JEDDAH, 21 Jumada Al-Thani/12 May (Agencies/IINA)-The Secretary
General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Prof.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said at the opening of the First International
Ministerial Conference on Refugees in the Muslim World on Friday that it
is a landmark event in the search for solutions to problems of true
humanitarian nature.
To this end, he reiterated OIC commitment to a strategic partnership
with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and its
continued and effective cooperation.
The two-day Conference is organized by the OIC in coordination with
the UNHCR in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan under the auspices of the President
of Turkmenistan, H.E. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and the participation
of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres.
With over 17 million refugees and displaced persons within the
countries members of the OIC, including some protracted refugee
situations, the OIC Secretary General said that efforts should
tirelessly continue to address these refugee and displacement
situations, with provision of assistance and protection, as the case may
be, in a purely humanitarian effort. “We should also engage, with the
will of all concerned governments, in durable and lasting solutions to
these refugee situations, in order to end the suffering of these human
beings and enhance social harmony, peace, stability and development.”
Meanwhile, Ihsanoglu referred to providing asylum, protecting
refugees and assisting them in compassion and conviction are fundamental
pillars in our Islamic faith. Therefore, assisting and protecting
refugees, irrespective of their faith, color or ethnic origin is not
only a legal obligation, but also a moral and a religious duty as
stipulated in these teachings and embodied in deeds throughout history
within the Muslim World. The idea of protecting “Almustamin” or asylum
seeker was never compromised in these teachings and practices.
“There is total compatibility between refugee principles in Islam and
those of our modern day international refugee law. This doctrinal base
has been a strong driving force in our efforts to play an effective role
in the humanitarian arena, not only within the domain of our member
states, but also, whenever possible, beyond that and in the world at
large,” said Ihsanoglu.
The Secretary General stressed that refugees is an international
problem that goes beyond state or even continental borders and its
solutions require solidarity of the international community while
cooperating with all sovereign governments concerned. In this light, he
said that the objective of this Ministerial Conference, as a historic
opportunity to shed ample light on the refugee problem in the Muslim
World, mobilize efforts to address this humanitarian problem and find
ways and means of enhancing these efforts.
Ihsanoglu pointed out that the refugee situations continue to be
products of intolerance, xenophobia, injustice, denial of basic rights,
conflict over resources domestically or across state borders and
instances of foreign intervention. Accordingly, he stressed that root
causes need to be addressed consciously, objectively and systematically.
“Standards should therefore be set without subjective variations, while
addressing these problems, and I can assure you that the OIC member
states have been exerting strenuous efforts to assist in refugee and
displacement situations without any shadow of subjective factors. And we
will continue these efforts within the OIC and we will maintain
coordination and collaboration, whenever possible, with UNHCR and all
other humanitarian organizations dedicated to this humanitarian cause.”
Speaking of refugees in the Muslim world it was necessary to
underscore the plight and injustice to which the Palestinian refugees
continue to be subjected. “Their situation, being the most protracted
situation of refugees in the world since the late 1940s, remained
unresolved and their rights continue to be usurped unless a political
settlement is concluded within the UN resolutions and the Arab League
Initiative, guaranteeing their legitimate rights,” said Ihsanoglu. Thus,
theirs is not just a refugee humanitarian issue, but it is a political
cause that should be dealt with accordingly.
The Secretary General concluded by reiterating that the OIC Charter
and our guiding principles enable us to remain an effective force of
wisdom, peace and fruitful dialogue, in a world faced by constant
economic, political and social challenges. “No one would dispute the
fact that refugees are amongst the most vulnerable populations and they
deserve our serious attention. It is not only an attention of the
moment, but it is an attention of our political resolve, an attention of
provision of lasting solutions, in a spirit of international burden
sharing. In sum, let us turn the refugee challenges into opportunities
for action,” he urged.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said that in 2011, OIC states hosted 50%
of the persons who are of concern to UNHCR.
The main themes of the conference are – the role of UNHCR in
enhancing refugee protection in OIC Member States; multilateral
cooperation including burden and responsibility sharing to protect and
assist refugees; and voluntary repatriation as the most preferred
durable solution for any refugee situation.
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