The meeting will be chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chair of the 14th Islamic Summit Conference, with the presence of the foreign ministers, including Bangladesh’s Dr AK Abdul Momen. 

OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen said during the meeting, the foreign ministers will review the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on member states’ public health, security and their financial stability.

The secretary general stated that the extraordinary meeting comes as part of a series of measures taken and campaigns launched by the OIC since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

It also reflects the objectives of the OIC Charter, which calls for fostering cooperation and coordination among Member States in humanitarian emergencies, according to OIC headquarters.

The secretary general added that the OIC and its institutions continue to implement all measures that would mitigate the pandemic’s impacts on societies in coordination with the member states. 

He lauded at the same time the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) for their action to help address the negative effects of the pandemic. 

On the other hand, Al-Othaimeen held an emergency meeting of the OIC Steering Committee on Health (SCH) at the level of health ministers on COVID-19 pandemic, with the presence of relevant OIC institutions and international organisations. 

For its part, the OIC International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) held the Second Medical Fiqh Symposium in which physicians and Shariah experts discussed provisions relating to COVID-19 pandemic.

Al-Othaimeen affirmed that the General Secretariat continues to conduct media and awareness campaigns on dealing with this pandemic through conventional and social media platforms.