Charter
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The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) following the criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general. Amb. Hissein Brahim Taha is the 12th Secretary General who assumed the office in November 2021.
The first OIC Charter was adopted by the 3rd ICFM Session held in 1972. The Charter laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States. Over the last 40 years, the membership has grown from its founding members of 30 to 57 states. The Charter was amended to keep pace with the developments that have unraveled across the world. The present Charter of the OIC was adopted by the Eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar on 13-14 March 2008 to become the pillar of the OIC future Islamic action in line with the requirements of the 21st century.
The Organization has the singular honor to galvanize the Ummah into a unified body and have actively represented the Muslims by espousing all causes close to the hearts of over 1.5 billion Muslims of the world. The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States. In safeguarding the true values of Islam and the Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and has strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against Muslims in all forms and manifestations.
The Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) face numerous challenges in the 21st century. To address these challenges, the Third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit, held in Makkah in December 2005, laid down a strategic blueprint known as the Ten-Year Programme of Action (TYPOA), which successfully concluded at the end of 2015.
Its successor, the OIC-2025 Programme of Action (2016–2025), was adopted at the 13th Islamic Summit Conference held on 14–15 April 2016 in Istanbul, Türkiye, to serve as a roadmap for the Organisation’s work. Designed to provide a comprehensive, multidimensional response to the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah, it focused on 18 Priority Areas encompassing 107 Strategic Goals. It’s implementation period concluded in December 2025.
Preparations for the third edition of the Programme of Action (2026–2035) commenced in early 2023. Member States have agreed on 20 Priority Areas and are currently finalizing the associated Strategic Goals. The new Programme of Action is expected to be adopted at the 16th Islamic Summit Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2027.
Among the OIC’s key bodies: the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), the General Secretariat, in addition to the Al-Quds Committee and three permanent committees concerned with science and technology, economy and trade, and information and culture. There are also specialized organs under the banner of the OIC including the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as subsidiary and affiliate organs that play a vital role in boosting cooperation in various fields among the OIC member states.
source https://www.oic-oci.org/en/page/1
Categories: Arab World, Saudi Arabia