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UNHCR took part in the Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC

The event was opened by Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and marked by the presence of numerous Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Muslim countries as well as high officials of Observer States such as the US, Australia, Russian Federation, etc.

Mr. Saber Azam, UNHCR Regional Representative/Regional Coordinator for Central Asia, represented UNHCR and delivered a statement on behalf of the organization. In his statement, he underlined the role and continued efforts of Islamic countries in ensuring access for humanitarian relief in countries that have faced political crisis and natural disasters, such as Libya, Afghanistan, Yemen, Indonesia, Sudan, and Pakistan.

Mr. Azam noted that 70% of refugees come from Muslim countries. He praised at the same time the generosity of Muslim World towards forcibly displaced persons such as Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan and many others who host millions of refugees and IDPs. "This situation also highlights the need for more resolute actions to address root causes and more robust multilateral cooperation to find durable solutions", Mr. Azam said. "Since its emergence in the Arabian Peninsula during the 7th century, migration and asylum have been permanent features of the Islamic faith", he continued. Concluding the speech, he called for increased cooperation and solid partnership between UNHCR and the Muslim world in finding durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons all over the world. [Full text of the speech can be downloaded here].

Taking into account a new stage of cooperation and strengthened interaction among the Member States, participants adopted a resolution changing the name of the organization from "Organization of the Islamic Conference" to "Organization of Islamic Cooperation". This decision reflects increased role of the Organization in social, cultural, economic and political spheres and new level of integration between the Member States.

As a result of the Thirty-Eighth Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, Member States adopted the "Astana Declaration". The document reflects main issues that were discussed on the Council of Foreign Ministers, including the growing importance of Central-Asian region for the Muslim World, the role of private sector in building capacity, condemnation of terrorism in any form and greater inter-institutional cooperation between the OIC, the United Nations and other international organizations.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is an international organization that consists of 57 Member States and attempts to promote the interests and well-being of the Muslim countries. It was established in 1969, with its Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and describes itself as the second largest international organization after the UN. The OIC has a permanent delegation to the United Nations. Through its Regional Representation in Saudi Arabia, UNHCR keeps a very close relationship with OIC.