48th session of Council of Foreign Affairs of OIC began in Islamabad
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ISLAMABAD – The 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) began in the federal capital of Pakistan on Tuesday.
Representatives of over 50 Islamic countries and China are attending the conference that is being held under the them of ‘Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development’ at the Parliament House.
Speaking on the occasion after the OIC chair was handed to Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed the foreign delegations to the conference.
"The OIC is the collective voice of nearly two billion Muslims. It is the bridge among the Muslim nations and between the Muslim world and the international community," he said.
Qureshi emphasized on jointly addressing the challenges and conflicts within the Ummah and uniting for justice for the rights of Muslims under occupation and conflicts with countries beyond our Ummah. He added this should also include the urgency of addressing the pervasive Islamophobia facing Muslims in non-Muslim majority countries, Radio Pakistan reported.
He also underlined partnering for development by effectively addressing the triple global crises of COVID-19, development, and climate change.
The foreign minister said Muslims of Palestine and the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are still reeling under abominable subjugation. For the last seven decades, they have struggled to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination. He called for the permanent solutions to the Palestine and Kashmir issues.
Talking about situation in Afghanistan, he said addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and preventing a collapse of the Afghan economy must remain our top priorities. He said we must also encourage and support the efforts of the Afghan authorities to eliminate DAISH and other terrorist groups like TTP, ETIM, IMU, and Al-Qaida.
Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, Islamic Development Bank President Muhammad Suleiman Al-Jasser, Chinese State Councilor and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wangi Yi also addressed the session.
Around 140 resolutions will be passed during the session.
Senior officials from non-OIC countries, senior representatives from the United Nations, regional and international organisations, including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, are also attending the moot.
