Jeddah, 3 February 2023
The Senior Officials Meeting preparatory for the 49th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC Member States, scheduled to be held on March 16-17, 2023 in Nouakchott, Mauritania, kicked off today February 5, 2023, at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah.
In his opening speech, the OIC Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, noted that the Palestinian Cause, the central issue for the Organization, is going through serious developments that have recently been discussed by the Executive Committee whose recommendations will be followed up. The same applies to the situation in Afghanistan, which was the focus of the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee that adopted a number of recommendations, including continuing engagement with the de facto authorities in Kabul through the Special Envoy, Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, and arranging a second visit for a delegation of scholars.
With regard to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, the Secretary-General indicated that the General Secretariat and the Special Envoy to Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Yousef bin Muhammad Al-Dobaey, are working on implementing the action plan adopted by the Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir during its meeting held in Islamabad on the side-lines of the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
The Secretary-General renewed the OIC’s firm support for the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. He stressed continued support for efforts to contribute to achieving peace, security, stability and development in Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Libya, the Sahel countries, the Lake Chad basin, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Somalia. He also commended all efforts aimed at supporting Iraq’s unity, territorial integrity and reconstruction.
In the humanitarian field, the Secretary-General stressed that the General Secretariat is pursuing its role in coordinating humanitarian action amid increasing challenges, indicating that work is under way to hold a donor conference in the region of the Sahel and Lake Chad.
The Secretary-General had started his speech by extending his sincere congratulations to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on assuming the chair of the current CFM session, and by expressing his deep appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for its valuable efforts during its chair of the 48th CFM session. He also commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the OIC host-country and Chair of the 14th Islamic Summit, for its generous support to the Organization and for the keen interest it attaches to all its activities.