OIC foreign ministers to discuss prosperity, development

The 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be held in Abu Dhabi under the auspices of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 1-2 under the motto "50 Years of Islamic Cooperation: Road Map for Prosperity and Development. " During the summit, a Turkish delegation, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal, will represent Turkey.

The OIC was founded on Sept. 25, 1969 in Morocco in reaction to an arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in August of that year. It has 57 member countries and is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The organization asserts that it is "the collective voice of the Muslim world" and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony."

The agenda of the 46th CFM meeting will be shaped within the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian issue, while the foreign ministers are expected to discuss the latest developments in Palestine and the city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem), as well as the peace process in the Middle East.

In the conference, a wide range of issues will be addressed including combating terrorism, Islamophobia, defamation of religions, the status of Muslim groups and communities in non-OIC countries, the OIC-2025 program of action, the work of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), humanitarian, information, social and cultural activities, and inter-civilization, intercultural and interfaith dialogue. In terms of the economy, the ministers will hold talks on agriculture, labor and employment, intra-OIC trade, tourism and transport, poverty alleviation and special programs, while highlighting efforts to promote science and technology in the areas of higher education, health, water, climate change, the environment and OIC universities. The 45th session of the CFM meeting was held in May 2018 in Dhaka, Bangladesh with the theme of "Islamic Values for Sustainable Peace, Solidarity and Development."