcomed the increasing cooperation between the OIC and various international and regional organizations, including the United Nations. The Conference emphasized the need to expedite the decision-making process on requests for observer status with the OIC made by some countries and regional organizations to ensure mutual benefits, within the framework of the anticipated process of reforming the Organization’s structures.
- The Conference praised Qatar’s efforts and its continuous cooperation with the UN and welcomed the opening of the United Nations House in Doha, Qatar, which serves as a center for UN work in the region.
- The Conference welcomed the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly A/Res/78/266 from 21 March 2024 declaring 2025 the International Year of Peace and Trust proposed by the initiative of Turkmenistan, and in this regard underlined that the International Year of Peace and Trust constitutes a means of mobilizing the efforts of the International community to promote peace and trust among nations and states based on. inter alia, political dialogue, negotiations, mutual understanding and cooperation, in order to build sustainable peace, solidarity and harmony.
- The Conference recalled all pervious resolutions adopted by the OIC Summit and Council of Foreign Ministers on the reform of the United Nations and expansion of UN Security Council’s membership; reiterated that efforts at the reform of the Security Council should not be subjected to any artificial deadlines, and that a decision on this issue should be made by consensus; and reaffirmed OIC’S decision that any reform proposal which neglects the adequate representation of the Islamic Ummah in any category of membership in an extended Security Council will not be acceptable to the Islamic World.
- The Conference reaffirmed the Final Communique para 41 of the 14th Islamic Summit and the 49th CFM Resolution No. 19/49-POL on the Situation in Cyprus.
- The Conference stressed the importance of reforming, revitalizing and strengthening the multilateral system, with a particular focus on the United Nations system, in order to ensure fair, balanced and equitable geographical representation within the UN Security Council.
- The Conference welcomed the declaration of March 5 as International Disarmament and Non- Proliferation Awareness Day by resolution 77/51 of the United Nation General Assembly and supported the idea of celebrating this day annually.
- The Conference reiterated the OIC’s longstanding support for the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of Bosnian and Herzegovina, within its internationally recognized borders, as a fully functional and self-sustainable state capable of carrying out its powers and fulfilling its international obligations, as well as its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious structure.
- The Conference reiterated the OIC’s support for cooperation with Kosovo and its people and called on Member States to consider recognizing the independence of Kosovo in accordance with their free sovereign right and their respective national legislations.
- The Conference called on Kosovo to close its embassy in Al-Quds Al-Sharif in realization of Islamic solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israeli occupation.
- The Conference reaffirmed its constant support for the OIC’s contribution to the efforts of ensuring the wellbeing of Muslim communities and minorities in OIC non-Member States and finding peaceful and just solutions to the issues they face. It also commended the role of the
OIC in safeguarding their rights, dignity and religious and cultural identity, particularly in Myanmar, Southern Philippines and Thailand’s Southern border provinces, as well as Muslims in Europe, in total respect of the sovereignty of the States concerned.
- The Conference reaffirmed the strong condemnation of systematic and brutal genocidal acts, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and horrendous atrocities perpetrated against the Rohingya Muslim Community in Myanmar, especially post August 25, 2017, which constitute a deliberate and blatant violation of international law and international human rights conventions. It urged Myanmar to protect all Rohingya Muslims and take all necessary measures to immediately halt genocide, ethnic cleansing, violence, vigilantism, and discriminatory practices against them.
- The Conference expressed deep concern over the escalating clashes between the army and various armed groups throughout Myanmar, in particular Rakhine State and the atrocities committed against civilians, and urged all parties to exercise self-restraint and take the necessary measures to prevent casualties or damage to civilians and to civil infrastructure. It also urged Myanmar to ensure that affected people and communities have free and unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance.
- The Conference commended the leading efforts of The Gambia, on behalf of the OIC, at the level of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to bring justice, dignity and accountability for the Rohingya Muslims the Conference welcomed the historic decision of the ICJ in issuing Provisional Measures to prevent further acts of genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar and establishing Court’s jurisdiction under the Genocide Convention to hear the application.
- The Conference urged Myanmar to protect all Rohingya Muslims and fulfil its obligations as mentioned in the ICJ’s precautionary measures. Also urged the Myanmar authority to take practical and time bound steps to restore the citizenship of forcibly displaced Rohingya refugees and IDPs, deprived of their nationality, with all associated rights, and to allow and facilitate the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return and reintegration of all externally and internally displaced Rohingyas to their homeland in Rakhine State in Myanmar.
- The Conference expressed its appreciation to OIC Member States, particularly the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for hosting 1.1 million Rogingyas, commended the efforts of OIC Member States in providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees and IDPs, and called on the Member States, OIC institutions and Islamic NGOs to continue extending humanitarian relief to alleviate the suffering of Rohingya refugees and IDP’s, including supporting the efforts of Bangladesh and other host countries. It called upon member states to contribute generously to the General Secretariat’s voluntary account to meet the litigation expenses of the Gambia’s case at the ICJ on behalf of the OIC.
- The Conference commended the progress made in recent years towards achieving peace, unity, and stability in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). It reaffirmed its appreciation of OIC’s historic role and constructive efforts in mediation concerning the peace process in the region. It also called on the Government of the Philippines to carry out all the programs agreed upon during the implementation period, including social and economic development in Bangsamoro. It urged OIC Member States, subsidiary organs, specialized and affiliated institutions to increase the volume of their medical, humanitarian, economic, social, educational and technical assistance to develop BARMM with a view to accelerating socio-economic development. It also reiterated its support for the continuation of the implementation phase of the comprehensive agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) peace process between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic liberation front (MILF), with Malaysia as the facilitator, and called on both parties to adhere to the provisions stipulated in the peace agreement.
- The Conference commended the genuine efforts of the Government of Thailand to enhance the conditions of the Muslim community, in particular in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand. It appreciated the efforts of the Secretary General for following up the situation of Muslims in the Kingdom of Thailand, including his visit to the country from 09-11 August 2023. It also reiterated its support for the continuation of the peace dialogue process between the Government of Thailand and the representatives of the Muslim community in Southern Border Provinces of Thailand, with Malaysia as the facilitator, and called on both parties to continue with confidence-building measures, and pursue discussions on pending issues.
- The Conference expressed deep concern over the rising wave of state sanctioned Islamophobia in India, condemned systematic persecution of Muslims anti-Muslim violence in all its forms and manifestations, motivated by the extremist Hindutva ideology under the RSS-BJP dispensation in India that has led to political, economic and social marginalization of Indian Muslims with a growing sense of insecurity, and the failure of the Government of India to provide safety and security to the minorities in India and urged the Government of India to take necessary measures to protect the lives properties and places of worship of the Muslim community in the country, and prevent any such acts in the future. The Conference was extremely alarmed at the persistent shrinking and sacrilege of religious places of Muslims in India and condemned the recent inauguration of the ‘Ram Temple’ in Ayodhya, by the Indian government , on the site of the centuries-old Babri Mosque which was demolished by a mob of radical Hindu zealots in 1992 and called on Indian government to ensure the safety, well- being, religious freedom, and sanctity of the religious sites of the Muslims in India.
- The Conference welcomed the visit by a delegation from the OIC to the People’s Republic of China last year including the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to follow up on the implementation of relevant CFM resolutions, in response to an official invitation from China. It also welcomed the participation of the special representative of the Chinese President in the 15th Islamic Summit Conference and anticipates further cooperation between the OIC and the People’s Republic of China.
- The Conference reaffirmed the Final Communique para 54 of the 14th Islamic Summit and 49th CFM Resolution No. 3/49-MM on the Situation of the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace and the Muslim Population of the Dodecanese.
- The Conference stressed the need to address the status, safety and security of the Crimean Tatars efficiently and guarantee them effective access to their religious, cultural, educational and property rights. Underscoring the importance of ensuring safety and security in Crimea, as well as the importance of the international efforts for the immediate release of the Crimean Tatar leaders, the Conference urged the Secretary General to conduct the needed contact and studies on the situation of Crimean Tatars following the recent developments, requesting him to follow up on this matter and to report thereon to the 50th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
- The Conference underscored the need to settle the persisting disputes and conflicts in the OIC area through peaceful means. It reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening awareness in the OIC area of the benefits of mediation as a cost-effective tool, which saves lives and resources by contributing to the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts. In this regard, it stressed the need to mainstream mediation in OIC’s scope of work and activities and build further capacity for mediation support activities. It commended, in this regard, the Kingdom’s efforts to convene the 4th Conference on Mediation in Jeddah.
- The Conference emphasized on full activation of the OIC Peace and security architecture for finding durable solutions to the problems faced by the Muslim World and appreciated the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for initiating discussions in two brainstorming session at the
General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on 24th August and 15th September 2022 and at the Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) of the OIC at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 22 September 2022, to deliberate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, meditation, reconciliation, and peacebuilding.
- The Conference underscored the importance of regular discussions to further deliberate and develop OIC mechanisms as well as tools for conflict prevention, mediation, reconciliation and peace-building to address contemporary challenges and conflicts confronting the Muslim Ummah
- The Conference welcomed Algeria’s conducting in September 2023 of Chemex Africa - a multi-component chemical emergency response capacity-building exercise. This exercise – the first ever in Africa – was conducted in cooperation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and aimed to enhance the capacities of the African States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention to respond to chemical emergencies, and to strengthen the OPCW’s technical assistance in the fields of protection related to the use or the threat of using chemical weapons or products, while enhancing dialogue among experts in the States Parties from the various African regional groups.
- The Conference reiterated its principled position against terrorism in all forms and manifestations committed by whomsoever and wherever; and reaffirmed its unequivocal rejection of all attempts to associate any country, race, religion, culture or nationality with terrorism. It reaffirmed its position against any attempts to equate the legitimate struggle of peoples for self-determination from foreign occupation with terrorism. It stressed the need to address the root causes and underlying factors of violent extremism and terrorism, at the political, economic, social and intellectual levels. In this regard, it stressed the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to counter terrorism.
- The conference emphasized that the threats posed by separatist entities to political security and stability in many regions, including the African continent, are no less serious than those posed by terrorist and extremist groups due to their objective alliance and their access to financial, tactical and practical means, which requires OIC Member States to adopt a comprehensive and integrated approach to enhance efforts to combat the underlying factors that lead to extremism, terrorism and separatism.
- The Conference welcomed the holding of the consultative meeting among the leaders of the three sisterly countries Tunisia, Algeria and Libya in Tunis on 22 April 2024, upon a gracious invitation from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Tunisia Kais Saied. During the meeting, the leaders of the three States affirmed their common desire to intensify consultation and coordination with a view to solidifying security, stability and progress in the region as a whole and promoting its resilience. This is in addition to the importance of exchanging analyses, assessments and information on the phenomenon of terrorism, human trafficking, the trafficking of all types of drugs, and organised crime that threaten the security and stability of the region and what its interest serves.
- The Conference affirmed the OIC’s deep concern over the growing threat of terrorism posed by individuals driven by racial, ethnic or ideological motives, including white supremacist groups, the far-right, the extreme right-wing, violent nationalists, xenophobic and Islamophobic groups, and followers of Hindutva ideology in various parts of the world. It reaffirmed the determination to make joint global efforts to address this threat, including by expanding the scope of the UN counter-terrorism framework and the scope of UN Security Council sanctions to include these groups and individuals.
- The Conference welcomed the intention of the Republic of Tajikistan and the State of Kuwait to organise a high-level international counter-terrorism conference in cooperation with the
United Nations as part of the “Dushanbe Process” in November 2024 in the State of Kuwait, and stressed the importance of effective participation in this international conference.
- The Conference affirmed its support for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which is held every three years at the initiative of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and expressed its appreciation to all religious leaders from OIC member states and high-ranking officials who participated and effectively contributed to the work of the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions., held in Astana on September 14 -15, 2022. It called on the OIC member states to continue their support for the Conference activities and urged them to actively participate in the upcoming 8th conference, which will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2025.
- The Conference strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attacks launched by the ISIS terrorist group on the territories of OIC member and observer States, including its recent terrorist operations in the cities of Shiraz and Kerman in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Homs in the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as Moscow in the Russian Federation.
- The Conference condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack launched by the Zionist Israeli regime against the Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus on 01 April 2024, which constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic, a grave violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the 1973 Convention of the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against internationally protected persons, including diplomatic agents, as well as a violation of international law which guarantees the protection of diplomatic missions and which requires clear and binding immunity for diplomatic missions accredited in any State.
Humanitarian Affairs:
- The Conference commended the coordination efforts made by the OIC General Secretariat to mobilize and deliver significant humanitarian assistance to countries affected by humanitarian crises, and paid special tribute to all OIC donor countries and Institutions who joined the Islamic solidarity and the Islamic action in the humanitarian field.
- The Conference specifically praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the funding, through King Salman Aid and Humanitarian Relief Center, of important social, education and health infrastructures in Somalia in addition to the delivery of food aid. It praised the launch of humanitarian projects in the health and education sectors during the visit of the Center’s General Supervisor, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabiah, to Somalia on January 28, 2024, accompanied by a delegation from the Center and the General Secretariat. It also commended the provision by donor countries including KSA, UAE, Kuwait, Türkiye and Qatar of health and medical supplies to Sudan on the outbreak of the crisis in April 2023.
- The Conference commended the Republic of Azerbaijan for its generous humanitarian donation of USD 250,000 to Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in 2023 to support the people affected by humanitarian crises in the said countries.
- The Conference further appreciated the various initiatives undertaken by the OIC General Secretariat in coordination with OIC Member States, namely the conduct of field visits in a number of countries to assess the humanitarian needs of marginalised people, the convening of international conferences to raise awareness on humanitarian issues, the development of training programs to build capacity in disaster management and the promotion of cooperation with humanitarian and development Agencies of OIC countries and with other international humanitarian Institutions.
- The Conference welcomed with satisfaction the coordination between the OIC General Secretariat and the OIC Humanitarian Institutions namely ISF, ICIC, IOFS at the two regional missions in Niamey and Mogadishu, and Kabul Office.
- The Conference noted with satisfaction the efforts of the OIC General Secretariat in the implementation of the goals of Priority 18 of the OIC-2025 Programme of Action pertaining to the OIC Institutional Reforms, especially the digitization process engaged in transforming the General Secretariat into a modern institution fully competent to act in support of the OIC and its objectives. The Conference thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its support of the General Secretariat during its term of presidency, which contributed to rebuilding its digital infrastructure and launching the current digitization process.
- The Conference noted that the OIC-2025 Programme of Action is coming to an end even as it is in the critical phase of implementation. It underlined the need for greater involvement and ownership of the Member States through mainstreaming of the OIC programmes and activities in their national priorities. It also appreciated the steps taken by the General Secretariat and the other organs and institutions in the OIC system as part of ongoing efforts to ensure effective implementation of the Programme of Action and try to reverse the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on development gains across the OIC Member States.
- The Conference welcomed the decision to start the elaboration of a new Programme of Action for the decade 2026-2035 and mandated the Secretary General to start necessary consultations with the Member States on preparation of a successor programme. It also invited the Member States to actively participate in the process so that a programme with clear goals and concrete deliverables could be adopted at the next Islamic Summit.
Legal Affairs:
- The Conference welcomed the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fight against corruption through its sponsorship of the First Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities of the Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which approved the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention of the Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Cooperation. The Convention was adopted by Resolution 2/49-LO of the 49th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers. The Conference urged Member States to speed up the signing and ratification of this Convention, calling on them to strengthen international cooperation among themselves to combat corruption crimes, particularly in the field of bribery, by prosecuting their perpetrators, and the recovery of proceeds of corruption crimes. The Conference recommended that the Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities in Member States hold its sessions periodically, every two years, in accordance with the procedures followed at OIC ministerial meetings. Also, the Conference welcomed the hosting by the State of Qatar of the Second Meeting of the Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities in OIC Member States on 26 and 27 November 2024 in Doha.
- The Conference welcomed the decision of the tenth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption that the State of Qatar host the meetings of the eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption to be held in 2025.
- The Conference called for revitalising the OIC reform process.
- The Conference called on all Member States to expedite the signing/ratification of the OIC Charter and various OIC conventions and urged in particular Member States that are yet to ratify the statute of the International Islamic Court of Justice to complete the necessary
ratification procedure as soon as possible to enable the Court to commence its activities and discharge the functions entrusted to it. In this respect, the Conference welcomed the signing by the Republic of Iraq of the Statute of the International Islamic Court of Justice in March 2024.
- The Conference called upon Member States to expedite the signing and ratification of the Statute of the OIC Centre for Police Cooperation and Coordination (CPCC).
- The Conference urged all Member States to accelerate the finalisation of the ratification procedures for all amendments to the Charter by which the name Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was adopted and the frequency of convening the Islamic Summit was changed from three to two years.
- The Conference welcomed the offer made by the Republic of Türkiye to host the Third Meeting of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on the OIC Dispute Settlement Mechanism in 2024.
Economic Affairs:
- The Conference underscored the importance of trade for economic growth and employment in the OIC Member States. It also emphasized the need for OIC Member States to participate actively in global supply chains through the development of higher value-added products and regional supply chains, seamless cross-border trade as well as the development of Halal industry and the organization of various trade promotion events, including the OIC Trade Fairs. In this regard, the Conference commended the effectuation of the Trade Preferential System among the Member States of the OIC (TPS-OIC) as from 1st July 2022, and called for taking appropriate measures to effectively implement the TPS-OIC so as to realize the target of 25% of trade exchanges among OIC Member States by 2025. The Conference further requested the Member States, which have not yet completed the signing and/or ratification of the TPS-OIC Framework Agreement, Protocol on Preferential Tariff Scheme for TPS-OIC (PRETAS) and TPS-OIC Rules of Origin to do so as soon as possible.
- The Conference welcomed the offer made by the Republic of Tunisia to host the 10th Session of the OIC Halal Product Fair in 8-12 October 2024 and urged Member States and private sector institutions to participate actively in this fair.
- The Conference congratulated the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) on its 50th anniversary, which has witnessed remarkable growth until it now offers a variety of financing solutions for the Member States. The Conference also appreciates the prominent role played by the IsDB Group in advancing the comprehensive development of the Member States within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and enhancing cooperation in related fields. The Conference expressed its appreciation for the great support provided by the Member States to strengthen the operations of the Group, stressing the necessity of continuing this support as part of the commitment of “strengthening unity and solidarity through dialogue to achieve sustainable development,” with the aim of enabling the Group to meet the growing needs of the Member States.
- The Conference welcomed the “Rabat Declaration” issued by the High-Level Ministerial Conference on Middle-Income Countries, held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on 5-6 February 2024, which called for a paradigm shift in international cooperation on development for the benefit of middle-income countries, and for enhancing the participation of these countries in global governance. It also welcomed the decision to upgrade the Group of Friends of Middle-Income Countries to become an official governmental platform for dialogue, awareness-raising and coordination on development issues.
- The Conference expressed its deep concern over the challenges to food security in the OIC Member States, which are exacerbated by population growth, increasing input costs, the
devastating effect of climate change, natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical tensions. The Conference, therefore, called for increasing concerted efforts among OIC Member States, particularly net food importing countries, in addressing food security challenges through facilitating investment in transformation towards resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agriculture and food systems, supply chains, and contract farming, supporting smallholder farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperating in the area of science, research, technology and innovation, including traditional knowledge, and implementing the relevant OIC projects and programmes. The Conference commended the efforts of the Qatari initiative establishing the Global Drylands Alliance to address the issue of food security and called on countries to join it. In this regard, the Conference commended the launching by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group of a US$10.54 billion Comprehensive Food Security Response Program towards promoting sustainable agricultural development and enhanced food security in OIC Member States. The Conference also called for providing necessary support, including funding, to the Islamic Organization for Food Security so as to enable it to execute its mandate in an efficient and effective manner. The Conference called on OIC Member States, which have not yet done so, to sign and ratify the Statute of IOFS, the OIC specialised institution based in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan, at their earliest convenience. Also, the Conference praised the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the King Salman Centre for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, for the initiative of Islamic countries in the food security sector from 2019 to 2023, of USD 178,932,980. It commended Member States’ efforts under the national action plans to establish effective food systems in order to achieve the goal of sustainable food security and socio-economic development and to help achieve the objectives of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
- The Conference expressed its deep concern/regret over the decisions of some international financial institutions to stop financing programs directed to countries most in need, especially to combat poverty, and to use public resources allocated for development as a pressure card with the aim of imposing certain cultural or social values and concepts on societies characterized by their different cultures, which is inconsistent with the rules on which the international system is based, with its laws and entities, most notably respect for the sovereignty of states, including respect for their constitutions, judiciaries, and public order. It called on these institutions to review their decisions and refrain from deviating from their development obligations and not using the resources they have entrusted for development purposes to impose and disseminate certain cultures or practices that do not enjoy universal agreement. National and regional characteristics and various historical, cultural, and religious backgrounds must also be taken into account in the context of implementing the principle of “universality of human rights,” as stated in the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of 1993.
- The Conference welcomed the outcomes of the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, which were held in Marrakesh, the Kingdom of Morocco, from 9 to 15 October 2023, especially those related to financing climate activities and achieving sustainable development goals.
- The Conference welcomed the fact that the Kingdom of Morocco has obtained the status of a “sectoral dialogue partner” with ASEAN as a culmination of the dynamic path of partnerships between the Kingdom of Morocco and the countries of Southeast Asia.
- The Conference commended the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco to provide technical support, increase agricultural capacity, and enhance food security in many regions of the world by harnessing more than a quarter of its fertilizer production capacity and doubling its supplies to many countries with fragile agricultural systems, by allocating 4 million tons of fertilisers to
enhance food security in Africa during 2023, which would increase the productivity of 44 million farmers in 35 countries.
- The Conference praised the success of the State of Qatar in hosting the Fifth United Nations Conference for the Least Developed Countries in March 2023 under the slogan “From Potential to Prosperity” and noted the outcomes of this conference, especially the Doha Action Programme for the Least Developed Countries, and urged the parties to work jointly to achieve the goals of the Doha Work Programme.
- The Conference expressed grave concern regarding the multifaceted negative impacts of global issues including war conflicts, geopolitical tensions, pandemics, and climate change on the economies and societies of many OIC countries, especially the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The Conference also urged OIC Member States, OIC Institutions and the international community to support the efforts of the LDCs for their economic development and subsequent sustainable graduation from the LDC category.
- The Conference urged all Member States to encourage their public and private sector entities to actively participate in the 18th OIC Trade Fair scheduled to be held in Lahore, Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 29th November – 1st December, 2024.
- The Conference noted with concern that despite the progress in alleviating poverty in all its forms and dimensions in many OIC Member States, poverty remains a serious challenge to socio-economic development of low-income OIC Member States. The Conference observed that as a result of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, poverty in all its forms and dimensions has increased in many OIC low-income countries, reversing their progress in poverty alleviation. The Conference, therefore, called for empowering the poor and the vulnerable people, particularly in the rural areas, and the unemployed by enhancing their capacities through education, skills and vocational training, access to financial resources, in particular Islamic micro-financing, land, infrastructure, markets, technology and services. The Conference encouraged Member States to share social Islamic Micro-finance models that have proved to be successful, such as the Akhuwat Model, for quick poverty alleviation among the vulnerable citizens. The Conference also called on OIC Member States to redeem their respective pledges, and make new commitments to the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development to enable the Fund reach its target capital of US$10 billion and continue to finance projects and programmes for poverty alleviation in OIC Member States. The Conference expressed appreciation for Pakistan-based organization Akhuwat, the Islamic Development Bank and the OIC General Secretariat for organizing a seminar on 9th March, 2023 to introduce interest free micro finance model of Akhuwat for its replication in the Member States for poverty alleviation;
- The Conference recognised the importance of regional and interregional transport connectivity in trade, investment, services, tourism and other economic activities. The Conference called on OIC Member States to boost intra-OIC cooperation to improve the transport infrastructure and promote the exchange of best practices in the field of transport. In this regard, the Conference supported the ongoing efforts of the OIC Secretary General to reconvene, in the coming year, the OIC Ministerial Conference on Transportation, which would serve as a regular OIC policy forum in the field of transport. It also underscored the need to develop an OIC cooperation framework in the field of transport. The Conference further welcomed the planned convening of the 2nd Stakeholders’ Meeting on the OIC Dakar-Port Sudan Railway Project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during 2024, and, to this end, called on the concerned OIC Member States to intensify the implementation of measures aimed at establishing the Dakar-Port Sudan railway route.
- The Conference welcomed Algeria’s hosting of the 7th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of Gas Producing Countries Forum, held on 2 March 2024 and welcomed its outcomes aimed at supporting the common vision of the Member Countries in safeguarding the interests of the gas producers and consumers and supporting the aspirations of countries, in particular the African ones and their efforts in addressing energy poverty and confronting the challenges relating to energy access and promoting sustainable, just and comprehensive social and economic development in line with environmental requirements and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
- The Conference acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on national and global labour markets, resulting in job losses, reduced working hours, suspended employment relations and income loss. The youth, women and persons with disabilities are among those in the labour market, who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-
19. In this regard, the Summit called on the OIC Member States to take appropriate measures at the national level to promote wide access to decent jobs, entrepreneurship opportunities, skills development, decent work conditions, and income security that would contribute to sustainable development and inclusive growth in the OIC Member States. The Conference also urged the OIC Member States to intensify their efforts towards the effective implementation of the OIC projects and programmes in the domain of labour, employment and social protection. The Conference further welcomed the convening of the Inaugural Session of the General Assembly of the OIC Labour Centre, which is the newest specialized institution of the OIC, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 22nd November 2023, and, to this end, it urged the OIC Member States to support the Centre to enable it to execute its mandate. It urged Member States that have not yet signed and ratified the Statute of the Labour Centre to finalise the signing and ratification procedure at the earliest convenience.
- The Conference stressed the need to support private-sector led growth to enhance opportunities for jobs and livelihoods for all, including the poorest people, as well as to promote social and economic inclusion, and economic growth. In this regard, the Conference resolved to continue supporting the role of the private sector as a key source of economic growth and employment creation by promoting an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprises, in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, in order to generate and maintain quality jobs, productive employment and improved living standards for all.
- The Conference recognised the support and funding of projects for poor families and women, especially in fragile areas in Member States witnessing armed conflicts and those that have just emerged from conflicts, and the adoption of a zero sustainable development strategy to achieve economic balance for these poor families affected by these conflicts.
- The Conference underscored the great importance of developing tourism in implementing the relevant OIC economic agreements and programmes, and urged Member States to create conducive environments and deploy innovative de-risking and credit enhancement tools in order to facilitate the investment interest of private and institutional investors. The Conference also urged Member States to facilitate the visa procedures for tourists. In the same vein, the Conference expressed satisfaction on the elaboration of the OIC City of Tourism Award and the Strategic Roadmap on the Development of Islamic Tourism in the Member States.
- The Conference commended the efforts of the United Arab Emirates in hosting the World Expo Dubai 2020 from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, under the theme of “Connecting Minds. Creating the Future”. The Conference affirmed the support of all OIC Member States to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in hosting the World Expo 2030. It appreciated the efforts made by Member States to provide support during elections.
- The Conference affirmed its support for the process of reforming the World Trade Organisation to strengthen the multilateral rule-based trading system, in a way that preserves the principles on which the organization was founded, including special and preferential treatment for developing and least developed countries. The Conference also stressed support for the efforts of the OIC Member States in their accession process to the World Trade Organisation to enhance the contribution of these countries to the volume of international trade. The Conference also urged the OIC Member States to enhance coordination among themselves to confront the efforts of some major countries to take unilateral trade measures that would hinder the access of developing countries' exports to foreign markets in contravention of the rules of the World Trade Organisation.
- The Conference called for the need for coordination among OIC Member States concerning the ongoing efforts to reform the international financial architecture to enhance the effectiveness of existing financing mechanisms and develop new financing mechanisms with a to strengthening the role of international and regional financial institutions in supporting developing countries in achieving SDGs and addressing the challenges of climate change.
- The Conference expressed concern over unilateral trade measures based on environmental and climate change issues, which are considered an obstacle to the access of Member States’ exports to foreign markets and called for these measures to be removed as soon as possible.
- The Conference commended the vital role of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) , under the wise and commendable leadership of H.E.Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye and Chairman of the COMCEC, in addressing the common development challenges of the Islamic Ummah and realization of the noble objectives of the OIC and COMCEC.
- The Conference also commended the endeavours under COMCEC for deepening economic and commercial cooperation among the Member States, in particular, the effectuation of the TPS-OIC, operationalisation of the OIC Arbitration Centre, establishment of the COMCEC High-Level Digital Transformation Forum, issuance of OIC-COMCEC Shariah International Investment Fund and successful implementation of COMCEC Project Funding, COVID-19 Response, the effective countering of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and Al Quds Programmes. It requested the Member States and the relevant OIC institutions to actively participate in the programmes and projects developed under the auspices of the COMCEC.
- The Conference also welcomed the offer of the Republic of Türkiye to host the Third Meeting of the TPS-OIC Trade Negotiations Committee at the ministerial level in an open-ended format, to be held in Istanbul on 10-11 June 2024, and urged all Member States to participate in this meeting.
- The Conference welcomed the successful implementation of the COMCEC Strategy, in particular through the COMCEC Working Groups as regular platforms for producing knowledge, sharing experiences and approximating policies among the Member States and the COMCEC Project Funding, which is an important instrument for the realization of the COMCEC Ministerial Policy Recommendations, benefited by 55 Member States. The Conference requested the Member States and the relevant OIC institutions to actively participate in the activities of the COMCEC Working Groups and make use of the facilities provided under the COMCEC Project Funding.
- The Conference commended the efforts of the Islamic Centre for the Development of Trade (ICDT) in Casablanca to enhance intra-trade and investments among Member States, in the context of achieving the objectives of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action 2016-2025, through the ambitious ICDT programs related to organizing exhibitions and economic forums and supporting institutional capacities in the field of facilitating trade, as well as providing
information and studies on the requirements of international markets, in addition to empowering women, encouraging entrepreneurship among young people, and supporting small and medium enterprises, especially those related to achieving food security.
- The Conference recalled the Ten-Year Programme of Action 2016-2025 adopted by the Thirteenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, particularly with regard to drawing attention to Priority 1.18 on the institutional reform of the OIC. The Conference urged the Member States to build on the proposals put forward during the two brainstorming sessions on OIC reform held respectively in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 23-25 October 2018 and in Dhaka, People's Republic of Bangladesh, on 19-20 February 2020, with a view to strengthening the Organisation and its organs to enable it to meet the aspirations of the Ummah in the context of contemporary challenges and realities.
- The Conference expresses appreciation for the initiatives of the Islamic Centre for the Development of Trade in Casablanca, which aim to support investment and economic partnership in sub-Saharan African countries, members of the OIC, in order to achieve economic and social development that will improve the standard of living of the peoples of the region and support stability and peace in these countries.
- The Conference commended the efforts of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts of the OIC countries through the two meetings held in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco, from 3 to 6 October 2022, and from 14 to 16 September 2023, respectively, which were devoted to studying the issue of establishing a body and mechanism to settle investment-related disputes.
Cultural and Social Field:
- The conference commended the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in hosting the Fifth Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, held from 7 to 9September 2022 in Jeddah. It also hails its efforts in following up on the implementation of the resolutions issued by the conference in coordination with the General Secretariat. Also, the Conference highly valued the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in spreading the message of peace, dialogue, peaceful coexistence and tolerance among young people through organising the Holy Sites Journey Programme for young people from Arab and Islamic countries during the period from 17 to 26 November 2023 (Makkah Al Mukarramah – Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah - Jeddah) and in coordination with the General Secretariat and the League of Arab States, and called for strengthening cooperation between the Member States on issues related to youth through organising joint events and programmes with the aim of exchanging experiences and knowledge among the youth of the Member States.
- The Conference called on OIC Member States to take part in the “World Nomad Games”, the international sports competitions in ethnic sports, which are aimed at the development of ethno- sports and ethno- cultural movement as a heritage of human civilization to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 8 to 14 September 2024.
- The Conference also commended the efforts of the Republic of Türkiye in hosting the fifth session of the Islamic Solidarity Games in the city of Konya during the period from 9 to 18 August 2022, and the secretariat of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) for the successful organisation of the Games, and calls for strengthening cooperation among Member States on sports-related issues through organizing joint activities with the aim of contributing to achieving social inclusion, combating terrorism and extremism, as well as eliminating poverty.
- The Conference commended Algeria’s efforts in promoting cultural heritage in general and Islamic heritage in particular through funding the Regional Centre for Safeguarding Intangible
Cultural Heritage in Africa (CRESPIAF), a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO, which is sparing no effort in promoting the safeguarding of Islamic cultural heritage across Africa and was highlighted during the workshop organised in Algeria from 25 to 29 April 2023, the theme of which was enhancing the capacities of national focal points for 44 African countries, including countries in the OIC on preparing periodic report under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage
- The Conference Congratulated Algeria for opening the temporary site of the Great Museum of Africa, considered a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063 in enriching African arts and heritage in general and the Islamic, in particular. The Centre would also serve as a cultural and scientific beacon for researchers and specialists, and among its aims is to preserve and protect African cultural property from all pilferage activities.
- The Conference welcomed the establishment of the Department of Youth and Sports in the OIC General Secretariat with the aim of raising the level of representation on youth and sports issues in the OIC system, and called on Member States and the relevant OIC organs and institutions to support the Department with material resources so as to contribute to carrying out the tasks entrusted to it.
- The Conference commended the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum due to its successful projects, OIC Youth Capital International Program, the OIC Youth Day, ICYF Annual Intercultural Youth Camps in particular, in various fields such as cultural, economic, technological, environment and art, and stressed the importance of coordination with the General Secretariat. the implementation of OIC Youth Strategy;
- The Conference called on the General Secretariat to coordinate with the concerned OIC organs and institutions, especially the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), the Islamic Centre for the Development of Trade (ICDT), the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), and the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), to include youth empowerment issues, including providing services and social protection, enhancing participation, promoting youth capabilities, developing their entrepreneurship, and improving employment and rehabilitation policies and microfinance policies for the benefit of youth, within the OIC agenda, priorities, programmes, strategies and projects, with the aim of contributing to the enhancement of youth resilience and sustainability.
- The Conference welcomed the call of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, in its fifth session, to organize an annual periodic forum for youth of the OIC countries, hosted by each of its Member States under the umbrella of the OIC, as a platform that provides the opportunity for youth to exchange opinions and direct dialogue with the concerned authorities and to come up with recommendations to be presented to the relevant ministerial conferences. In this regard, the Conference welcomed the initiative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to organize the International Youth Forum in Samarkand under the umbrella of the OIC from 25 to 30 June 2024, and commended the exerted efforts of the General Secretariat and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chair of the Fifth Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, for the success of the forum in cooperation with Uzbekistan, and calls on Member States and the relevant OIC organs and institutions to actively participate in this event.
- The Conference welcomed the Kingdom of Morocco's hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup jointly with Spain and Portugal, as well as the African Cup of Nations in 2025.
- The Conference commended the OIC cultural activity in coordination with Indonesia from 7 to 14 July 2023. Attended by youths from OIC member states, the event presented an
opportunity for the youths to recognize the OIC, immerse themselves in cultural diversity and encourage the youths to prepare for the future, by learning continuously and upgrading skills.
- The Conference appreciated the inscription by the Kingdom of Morocco of the Melhoun heritage on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List during the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, held in the Republic of Botswana in November 2023, as an international recognition of the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco to protect and value tangible and intangible cultural heritage, bringing to 14 items of Arab properties inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List. It also commended the signing of an agreement between the Kingdom of Morocco and UNESCO to put Moroccan expertise in the field of protection of world cultural heritage at the disposal of sub-Saharan African countries.
- The Conference called on the General Secretariat to work towards strengthening the role of religious and traditional values in raising young men and women, In this regard, the Conference affirmed its full concern over the growing violent extremism leading to terrorism among youth in the Sahel region and the Lake Chad Basin, and called on the OIC Member States and the relevant organs and institutions of the OIC to strengthen the role of the Organisation in this region and to support the efforts of the Member States concerned in combating extremism that leads to the involvement of youth into terrorist groups, in coordination with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Chair of the Fifth Session of the Islamic Conference of the Ministers of Youth and Sports.
- The Conference welcomed and congratulated Algeria for opening the Great Mosque of Algerian – the world’s third largest mosque – as an excellent spiritual, religious, scientific, cultural, and touristic beacon that aims to highlight genuine values of Islam, especially tolerance and moderation, and to spread the culture of peaceful coexistence, as well as upgrading the dialogue of civilizations and establishing strong international ties. This is in addition to creating an international scientific impact through a world-class university training system that supports research and specialized studies in the religious field.
- The conference welcomed the consensus adoption by the UN General Assembly of resolution 72/130 to declare 16 May the International Day of Living Together in Peace as a means of regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity.
- The conference congratulated Algeria on inscribing Raï – popular folk song of Algeria –– on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as Algerians’ purely national heritage, during the 17th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Rabat from 28 November to 3 December 2022. The inscription reinforced Algeria’s list with the 10th element, following inscribing Ahellil of Gourara, Rites and craftsmanship associated with the wedding costume tradition of Tlemcen, Sbuâ, annual pilgrimage to the zawiya of Sidi El Hadj Belkacem in Gourara, Annual pilgrimage to the mausoleum of Sidi ‘Abd el-Qader Ben Mohammed (Sidi Cheikh), and Ritual and ceremonies of Sebeïba in the oasis of Djanet, Algeria, among other elements.
- The Conference commended the role of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, of the Kingdom of Morocco, the pioneer in migration issues at the African level, and the Kingdom of Morocco’s continued role as a Champion Country in implementing the Global Compact for Migration.
- The Conference commended the efforts of the State of Libya through the International Islamic Call Society and its pioneering role in spreading the moderate Islamic religion, qualifying Imams and providing scholarships in Islamic sciences to many members of Muslim minorities in the world.
- The Conference stressed that culture must be used as a leverage for sustainable and comprehensive development consistent with Islamic values, thereby making culture a strategic tool for achieving OIC goals. In this regard, the Conference commended the General Secretariat's efforts and initiatives aiming to evolve a unified stance on and defend issues of common interest including the need to preserve the Islamic and historical nature of Islamic sanctities and cultural heritage, and welcomed the Member States' efforts to this end. The Conference praised the role of the OIC General Secretariat in promoting platforms of intercultural exchanges at various levels which included the OIC Hybrid Seminar "Connecting Further at the Post-Covid 19 Contemporary World: Enhancing Dialogue between the Islamic World and Other Great Civilizations" held at the OIC General Secretariat on 10 October 2022 and commended the knowledge-based contribution of conferences on cultural interactions between the Islamic world and other civilizations organized by IRCICA. The Conference urged the General Secretariat, along with the relevant OIC institutions, to develop programmes and activities which focus on promoting Islamic culture and identity, enhancing interactions and dialogue among cultures and civilizations, and increasing the OIC's presence on the world scene, in association with the OlC institutions and international partners.
- The Conference strongly condemned the destruction and desecration of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible in all their forms, in Al-Quds and Palestine, and also in Azerbaijan resulting from the aggression of Armenia, in Iraq, Libya, Mali, Palestine, Syria and Yemen and in other Member States, as well as with regard to Islamic cultural heritage in Armenia and other non-Member States around the world. In this vein, it invited IRCICA, as a subsidiary organ, and ICESCO, as a specialized institution of the OIC, in coordination with the Member States and all relevant competent institutions, to continue to monitor the situation of cultural, architectural and religious heritage across the world, take part in countering acts of damage, destruction, looting and unrightful appropriation directed to heritage assets, strengthen awareness and international collaboration for their restoration and preservation through such means as organizing scientific fora and underscoring the issue in relevant global platforms; it welcomed, in this regard, activities that highlight historical evidence based on original archives relating to Islamic identity and ownership of monuments, particularly the conference on
«Masjid al-Aqsa in the Light of Historical Documents» organized jointly by the OIC General Secretariat's Department of Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs and IRCICA in cooperation with Al-Quds Higher Committee of the Presidency of the State of Palestine and Marmara University Al-Quds Studies Application and Research Centre, in December 2022, the Manuscript Restoration Centre and the Directorate of Tourism and Islamic Artefacts and Manuscripts of the Department of Jordanian Islamic Endowments in Al-Quds. It also welcomed the actions undertaken by the Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites aimed at preserving the Holy Sites in Al-Haram Al-Sharif Compound through providing protection, reconstruction and moral and material conservation, as well as the protection of Awqaf properties.
- The Conference expressed appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for organising a conference on Women in Islam on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women on 8 March 2023 to highlight women's rights and identity in the Muslim world, which provided an opportunity to assess the challenges and obstacles faced in the social, political, legal and economic empowerment of women and their integration within Muslim societies.
- The Conference welcomed the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue which was held in Baku from 1 to 3 May 2024, within the framework of “Baku Process”; it commended the efforts of the Republic of Azerbaijan in promoting the culture of tolerance, understanding and respect among the different nations, countries, and civilizations, both regionally and internationally.
- The Conference commended the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for its offer to host the Ninth Session of the Ministerial Conference on Women in OIC Member States in Islamabad in 2024, and urged the General Secretariat to follow up the scheduling of this conference in cooperation with Pakistan.
- The Conference lauded the efforts of the General Secretariat in cooperation with the Member States to support cinematographic production and launch the OIC Film Festival with the objective of strengthening cultural ties; it welcomed the holding of the 28th edition of the Pan- African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) from 25 February to 4 March 2023. It invited the Member States to consider offering to host editions of the OIC Film Festival, and encouraged the reinforcement of cooperation among film festivals throughout OIC Member States, provision of support to joint initiatives and projects in cinematographic production that would shed light on subjects related to the cause of Palestine, combating Islamophobia, violent extremism, terrorism, inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue, with a view to raising cultural and humanitarian awareness in Muslim societies.
- The Conference welcomed the entry into force of the Statute of the Women Development Organization in OIC Member States (WDO) on 31st July 2020 and acknowledged the pivotal role of this organization in architecture of women’s development within the OIC system. It also expressed its appreciation and gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt for its Support to WDO and for hosting the Eight Session of the Ministerial Conference on Women in the OIC Member States on June 2021 in Cairo. The Conference called on the OIC Member States of the organization to fulfil their financial obligations with the aim of enabling the WDO to fulfil its obligations in the advancement of women in the Islamic world. It also called on States that have not yet joined to do so.
- The Conference welcomed the convening of the open-ended Intergovernmental Group of Experts Meetings to discuss the revised document, which is titled “OIC Convention on the Rights of Child”. It also lauded the establishment of the OIC Family Divisions in OIC relevant Institutions and Universities. Furthermore, the Conference commended the efforts of the General Secretariat, the OIC Organs and relevant Institutions for the preparation of the Draft document on Islamic Values related to women and children.
- The Conference commended the efforts made to ensure the well-being and social security of the elderly, persons with special needs and persons with disabilities in the Islamic world. It also lauded the organization's achievements in development and adoption of OIC strategic plan for the well-being of the older persons and an action plan for persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the Conference urged Member States, the OIC Organs and relevant Institutions to implement the provisions thereof.
Science & Technology:
- The Conference affirmed its commitment to continue promoting the use of science, transfer and localization of technology and innovation in facilitating efforts to address global challenges, such as efforts to eradicate poverty; achieve food security and nutrition; increase agricultural production and productivity; enhance access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; fight diseases; improve education; protect the environment and addressing climate change, and building resilience to confront emerging challenges.
- The Conference commended the outcomes of the Second OIC Summit on Science & Technology on 16 June 2021, under the Chairmanship of the United Arab Emirates, noting the ongoing work of the Steering Committee comprising all OIC relevant institutions to ensure timely and effective implementation of the OIC STI Agenda 2026 and the provisions of the
Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted by the First and Second OIC Summit on Science & Technology respectively.
- The Conference stressed the importance of cooperation between Member States to enhance their cybersecurity, including cooperation to prevent the use of infrastructure in countries by groups or individuals against other OIC countries. The Conference praised the launch by Saudi Arabia of the Global Cybersecurity Forum as a non-profit organization aiming to contribute to enhancing cybersecurity at the international level, international cooperation, economic and social development in the field of cybersecurity, and harmonizing international efforts related to the field. The Conference also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the OIC and the Global Cybersecurity Forum.
- The Conference commended the importance of the outcomes of the 2nd African Start-up Conference hosted by Algeria on 5 and 6 December 2023 and its effective role in developing innovation in the African continent and pushing towards developing start-ups in the spirit of cooperation, coordination and harmonization of national policies in this critical sector.
- The Conference welcomed the Indonesia-COMSTECH Fellowship Program for Research and Advanced Training in Virology and Vaccine Technology, organized by the Government of Indonesia and the OIC Standing Committee for Science and Technology, to promote vaccine independence and availability in OIC Member States.
- The Conference recognized the rapid acceleration of the design, development, deployment, and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, and their potential impact in accelerating the achievement of OIC 2025: Programme of Action, OIC STI Agenda 2026 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and, therefore, stressed the urgency of achieving global consensus on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems. The Conference encouraged the Member States to undertake appropriate steps to develop both the human resources and the infrastructure required for integrating with, and benefitting from, the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Conference further urged Member States to develop comprehensive national AI strategies, with a particular emphasis on making them ethically credible, safe to implement, and conducive to international cooperation with the utmost goal to ensure harnessing the transformative potential of AI and mitigating any potential risks.
- The Conference welcomed the offer by the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the Third OIC Summit on Science and Technology in May 2024 and called upon COMSTECH to work closely with the Government of Azerbaijan and the OIC General Secretariat for making necessary preparations for the Summit.
- The Conference noted with satisfaction the progress made in the establishment and actualization of the OIC-15 Dialogue Platform which is a consultative forum to organize the scientific resources of its participating members with strong credentials in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to help in promoting an enabling ecosystem for the advancement of STI and the technical capacities of OIC members in STI, including the convening of its First Ministerial Meeting on May 25-26, 2023 in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan.
- The Conference welcomed the offer by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to host the Second Ministerial meeting of the OIC-15 Dialogue Platform and called upon COMSTECH, the Secretariat of the OIC- 15 Dialogue Platform to work closely with the Government of Iran and the OIC General Secretariat for making necessary preparations for the Ministerial Meeting.
- The Conference welcomed the hosting by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the Third Annual Meeting of the Science, Technology and Innovation Dialogue Platform of the OIC-15 in 2025.
- The Conference called upon the Member States, OIC relevant institutions and International partners and all stakeholders to facilitate technology transfer and support efforts by the developing and (Egypt)Least Developed Countries to provide opportunities for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and research for all, including youth, persons with disabilities(Türkiye) and women, and particularly in the emerging technologies, and to provide suitable working conditions in order to prevent brain drain.
- The Conference expressed appreciation to the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Chairman the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) recognizing the role it plays as the OIC focal point for science, technology and innovation, in analyzing how science, technology and innovation, including information and communications technologies, serve as enablers of the OIC 2025: Programme of Action, OIC STI Agenda 2026 as well as sustainable and comprehensive development consist with Islamic values by acting as a forum for strategic planning, sharing lessons learned and best practices, providing foresight about critical trends in science, technology and innovation in key sectors of the economy, the environment and society, and drawing attention to emerging and disruptive technologies.
- The Conference commended the efforts of the State of Libya through the International Islamic Dawa Association and its significant role in spreading the moderate Islamic religion, as well as in qualifying Imams, and providing scholarships in Islamic sciences to many members of Muslim minorities around the world.
- The Conference further appreciated the role being played by the OIC relevant institutions including, SESRIC, IsDB, ICESCO and the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) and emphasized the importance of better coordination and coherence among them in providing support in the field of science, technology and innovation directed towards development priorities and needs of the Member States. The Conference, in this vein commends the Türkiye Scholarships-IsDB Joint Scholarshop Program, jointly funded by Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities of the Republic Türkiye and IsDB.
- The Conference commended the continued interest of the Member States in the ‘OIC Educational Programme: Solidarity through Academia in the Muslim World being pursued by the General Secretariat. It expressed appreciation for the public and private sector universities in the member states which have offered scholarships under the Programme. It invited Member States to generously support the initiative and actively participate in the Educational Exchange Programme, which also involves faculty exchange, short term student exchanges, research collaboration and vocational training.
- The Conference appreciated the University of Management Technology, Lahore, Pakistan for generously offering 114 scholarships for the OIC Member States (two scholarships for each Member States) in different fields and establishing a comprehensive framework for long-term collaboration which includes student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, conferences, and publications with universities across OIC Member States, paving the way for innovative initiatives that contribute to advancing education and cultural understanding amongst the OIC Member States.
- The Conference welcomed the initiative of the Republic of Iraq for launching (Study in Iraq) program for non-Iraqi students and it calls on the Member States to nominate their students to study at the Iraqi universities and at various specialties.
- The Conference commended the progressive role being played by the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) in Bangladesh for the development of human resources of the Ummah in the fields of engineering, technology and technical education. The Conference called upon all Member States to continue their efforts for quality education that promotes creativity, innovation and research and development and in this regard promote collaboration, academic interaction and exchange of knowledge between their academic institutions.
- The Conference commended the Republic of Kazakhstan for its kind allocation of 100 scholarships by the for citizens of OIC Member States to pursue higher education at esteemed Kazakhstani universities and express its sincere gratitude and appreciation for this commendable initiative which significantly contributes to advancing educational opportunities for the youth of OIC Member States.
- The Conference noted with deep concern that the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the provision of essential health services in Member States, with a number of Member States reporting disruptions during the height of the pandemic resulting in excess deaths and has reinforced and created new obstacles to the full implementation of the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action (SHPA) and health aspects of other policy documents such as OIC 2025: Programme of Action, OIC STI Agenda 2026 as well as sustainable and comprehensive development consist with Islamic values, increased extreme poverty, widened inequalities and had a disproportionate impact on people in the most vulnerable situations.
- The Conference expressed deep concern about the uneven access of many Member States, particularly the African Member States, to safe, quality, efficacious, effective, accessible and affordable vaccines against COVID-19, and emphasized the need to enhance the capacities of the Member States to achieve universal health coverage and have equitable access to vaccines and health technologies and means to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 and other pandemics, as well as reaffirming the need to strengthen the support for national, regional and multilateral initiatives that aim to accelerate the development and production of and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, and take note of the Statements of the extraordinary meeting of the OIC Steering Committee on Health at the level of Ministers of Health and extraordinary meeting of the OIC Executive Committee at the level of Foreign Ministers held on 09 and 22 April 2020 respectively to share knowledge and information about COVID-19 and to formulate a collective response to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Conference took note of the fact that despite multiple challenges related to COVID-19, conflict, drought and vulnerable populations in need of emergency assistance, the momentum to eradicate polio in the world’s last endemic bloc – comprising Afghanistan and Pakistan remains strong due to the efforts of all the stakeholders including the Islamic Advisory Group (IAG), political commitment of the leaderships in the countries concerned and the international support towards this goal including the contribution of the United Arab Emirates to the polio elimination efforts in Pakistan in the form of a donation to the tune of USD 200 million, and the donation from Indonesia of 10 million doses of polio vaccine to Afghanistan. The Conference encouraged Member States and other stakeholders including IAG to continue their regional coordination and collaboration to support countries with continued endemic wild poliovirus transmission and countries responding to polio outbreaks; and to intensify solidarity and commitment to preventing and stopping all polio outbreaks in the region.
- The Conference expressed its deep concern at the widening of the SDG financing gap, that has now risen to USD 4 trillion annually, and recognized that the great finance divide has severely hampered many developing countries in their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda. It called for urgent actions to scale up the provision of finance to developing countries, including the fulfilment of ODA commitments by developed countries, urgent re-channelling of un-utilized
SDRs to developing countries, scaling up of grants and concessional lending through MDBs, incorporating measures beyond GDP to determine access to concessional finance and recapitalization of MDBs.
- The Conference called for the urgent reform of the international financial architecture to make it equitable and responsive to the financing needs of developing countries.
- The Conference recognized the consequence of the adverse impact of climate change, natural disasters, extreme weather events as well as other environmental determinants of health, such as clean air, safe drinking water, sanitation, safe, sufficient and nutritious food and secure shelter, for health and in this regard underscored the need to foster health in climate change adaptation efforts, underlining that resilient and people-centred health systems are necessary to protect the health of all people, in particular those who are in vulnerable situations, particularly those living in small island developing States as well as coastal areas of developing states.
- The Conference praised the efforts of Saudi Arabia in preserving climate and the environment and relying on clean energy. In this regard, it noted the Saudi Green Initiative, which comes within the Saudi 2023 initiatives to improve the quality of life, increase vegetation cover, and preserve land and marine nature. The Conference also welcomed the Green Middle East Initiative in 2021, the first regional alliance of its kind that aims to reduce the effects of climate change on the Middle East and North Africa region.
- The Conference called for a coherent approach to strengthen the global health architecture as well as health system resilience and universal health coverage which are central for effective and sustainable prevention, preparedness, and response to pandemics and other public health emergencies, and recognized also the value of a One Health approach that fosters cooperation between the human health, animal health and plant health, as well as environmental and other relevant sectors and that strengthening early warning and response systems contribute to health system resilience. It commends the Doha Initiative on Health Policy in the Global South, which aims to provide a new platform for officials in the public health sector in countries of the Global South to share their priorities and express the challenges they face.
- The Conference welcomed the designation of the National Institute of Forensic Evidence and Criminology of the Algerian National Gendarmerie with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) designated laboratories, to analyze environmental samples and detect chemical warfare agents, placing Algeria on the list of the 23 OPCW Member States.
- The Conference called on Member States, relevant OIC institutions and international partners to take measures to significantly reduce maternal, perinatal, neonatal, infant and child mortality and morbidity and increase access to quality health-care services for newborns, infants and children, as well as all women before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth, including through combating the proliferation of low-quality and fake medicine, and through providing antenatal and postnatal care, sufficient numbers of skilled birth attendants and adequately supplied birthing facilities.
- The Conference took note of Kazakhstan’s initiative to establish a special multilateral body – the International Agency for Biological Safety - and welcomes Kazakhstan’ s efforts in multilateral fora to enable an effective and substantial exchange of views regarding the initiative with the involvement of experts from the OIC Member States. In this context, the Conference takes note of the outcomes of the “International Workshop on Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Biosafety and Biosecurity Regimes for a Secure Future” held on 3-4 December, 2023 in Islamabad by the OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and the Government of Kazakhstan, and welcomes the recommendations contained in its Final Document ( 3 (10) 24-COMSTECH) with regard to
the“… consideration of the IABS initiative at the relevant multilateral fora in Geneva and New York”.
- The Conference took note, with appreciation, of the efforts being made to achieve self-reliance in the production and access to quality, effective and affordable vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other health technologies in order to facilitate equitable access, recognizing that the high prices of some health products and the inequitable access to such products impede progress towards achieving universal health coverage, particularly for the Least Developed Member States. The Conference took note of the cooperation between National Medicine Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) noting the convening and outcome of the Second Meeting of the Heads of NMRAs of the Member States in Istanbul, Türkiye on 5-7 September 2022.
- The Conferenced reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of OIC fora including the 8th Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 2-3 October 2019 and the 9th session of Islamic World Conference of Ministers of Environment held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saud Arabia on 19 October 2023, regarding environmental protection and achieving sustainable development. The Conference urged the Member States to continue to incorporate environmental considerations in their developmental policies and to mobilize available financial and institutional resources needed for implementing national programs of environmental protection.
- The Conference expressed deep concern on the recent environmental calamities and called on all OIC member states to take practical measures in line with other international instruments to minimize the impact of climate change at national level.
- The Conference noted the importance of implementing the resolution adopted at the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly on Sustainable Mountain Development, aimed at strengthening international cooperation on mountain-related development issues. The Conference welcomed the holding of the Second Global Bishkek Mountain Summit “Bishkek+25” in Kyrgyz Republic in 2027.
- The Conference praised the important results of the 27th Session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which Egypt hosted in November 2022, during which, for the first time, a fund for losses and damages resulting from climate change was agreed upon, and adopting a just transition program that reinforces the importance of a just and orderly transition that considers achieving the goals of sustainable development, eliminating poverty, and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- The Conference commended the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates for the successful hosting of COP 27 and COP 28 in Sharm el-Sheikh and in Abu Dhabi respectively. The Conference applauded the outcomes of those two Conferences which are of critical importance for addressing global issues, including climate change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. The Conference urged the developed countries based on joint responsibility with varying burdens and equity to provide the necessary support for the implementation of the COP27 outcome which, inter alia, include calling on developed country parties to provide financial resources to assist developing country parties with respect to both mitigation and adaptation; international financing organizations and multilateral development banks to expand concessional financing tools, and urging the parties to accelerate the pace of emission reduction measures and to present ambitious plans to ensure synergy between national commitments and the Paris Agreement goals; taking into account different national circumstances, pathways and approaches. The Conference further looks forward to a successful outcome of COP29.
- The Conference commended the success achieved by the United Arab Emirates by hosting the COP 28 Conference of the Parties in 2023 and the achievement of consensus by all parties on
the “UAE Agreement,” which is the most ambitious and inclusive of all since the Paris Agreement in 2015, ad lauded the efforts of the UAE to create a climate fund worth US$30 billion for climate solutions around the world and the announcement of a financing initiative worth US$4.5 billion for the African continent to enable African countries to enhance their capacity in the field of clean energy, which was announced in September 2023 during the African Climate Summit in Nairobi.
- The Conference welcomed the hosting by the Republic of Azerbaijan of the twenty-ninth session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and affirmed its confidence that the Conference will achieve important results, especially with regard to climate finance and support for developing countries to face the repercussions of climate change.
- The Conference stressed that water is the basis for sustainable development and poverty eradication, which requires strengthening cooperation to confront the water crisis and the challenges of water scarcity that are now facing many countries.
- The Conference noted the importance of management of water resources, including cooperation on transboundary watercourses. It also stressed that Member States will adopt coherent, consistent, and integrated policies to enhance the response to water crises.
- The Conference recognized that Parties should cooperate on promoting a supportive and open international economic system aimed at achieving sustainable economic growth and development in all countries and thus enabling them to better to address the problems of climate change, noting that measures taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade.
- The Conference expressed concern that most of the Sustainable Development Goals targets are off-track. The Conference commits to enhance international and multi-stakeholder cooperation in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, including in ensuring the provision of its means of implementation, and to leave no one and no country behind.
- The Conference recognized the critical role of the OIC in promoting cooperation among Member States on water-related issues and its ability to bring together expertise from diverse countries with unique water characteristics under the framework of the OIC Water Vision. The Conference further welcomed identifications of opportunities for concerted action and laying out roadmap for promoting collaboration, including exchange of best practices, capacity building and knowledge sharing, among Member States in all aspects of water, establishing a database of Water experts in the OIC region who could be called upon to provide onsite training and any other technical support to Member States.
- The Conference welcomed the offer by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the 5th session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers responsible for Water in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and expressed its appreciation for the work undertaken by the OIC Water Council under the OIC ‘Water Vision’. The Conference also welcomed the convening of the 10th World Water Forum from 18 to 25 May 2024, in Indonesia, under the theme "Water for Shared Prosperity", as well as the holding of the11th Global Forum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2027 under the theme "Working for a Better Future" and encouraged Member States to participate in both events.
- The conference praised the initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates regarding water under the slogan “Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative,” which aims to enhance awareness about the water scarcity crisis and accelerate the pace of developing innovative and sustainable technology solutions and
strengthen international cooperation to address the challenge of global water scarcity and provide water sustainably and more equitably for all.
- The Conference stressed the importance of the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028.
- The Conference commended in this context Tajikistan’s efforts and the importance of the Dushanbe Water Process, and welcomed the convening of the ‘Third High-Level International Conference on Water, to be held in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan, on 10-13 June 2024’.
- The Conference also recognized that the threat of sand and dust storms, which has emerged greatly over the past years, exacerbates existing challenges in arid and semi-arid regions, and causes serious social and economic damage. It threatens human health, well-being, and livelihoods. It contributes to land degradation, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity, which undermines sustainable economic growth, emphasizing that addressing these challenges requires enhanced global and regional cooperation.
- The Conference commended the Islamic Republic of Iran for hosting the First and Second International Conferences on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, held in Tehran from 3 to 5 July 2017 and on 9 and 10 September 2023, and took note with appreciation of other ongoing initiatives by various countries to combat sand and dust storms, especially at the regional level.
- The Conference also commended the General Assembly resolutions, in particular resolutions 77/171 of 28 December 2022 and 78/158 of 19 December 2023, as well as UNEP/EA.6/L.10 of 1 March2024 on combating sand and dust storms.
- The Conference also called on Member States to enhance cooperation among Member States, including the preparation and implementation of programmes and action plans where possible at the regional and sub-regional levels, promote research, technical and scientific cooperation, explore gaps and potential areas for better addressing sand and dust storms and their negative impacts, and mobilise funds through the establishment of a special OIC fund to contribute to initiatives and projects aimed at addressing the challenges of sand and dust storms and their negative impacts in Member Countries.
Information:
- The Conference appreciated the launch by the OIC General Secretariat of a media monitoring unit to document the crimes of the occupation authorities against the Palestinian people, alongside digital media platforms to publish and expose their illegitimate and inhumane practices, in addition to publishing periodic press releases that provide the numbers of martyrs, wounded, and detainees and the various crimes of the Israeli occupation. It recognized the establishment of a special window for the media monitoring unit on the OIC website to publish news and all other media materials such as videos and infographics, in addition to publishing these media materials on the OIC social media platforms, in implementation of Article (10) of the Final Communique adopted by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit to discuss the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, held In Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on November 11, 2024, which called for the launch of the media monitoring unit.
- The Conference noted, with appreciation, the extraordinary session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers held in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye, on 24 February 2024 under the theme “The Israeli Occupying Authorities Disinformation and Hostilities against Journalists and Media Outlets in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, and requested member States to implement the Final Communique. Also, the Conference commended the outcomes of the
international forum organised by the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA) under the theme “The media and their role in fuelling hatred and violence: The dangers of misinformation and bias”, held in Jeddah on 26 November 2023 in cooperation with the Muslim World League. The forum was attended by all official news agencies of OIC Member states and a number of international media and intellectual and religious institutions and featured a special theme on “bias and misinformation in international media: the Palestinian cause as an example”. The forum was aimed at highlighting and countering the bias against the Palestinian cause in some Western States, which prevents exposing the Israeli occupation's violations and enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights.
- The Conference took note of the progress made towards the launching of the OIC Media Forum and called on the media entities and institutions in the Member States to join it.
- The Conference commended the role played by the Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC), chaired by His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal. It called on Member States to harness their respective media sectors in order to highlight and disseminate information related to the achievements and success stories of the OIC Member States in all fields, disseminate information related to the OIC contributions to promoting peace and development and other global issues, and support the launch of the OIC International Media Award for media personalities and outlets excelling in the promotion of intercultural dialogue, tolerance and harmony, within the framework of the COMIAC.
- The Conference affirmed that media outlets, including social media, are the most effective tool and source for disseminating information and forming public opinion, and recognized the crucial role that they can play in order to highlight the tolerance of the Islamic religion. The Conference stressed the central role of these media outlets in fair and objective monitoring of issues of the Islamic world. It called for directing attention, effort and money towards social media and supporting efforts in this regard, instead of supporting traditional media outlets, which have proliferated these days and do not enjoy the attention of many age groups in society as much as these modern media outlets do .The Conference called on the Member States to invest in developing the infrastructure of the media sector, facilitating access to information for all, supporting OIC media institutions, strengthening cooperation in countering disinformation, deepening coordination among them to advance joint Islamic action in all fields, combating media activities that target Islamic symbols and sacred values, and promoting and better explaining Islamic social and cultural norms to counter disinformation. The Conference called for promoting the OIC public diplomacy through the media, activating the OIC media strategies.
- The Conference commended the role of COMIAC under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Senegal H.E. Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye. In this regard, The Conference welcomed the outcome of the 12th Session of COMIAC, held in Dakar, Senegal, from 16 to 18 October 2023 under the theme “What Role for Muslim Youth in Promoting Islamic Values of Peace, Solidarity and Tolerance?”. The Conference called on the Member States to utilise their respective media outlets in order to highlight and disseminate information on their achievements and success stories, to share examples and best practices in various areas with other Member States, and to publicise the OIC's contribution to the promotion of peace, development and other issues of global concern.
- The Conference stressed the need for global social media platforms to harmonise their content policy applications, including offensive and anti-Islamic content. To this end, the Conference mandated the OIC General Secretariat to prepare a set of policy measures for the OIC Member States to be submitted to the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
Organizational and Institutional
- The Conference decided to hold its Sixteenth Session in the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2026 at a date to be determined later in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat. It called upon the OIC Member States and relevant organs to cooperate with the General Secretariat, support the host country and make efforts to ensure the success of the Islamic Summit Conference in Baku.
- The Conference approved the offer made by the Republic of Türkiye to host the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Affairs in 2025.
- The Conference approved the offer made by the Islamic Republic of Iran to host the 54th Session of the Council of Foreign Affairs in 2028.
- The Conference renewed its call on all Member States that have not yet opened permanent missions accredited to the OIC in Jeddah to do so, in order to contribute more effectively in the work of the General Secretariat and to facilitate the work of the Permanent Representatives Committee, which convenes regularly, as this will reflect positively on the work of the General Secretariat and OIC organs to undertake their tasks and duties. It appreciated the step taken by Member States that opened permanent missions to the OIC in Jeddah, and commended the facilities and incentives provided by Saudi Arabia, the OIC host-country, in order to establish permanent missions.
- The Conference invited to expand the representation of Member States of the Organization in the UN Security Council, and supported the candidacy of Kyrgyz Republic for Non-Permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the period 2027-2028, during the elections in June 2026, and the candidacy of the Republic of Tajikistan for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the period 2028-2029, during the elections in June 2027.
- The Conference supported the candidacy of the Republic of Türkiye for its non-permanent membership to the United Nations Security Council for the term 2037-2038.
- The Conference supported the candidacy of Algeria for the membership in the Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the United Nations Educational Organization (UNESCO) for the period 2024-2028, during the elections scheduled to be held in June 2024, on the occasion of the meeting of the 10th regular session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- The conference took note of the nomination by the Federal Republic of Somalia of Her Excellency Ms. Fawzia Yusuf Haji, as its candidate, for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission for the period 2025-2028, to enhance the role of the Federal Republic of Somalia in international, regional organizations, and the global arena.
- The Conference took note of the nomination by the Republic of Djibouti of His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssef who currently holds the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and official spokesperson for the Republic of Djibouti, as its candidates as Chairperson of the African Union Commission for the term 2025-2028.
- The Conference decided to rationalise its resolutions and final communiqué.