Why 48th OIC CFM was a big success for Pakistan and the Muslim World?
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ISLAMABAD: The 48th Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers concluded Wednesday with “resounding success on all counts” by adopting 140 resolutions on Kashmir, Palestine, and other global issues, besides appointing a special envoy on Islamophobia.
Hosted by Pakistan from March 22-23 and attended by 46 ministerial-level delegations and 800 delegates from OIC member and observer states, and international and regional organizations, the moot adopted 20 resolutions sponsored or co-sponsored by Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir, peace and security in South Asia, UN Security Council reform, Muslim minorities, situation in Afghanistan, Islamophobia and countering terrorism.
This was the first time that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the OIC-CFM moot as a special guest.
The illicit financial flows, combatting corruption, COVID-19 response, Pakistan’s 75th anniversary celebrations were also the subjects of the resolutions sponsored or co-sponsored by Pakistan.
140 resolutions encompassed the entire range of political, security, humanitarian, economic, social, legal and financial issues; Muslim minorities, Islamophobia, arms control, terrorism, COVID-19 response, illicit financial flows and corruption, mediation, OIC reforms.
The CFM moot which Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said had elevated Pakistan’s stature, adopted a forceful resolution on Kashmir dispute besides a comprehensive joint communique and an action plan by the Contact Group on Kashmir as well as a strong resolution on Palestine.
The operationalization of OIC Humanitarian Trust Fund on Afghanistan, the resolution on threats to peace and security in South Asia – grave concerns over Indian missile launch incident of March 9; Pakistan’s proposal to convene a ministerial conference to identify mechanisms and tools for promotion of peace and prevention of conflicts in the Muslim world are also among the achievements by the summit.
“The conference was a resounding success on all counts – from organizational and management points of view to substantive preparations and outcomes,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in his press briefing.
He said coinciding with the 75th anniversary of independence, the conference was a landmark in Pakistan’s history and in the context of its leading role in the Islamic world. It was a great event for Pakistan’s diplomacy, he added.
He said the meeting took place in the backdrop of conflicts and tensions around the world, persistent denial of justice, and rising inequalities. Therefore, Pakistan’s presentation of an overarching theme: “Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development” meant a realistic appraisal of current challenges and opportunities faced by the Muslim Ummah.
He said the CFM once again recognized Pakistan’s leading role in the OIC.
This CFM was the 7th high-level OIC meeting convened by Pakistan since the organizations’ establishment in 1969: two summits in February 1974 and March 1997; five CFMs in December 1970, May 1980, April 1993, May 2007, and March 2022, besides three extraordinary sessions.
