To boost peace, humanitarian support & conflict resolution, UN highlights vital partnership with OIC
Amid rising global instability, the United Nations stressed the need to deepen its partnership with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari called “indispensable.”
Speaking at a Security Council briefing today (Jul 24), Khiari said such cooperation is a priority for the Secretary-General and central to implementing the Pact for the Future, in line with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.
The session, chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, is one of the key events of Pakistan’s July presidency of the Council.
Khiari outlined areas of close collaboration between the two organizations, noting shared goals in conflict resolution and humanitarian support across the Middle East and beyond. “In the Middle East, the United Nations and the OIC have long shared common objectives in seeking a lasting and comprehensive resolution to the question of Palestine,” he said.
He highlighted the recent joint Conference on Jerusalem, held in Dakar on 9 July, and welcomed the endorsement of Gaza’s Recovery and Reconstruction Plan by both the OIC and the League of Arab States through their Joint Ministerial Committee.
Turning to Lebanon, Khiari said the OIC’s “consistent political backing” amid regional tensions has proven particularly valuable. He also underscored the OIC’s central role in Afghanistan through its engagement with the de facto authorities and efforts to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls, “drawing on its unique position as the collective and credible voice of the Muslim world.”
In Sudan, where more than two years of conflict have devastated the country, Khiari said, “The OIC’s support to international mediation efforts, including those of Personal Envoy Lamamra, remains highly valuable as efforts continue to find a resolution that will prevent further disaster and return Sudan to a path of peace.”
He also noted recent progress in counter-terrorism cooperation following the 2024 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the OIC. The two sides have worked together on “rights-based approaches through technical assistance, parliamentary engagement, and strategic dialogue.”
Yousef M. Al-Dobeay, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the OIC said, “We need to bolster our cooperation to promote tolerance and human understanding. It is incumbent upon us to fight together to counter hate speech and to strengthen a culture of coexistence. Mr. President, we need to work together to protect international peace and security in line with the UN Charter.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar warned of “wars waged with impunity, occupations sustained without accountability, humanitarian crises multiplying, and ideologies of hatred fast becoming normalized.”
“Amidst prevailing flux and deepening uncertainty, the urgency for coordinated and principled action has never been greater,” Dar said.
A presidential statement on UN-OIC cooperation, initiated by Pakistan, was adopted at the meeting.
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