Organization of Islamic Cooperation's 'voice carries considerable weight in some of the world's conflict-affected situations,' says Khaled Khiari
A senior UN official hailed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as "indispensable" to global peace efforts on Thursday, urging stronger collaboration as conflicts and instability deepen worldwide.
"At a time of growing geopolitical complexity, cooperation with regional and sub-regional organizations such as the OIC remains indispensable," Khaled Khiari, UN assistant secretary-general for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, told the Security Council.
Khiari said the OIC "brings together 57 Member States and represents a vital political, economic, cultural and religious constituency. Its voice carries considerable weight in some of the world’s conflict-affected situations."
Noting that the UN appreciates its partnership with the OIC, Khiari said the cooperation between the two organizations is "an essential component of our efforts to promote durable peace, inclusive governance and respect for international and human rights law."
"The UN-OIC cooperation spans a broad range of country-specific and thematic areas," he added.
Khiari highlighted areas of active UN-OIC cooperation, particularly in the Middle East.
"The UN and the OIC have long shared common objectives in seeking a lasting and comprehensive resolution to the question of Palestine," he said, as he welcomed the OIC's endorsement of the Gaza Recovery and Reconstruction Plan alongside the League of Arab States.
He noted joint efforts in electoral processes, counterterrorism, and confronting religious intolerance.
"As Islamophobia continues to affect far too many people around the world and demands attention, we appreciate the leading role the OIC plays in confronting the rise of Islamophobia and all forms of religious intolerance," he said.
Khiari said the UN-OIC cooperation will also "reinvigorate multilateralism and restore trust in our institutions," and the partnership "will remain critical to defuse tensions, advance sustainable peace, reinforce multilateral norms and principles, and promote equitable and sustainable development."
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar echoed those sentiments, and warned said "We meet at a moment of deepening global disorder; wars waged with impunity, occupations sustained without accountability, humanitarian crises multiplying, and ideologies of hatred fast becoming normalized."
"Pakistan firmly believes that in this fractured world, the OIC stands as a key political actor and its partnership with the United Nations must be strengthened, deepened, and further institutionalized," he added.
Dar said the OIC's "regional presence, cultural sensitivity, and political legitimacy allow it to respond swiftly and credibly, especially in contexts where global mechanisms are constrained or absent."
Yousef Al-Dobeay, the OIC's assistant secretary-general for political affairs, urged greater multilateral action.
"We need to step up multilateral action to overcome challenges. We have one choice that we can make, that is the choice to work together in a strategic, ambitious and complementary partnership," he said.
