Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha has called on Member States to redouble efforts to stop Israel’s genocide and war crimes against the Palestinian people.

The 15th Islamic Summit Conference of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) commenced its deliberation in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, in the presence of heads of states, and governments of the OIC member States, and high-level dignitaries from non-member states.

The summit is being held under the theme: ‘Enhancing Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development’, from May 4 to 5.

The session was addressed by the chair of the 15th Islamic Summit, President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, who, as the Chairman of the OIC Summit, pledged to promote unity, solidarity, and sustainable development within the Islamic world.

The president of Gambia said his approach will include prioritising initiatives that enhance economic cooperation, foster cultural exchange, and address pressing issues, such as poverty and access to education and healthcare.

At the end of the two-day conference, the 15th Islamic Summit is expected to adopt a special resolution on the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds Ash-Sharif, a comprehensive communique, and the Banjul Declaration, according to a message received from OIC headquarters.

Hissein Taha called on the OIC Member States to continue to mobilise international support for the recognition of the State of Palestine and help it attain full membership in the United Nations.

He announced the establishment of a media observatory at the OIC General Secretariat to document and highlight, within the media, the numbers of martyrs, wounded, detainees, and various crimes of the Israeli occupation. The OIC is also concurrently working towards activating the Legal Observatory to document Israeli crimes, in line with the decision of the recent Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh.

Furthermore, the Secretary-General reaffirmed the OIC's commitment to addressing pressing political and humanitarian challenges facing the OIC Member States. He emphasised that the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir remains a priority for the OIC.

The 15th Islamic summit is being held in light of the dangerous and unprecedented developments taking place in the Palestinian cause, especially the crimes of the brutal Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip.

The secretary-general emphasised that the Palestinian cause remains the OIC’s central issue and urged the member states to redouble efforts to mobilize the responsibility of the international community toward stopping the aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

On Afghanistan, the OIC secretary-general noted that the organisation continued its engagement within the framework of its humanitarian approach and constructive dialogue with the de facto authority in Afghanistan.

He urged the member states to contribute generously to the OIC humanitarian efforts, particularly in Afghanistan, through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund (AHTF) under the supervision and management of the Islamic Development Bank.

Recognizing the importance of dialogue and reconciliation, The Secretary-General emphasized the OIC's support for conflict resolution in Member States such as Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and the Sahel region.

The secretary-general stressed that OIC continues to support the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan over its entire territory as well as for the unity, sovereignty, and security of the Federal Republic of Somalia, in addition to its solidarity with Turkish Cypriot Muslims, alongside cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Hissein Taha, salutes the vanguard role played by The Gambia, in defending the Cause of the Rohingya Muslim community before the International Court of Justice and calls on Member States to contribute to the financial costs required for this matter, which has recorded significant achievements.

He also reiterates deep gratitude to Bangladesh and other member states for welcoming the Rohingya refugees.

In the field of humanitarian action, the secretary-general highlighted that the  General Secretariat and the Saudi Arabia are currently working to coordinate the arrangements for organising the Donors Conference for the Sahel region and the Lake Chad Basin for the mobilization of adequate resources to support refugees and displaced people.

The 15th Islamic Summit Conference was also addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, chair of the previous 14th Summit H. H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the President of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB), the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Special Envoy of the President of China.