Jeddah: Preparations  for the forty-ninth session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) kicked off with the convening of the forty-fifth session of the Islamic Committee for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs at the headquarters of the  OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, today, Sunday, 22/1/2023.

H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, OIC Secretary-General, addressed the meeting, one of a series of preparatory meetings preceding the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on 16-17/1/2023.

Speaking about the Palestinian cause and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the Secretary-General stated  that the OIC followed with great concern the difficult social, economic and educational conditions experienced by Palestinians in the Palestinian territories, including the occupied city of Al-Quds, as a result of the Israeli attacks and the systematic Judaization policies in the city. The General Secretariat continued to strengthen partnerships and mobilize support for the Holy City of Al-Quds, and the resilience of its people and build the capacity of its national institutions, said Mr. Taha.

The Secretary-General added that the reports submitted in the areas related to the work of the Commission confirmed that the OIC has achieved several goals that are in the interest of the ummah and its issues.

Mr. Taha confirmed, interalia, that in the field of economic cooperation, the OIC Trade Preferential System entered into force on July 1, which will lead to further strengthening intra-OIC trade and contributing to achieving its 25% goal in this sector by 2025.

Furthermore, The Secretary-General stated that the General Secretariat has already put the final touches on the draft concept paper for establishing an OIC platform for preserving and protecting cultural heritage in Member States. 

At the level of  social development, women empowerment, justice, gender equity, youth capabilities, and sports development in the Islamic world, the Secretary-General commended the efforts of the government of the  Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in hosting the Fifth session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, last September in Jeddah, which adopted a comprehensive resolution calling for strengthening cooperation among Member States on issues related to youth and sports.

In the area of S&T, the Secretary-General confirmed that the OIC sought to implement a project on preparing a profile of science, technology and innovation files for Member States in coordination with the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH).

-Ends-