ISTANBUL: The 13th Islamic Summit Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that wrapped up meetings yesterday highly appreciated Kuwait that will host negotiations among Yemeni stakeholders on Monday.
The Final CommuniquÈ of the summit, dubbed the ‘Istanbul Declaration’, also commended Kuwait’s support to the humanitarian situation in Yemen, and to the efforts seeking to restore security and stability in the country, in line with constitutional legitimacy.
In his address to the opening of the two-day session on Thursday, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah called on all Yemeni parties to find a peaceful settlement to their country’s ongoing crisis, and a conflict that has been on for years. His Highness the Amir hoped the recently declared cease-fire would pave the way for the upcoming reconciliations talks in Kuwait, April 18th. The Kuwaiti cabinet wished during its that the talks in Kuwait would put an end to the conflict in Yemen and stop bloodshed there, urging all Yemeni rivals to abide by the truce.
Pledging Conference
The OIC’s meetings also commended Kuwait’s sincere efforts backing the humanitarian situation in Syria. The Final CommuniquÈ highlighted the first, second and third ‘International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria,’ which Kuwait hosted over the past three years. In the three events, Kuwait offered a total of $1.3 billion. Pledges by participant states in the three events hit $7.7 billion.
The Declaration also referred to Kuwait’s participation in the fourth conference for Syria donors held in London in February, in partnership with the UK, Germany, Norway and the UN. The London conference came in response to the grave humanitarian repercussions in Syria.
In his address to the opening of the two-day session on Thursday, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hoped that the ongoing political efforts would end the “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe” in Syria. “We urge the strife parties not to miss the opportunity and to place their homeland’s interests above all priorities and halt the blood shedding,” His Highness the Amir told the summit.
A new round of Syria negotiations kicked off in Geneva on Wednesday, in a bid to resolve the crisis that erupted more than five years ago, with a humanitarian disaster, seen as the worst globally. His Highness the Amir announced during the London conference that Kuwait, on the official and popular levels, would provide further $300 million to support the humanitarian situation of the Syrian people.
The OIC also congratulated His Highness the Amir for having been named by the UN as a ‘Humanitarian Leader.’ It noted in the final communiquÈ that the UN honoring of His Highness the Amir was a recognition of his role as a leader and supporter of the United Nations humanitarian work.
It was on September 9, 2014 that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon named His Highness the Amir a humanitarian leader and Kuwait a center for humanitarian work at a ceremony held in the Kuwaiti leader’s honor at the UN headquarters in NYC. The ceremony was an apt tribute paid to His Highness the Amir for his leading support to humanitarian causes around the world.
The Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the OIC concluded their summit dubbed ‘Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace’ in Istanbul, Turkey and issued their final communiquÈ. The Summit Conference was chaired by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey. The Conference expressed its appreciation to the Arab Republic of Egypt for its competent Chairmanship of the 12th Islamic Summit and wise leadership for the OIC.
Palestine
The Conference emphasized the centrality of the cause of Palestine and Jerusalem for the Muslim nation. It reaffirmed its principled support for the right of the Palestinian people to regain their inalienable national rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the territory occupied since June 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital. It also reaffirmed the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in accordance with International Law and Resolution 194 (III) adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 11, 1948.
The Conference reaffirmed the need for the early convening of an International Peace Conference to set mechanisms to provide international protection for the Palestinian people and to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 including East Jerusalem, in implementation of the relevant UN Resolutions and the Arab peace initiative.
Therefore, the Conference called for continued action to seek the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation within a timetable for its implementation, and reaffirmed the full support for the efforts of the State of Palestine to accede to international treaties and organizations with a view to consolidating the legal personality of the State of Palestine at the international level.
The Conference commended the efforts deployed by His Majesty King Mohamed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee to protect the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem in the face of the measures being taken by the Israeli occupation authorities aimed and Judaizing the holy city.
It also lauded the role of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency of the Al-Quds Committee through the execution of development 2 projects and activities for the inhabitants of the holy city and support for their steadfastness. It called on Member States to increase support for the Agency to enable it continue its work.
The Conference also underlined the need for the Ministerial Contact Group on Al-Quds Al-Sharif, under the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Morocco whose monarch chairs the Al-Quds Committee to continue its efforts and actions to contact influential international parties and to deliver the OIC message and demands regarding the city of Jerusalem. It, therefore, reiterated the adoption of the Strategic Plan on the Development of Jerusalem, and called on all Member States to provide financial resources necessary for its implementation.
The Conference commended the Republic of Indonesia for hosting the Extraordinary Summit on Palestine in Jakarta on 6-7 March 2016. The Conference reiterated support for the struggle of the Palestinian people to realize an independent State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital as reflected through the adoption of the outcome documents of the Summit, namely the Jakarta Declaration and OIC Resolution Number.
The Conference also thanked the Republic of Senegal for its continued action in favor of the Palestinian cause and reaffirmed its support for all the actions it takes as chair of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
Great hope
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Madani said that the peoples of the Muslim world pin great hopes on the 13th Islamic Summit Conference. The two-day summit was attended by heads of states and governments from over 30 countries.
Madani lauded the endorsement of the OIC Ten-Year Program of Action, till 2025. The 5th Extraordinary OIC Summit on Palestine and Jerusalem held in Jakarta, Indonesia in March, brought the Palestinian Cause to the international forefront, Madani said. He welcomed efforts by France that voiced support to an international conference on peace in the Middle East.
The OIC chief urged the Palestinians to overcome their disagreements and speed up work to form a unity government as soon as possible. Madani added that the Muslim world has been the scene of 180 terrorist attacks over the past three months, that killed 3,000 people and injured 4,000 others.
He urged all the member states to sign the OIC agreement against terrorism. Only 21 states out of 57 members have signed it. Madani said he believed that the OIC lacks the collective organization for settling disputes, urging the member states to endorse the Islamic Court of Justice, approved 35 years ago. Only 13 countries have signed it.
In the meantime, the OIC Secretary General expressed support to the UN efforts to dissolve the Syrian crisis. He said that the OIC is working with the Iraqi government to organize Makaah 2 conference for reconciliation in Iraq.
Successful visit
Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that the visit by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Turkey was successful and resulted in the signing of an agreement for the establishment of a coordination council between the two countries which covers several fields, including diplomatic, media, cultural, political, trade, military and military industrialization, security and others, pointing out that the joint teams from the two sides will begin work on activating the agreement.
Jubeir noted that the speech delivered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques during the Islamic summit focused on the importance of Islamic solidarity, the importance of closing ranks and confronting extremism and terrorism, as well as finding a solution to the Palestinian cause that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The speech also confirmed the importance of adhering to the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the affairs of other countries and the risks of interventions in the affairs of other countries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed, in his speech, the importance of activating the OIC organization to better serve the Islamic nation.
Amir thanks Erdogan
Also Thursday night, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable of appreciation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for hospitality at the 13th OIC Summit, held in Istanbul. His Highness the Amir lauded decisions and resolutions made during the summit that would be of great interest to Islamic nations. He also praised the level of preparations and efforts exerted by the Turkish Government to host such grand event. – KUNA
