ISLAMABAD: The 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will begin in Islamabad today.
The two-day summit, which will be held at the level of foreign ministers, is being convened under the theme: “Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session, his office said.
I warmly welcome Foreign Ministers & delegations from OIC mbr states, observers, partners & intl orgs to #48OICCFM in Islamabad. Under overarching theme of ‘Unity, Justice & Development’, OIC-CFM will have wide-ranging deliberations. People of 🇵🇰 are honoured with your presence.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 20, 2022
“The session will address many topics and the activities of the OIC General Secretariat on implementing the resolutions adopted on various issues in the Islamic world, including the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds,” the OIC said in a statement last week.
The summit will also discuss developments in Afghanistan and its humanitarian consequences for the people, and the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, it added.
In addition, the meeting will also take stock of the decisions taken at the Extraordinary Session of the last CFM summit held in Islamabad in December last to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The meeting will also reiterate its resolve to combat rising tides of Islamophobia, and discuss strategies to counter the threat of climate change, vaccine inequity and erosion in progress towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Many African issues will also be on the summit’s agenda, including the situation in Mali, the Sahel region, and Lake Chad, and the situation in Central Africa and the Republic of Guinea, the statement said.
The OIC foreign ministers will also discuss developments in Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and other regions during the summit.
The meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir will also take place on the sidelines of the conference.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend as a special guest. Officials from non-member nations, representatives from the United Nations, regional and international organisations, including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will also participate.
The visitors will also witness the annual Pakistan Day military parade on March 23.
