Jeddah, March 1, 2024, The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is set to convene an unprecedented gathering of its Council of Foreign Ministers to address the ongoing Israeli hostilities towards the Palestinian population. Scheduled to take place at the headquarters of its General Secretariat in Jeddah on March 5, the extraordinary session underscores the gravity of the situation.
Anticipated to inaugurate the proceedings, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha will deliver remarks at the opening session. Preceding this, a preparatory senior officials' meeting (SOM) is slated for March 4, aimed at deliberating on and endorsing the draft agenda, work program, and proposed resolutions. These deliberations will culminate in the submission of the finalized documents to the Council of Foreign Ministers on the subsequent day.
This gathering follows a significant milestone in October 2023 when Saudi Arabia hosted the extraordinary Joint Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh, a collaborative effort between the OIC and the Arab League. Among the outcomes of this summit was the establishment of a committee comprising foreign ministers from member states tasked with engaging with global capitals and international bodies to halt Israeli aggression against Palestinians.
In a continuous endeavor to stem the tide of Israeli aggression against Palestinians, the OIC conducted an open-ended Executive Committee extraordinary meeting at the foreign ministers' level on October 18, soon after the commencement of the hostilities on October 7. These concerted efforts underscore the organization's unwavering commitment to addressing the plight of the Palestinian people amidst escalating tensions in the region.
