OIC Foreign Ministers Meeting in Islamabad
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is an Islamic organization founded in May 1971 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following summits of Muslim heads of state and government in 1969 and Muslim foreign ministers in 1970. The first OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) summit was held in Rabat (Morocco) in 1969, in response to widespread Muslim outrage over the destruction of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The United Nations General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution presented by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) declaring March 15 as International Day to Modern Warfare Islamophobia. In his historic 2019 address to the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Imran Khan was the first one to raise the issue of Islamophobia, and he has constantly called for worldwide attention and efforts to address it. The prime minister also discussed the success of his government’s policies, which included launching various socioeconomic enhancement measures and methods to maintain economic recovery۔
Pakistan has always been an active member of the OIC, speaking out against Islamophobia, the Palestine issue, and the Kashmir issue. Members of the bloc should prioritize ignoring their interests and focusing on the similar objectives of the Muslim ummah. Every OIC member should contribute to the bloc’s survival. Moreover, a deviation in the bloc should be avoided because it leads to the polarisation of member states in favor of regional powers. Numerous OIC countries are rich in hydrocarbons (a treasured resource that drives a country’s growth); if all OIC members join forces and strengthen their partnership in this area, they can combat energy security. Pakistan has been particularly active in the OIC’s cultural activities, which are carried out through the General Secretariat, the Standing Committee for Cultural and Information Affairs, and OIC Subsidiary Organs and Affiliated Bodies such as the Islamic Solidarity Fund, the Research Center for Islamic History, Art, and Culture, the International Commission for the Preservation of Islamic Cultural Heritage, and the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).
Pakistan has attended all these organizations’ meetings and has made regular donations to their budgets. Pakistan has been a trailblazer in establishing economic ties and cooperation among Islamic governments. In addition to advocating for the establishment of the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural, and Social Affairs, as well as the convening of the First Ministerial Consultations on Industrial Cooperation, Pakistan has participated actively in the OIC’s various meetings, particularly those held within the framework of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation, which is chaired by President Kenan Evren of Turkey.
In the political realm, Pakistan’s diplomatic moves and initiatives on all major issues confronting the Islamic Ummah, such as Palestine, Jerusalem, and the Middle East conflict, Afghanistan, the Iran Iraq war, and solidarity with African states, have been strictly by common positions evolved in OIC summits and foreign ministers’ conferences. Pakistan places a high value on the OIC’s position on the Afghan issue and keeps the OIC and its member nations up to date on events relevant to the various facets of the crisis, including UN-sponsored indirect discussions for a political settlement. The emergency conference, which took place from January 27 to 29, 1980, was called in response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Because the 57-member group wanted to punish the Sovietbacked government in Kabul, the final declaration endorsed suspending Afghanistan’s OIC membership as well as limiting its financial and humanitarian help.
The proclamation determined not to acknowledge the “illegal regime” until Soviet soldiers were completely removed from the nation. It also urged all member countries to stop providing aid and other types of assistance to the government. Now, 41 years later, the OIC member nations’ foreign ministers convened for another emergency session, this time to seek humanitarian and economic aid for Afghanistan. Pakistan, the conference’s host country, seeks international assistance to protect against a humanitarian disaster and the economic disaster of Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi showed up to be optimistic about reaching an international agreement on the issue ahead of the meeting. As senior OIC officials finalized the session’s agenda, Qureshi claimed that the world was now approaching the very same argument that Pakistan had retained for a long time.
He alerted that a humanitarian catastrophe and the country’s economic collapse would impact the global world, emphasizing that Europe, too, would see an influx of refugees. Representatives from the OIC and other nations arrived in Pakistan. Acting Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi of Afghanistan met with his Pakistani counterpart. Pakistan believes that the Afghan Taliban have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present their case in front of the world’s largest gathering. The global community is concerned about Afghanistan’s deteriorating humanitarian situation, but it is hesitant to work with the Taliban because so many Western nations believe the group has yet to fulfill its responsibilities. They are particularly concerned about women’s rights, girls’ access to education, inclusive governance, and alleged ties to terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, a special envoy from the United States showed up in Islamabad, hailing the OIC meeting as a “welcome initiative.” Even so, analysts agree that the US is unlikely to make large responsibilities to the Afghan cause because the issue is no longer a top priority for President Joe Biden. The one-day conference took place at Parliament House.
Such events are rarely acknowledged in the main halls of the National assembly, which are usually reserved for elected members of the lower house. Foreign Minister Qureshi opened the meeting, and his Saudi likeness and the Secretary-General of the OIC also were invited to testify. In addition to foreign ministers from Islamic countries, there were dignitaries from the European Union. and the P5+1 team of the UN Security Council, which included the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany. At the summit’s conclusion, OIC member countries agreed to set up a Humanitarian Trust Fund to channel aid to Afghanistan, designate a special envoy, and collaborate with the UN in the war-torn country.
The keynote address was delivered by Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to official sources, his speech concentrated on trying to draw the international community’s attention to Afghanistan’s deteriorating situation. He also sought assistance from the international community and will press foreign countries for abandoning Afghanistan. He also demanded that Afghanistan’s foreign assets be unfrozen and that banking and financial channels be reopened.
The OIC meeting tried to take place at a time when the United Nations reports that nearly 23 million Afghans were suffering from acute food insecurity, with 3.2 million kids at risk of malnutrition. Similarly, the United Nations Development Programme has tried to warn that if immediate action is not taken, 97 percent of Afghans will fall below the poverty line by 2022 if instant steps to alleviate their troubles were not taken. Pakistan will now host the 48th Foreign Ministers Conference on March 22-23, which will coincide with the annual Pakistan Day parade on March 23. The foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will be “guests of honor” at the parade. The arrival has been confirmed by the foreign ministers of 46 Islamic countries.
It is an accomplishment for Pakistan to host the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting following the successful meeting of OIC foreign ministers for an extraordinary session on Afghanistan in Islamabad in December 2021. The conference concluded with the establishment of the OIC-led Humanitarian Trust Fund for Afghanistan and the consultation of the Secretary-General of the OIC as Special Envoy to Kabul. Pakistan has completed preparations for the 48th meeting of the OIC Committee of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM). The 48th session is especially significant because it coincides with Pakistan’s 75th anniversary of independence. As guests of honor, all delegation heads will be invited to the traditional Pakistan Day parade on March 23. The session’s theme, “Partnering for Unity,
Justice, and Development,” reflects Pakistan’s commitment to promoting Ummah unity, progressing the ends of justice for all Islamic peoples, and trying to promote sustainable and inclusive development for OIC member states. Pakistan will hope to create bridges of collaboration and partnerships among OIC member states and beyond, guided by this vision. Pakistan has sponsored four OIC-CFM sessions. With 57 Muslim member states spread across the globe, the OIC is the world’s second-largest intergovernmental organization after the UN, spread across four continents. Multilateralism is critical in this age of globalization. Nobody can question the importance of intergovernmental organizations because they benefit countries in a variety of ways. In the same line, the OIC can serve the Muslim ummah in a variety of ways if it follows the proper operating procedure. The OIC is now a fact in international politics, and Muslim states will undoubtedly do everything in their power to keep it running in a world of upheaval and ideological disagreements.
Pakistan is an important asset to the OIC. Her population and geographical size, even after Bangladesh’s independence, give her a prominent place in the OIC. She brought experts and office staff members to the OIC headquarters and has actively participated in many of the OIC organs and bodies. Finally, we may conclude that the OIC has a strong presence in practically all world affairs councils. Her wide membership has enabled her to engage in nearly all global diplomatic forums. As a result, she now has observer status at several international gatherings. This is a significant success for the Muslim world, and there is now at least a foundation for partnership. One could argue that the future of the OIC is tied to the destiny of all Muslim states; nevertheless, in anticipating the future of the OIC, one must consider both the populous and strategic Muslim states. Pakistan meets the first condition due to demography, and the second because of a geographical accident in history. Even though Pakistan’s demographic significance is understated in the calculations of the superpowers and individual Muslim states, the truth remains that she is a powerful force in the OIC and is expected to play a significant role in the future.
GULALAI TARIQ
Research Assistant
‘Vision Pakistan 2050’
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY,
ISLAMABAD
