OIC Commemorates Forty-Eighth Anniversary
26/09/2017- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) celebrates today the 48th anniversary of its establishment. On this day, we recall the outstanding efforts made by the founders, including the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz, King of the Kingdom Saudi Arabia, and the late King Hassan II, King of the Kingdom of Morocco who provided the vision for developing this intergovernmental platform of the Muslim world.
Completing over four decades of its existence, the OIC’s agenda and the scope of its work has grown from a predominantly political domain to include many areas which touch upon human development, quality of life and the wellbeing of our people. The declaration of the first Islamic Summit (Rabat, 22-25 September 1969) which brought us together in the aftermath of the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa mosque in 1969 carried a brief reference expressing resolve to “consult together” with a view to promoting close cooperation and mutual assistance in the economic, scientific, cultural and spiritual fields. The establishment of universities, standing committees of Science and Technology and Economic Cooperation and a host of subsidiary and specialized institutions in the 1980s marked the beginning of a long journey on the road to development and laid the foundations of the OIC of today.
The stature and influence of any organization is dependent on its relevance to the people. As an organization representing the collective will of the Muslim world, its Charter and various official pronouncements envision the Organization’s role as an effective agent for peace and development in the Muslim world and beyond. The Organisation s’ development paradigm which is manifest in its flagship document OIC-2025: Programme of Action puts the people and their needs at the center and aims at achieving inclusive growth.
Being a comprehensive agenda for cooperation and partnership, the Programme of Action defines the aspirations of our people in areas of direct interest to them. The OIC STI Agenda 2026, adopted recently in the First OIC Science Summit, provides a mechanism for building collective competence in a wide array of themes ranging from water, food and agriculture to energy, health and higher education.
The challenges of today include the rising trend of extremism, radicalism, terrorism and Islamophobia which pose a direct threat to the security and stability of our countries. The OIC has consistently been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism and extremism through a series of initiatives making it one of the top priorities on its agenda. Cooperation in combatting terrorism is among the objectives and principles of the OIC Charter. It commits the Member states to promoting international peace and security, understanding and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions and fostering Islamic values of moderation, tolerance and respect for diversity.
Today, we reiterate our commitment to the principles and objectives of the OIC Charter affirming the essentiality of promoting and consolidating the unity and solidarity among the Member States in securing their common interests at the international arena.
Source: http://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=15826&t_ref=8004&lan=en