OIC Press Release

"The status of the Islamic world and respect for its voice in international forums are dependent on its economic strength," OIC Secretary General stressed at the inauguration of the session.

Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Dr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz, has stressed that the vicious campaigns being waged today against the Islamic world from multiple directions is a savage attack targeted at the entire Muslim Ummah. Dr. Belkeziz cited the continuous unjust aggression against the Palestinian people, the smothering sanctions imposed on the Iraqi people and the looming threat of war over their land as examples, saying all of them sap a considerable proportion of the Ummah's energy.

In a speech to participats at the twenty-sixth session of Islamic Committee for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs, which began in Jeddah on Saturday, 8 Dhul Qa'ada 1423H ( 11 January 2003), and read on his behalf by the Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, Ambassador Thierno Nabika Diallo, the Secretary General said: "one of the most important imperatives of true solidarity is that Muslims should stand shoulder to shoulder to repel any attack or aggression against a Member State. The longer we drag our feet in doing what must be done to confront this aggression, the more powerful our adversaries become." The Secretary General added.

Dr. Belkeziz stressed that the status of the Islamic world and respect for its voice on international affairs in today's world depended on the extent of its economic might. He made reference to reliable economic studies that have shown that most of the countries of the OIC have not achieved any appreciable growth in their GNP as has recently happened in many countries of the world. The reason for this, he said, could be traced to fierce competition that has been unleashed by globalization and by the recourse of the bloc of developed countries to various protective trade barriers against developing countries' exports. It's result is the marginalization of the economies of those countries. Dr. Belkeziz asserted. In this connection, he renewed his call for the formation of a united economic front that would expand intra-trade, increase the size of Islamic investment in Member States, and bring about integrated joint projects.

The Secretary General also underscored the importance of culture and society in strengthening the bonds between parts of a single Ummah, since cultural and social links play a great role in uniting views and ideas about the lived realities of various Islamic, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in addition to the International symposium planned by the Republic of Tunisia for April 2003 on "Islam and Peace." He also mentioned the successful efforts expended by the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, in Ankara, towards increasing public awareness about the Islamic cultural heritage.

Ending his speech, the Secretary General urged Member States to take seriously the issue of holding a ministerial conference on children and social affairs during 2004, in cooperation with ISESCO.

The twenty-sixth session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Social and Cultural Affairs started with the election of the chairman and members of the bureau. The Islamic Republic of Iran emerged chairman while the Republic of Tunisia, the Republic of Cameroon and State of Palestine were elected vice-chairmen, with the Republic of Sudan elected as rapporteur.

Chairman of the session, Dr. Ghulam Ali Khoshro, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for International Affairs, gave a statement in which he stressed the importance of the issues contained in the agenda items. He called on participants to focus on priority areas on which appropriate and effective decisions have to be taken.