- Taha thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the conference
- He said member states have a strong commitment to resolving conflicts in a peaceful and lasting manner
RIYADH: Mediation is of great importance to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the world is in dire need of it to resolve conflicts, the OIC’s secretary-general said on Sunday.
Speaking at the fourth OIC conference on mediation titled “Experiences and Prospects,” Hissein Brahim Taha said member states have a strong commitment to resolving conflicts in a peaceful and lasting manner because “60 percent of the conflicts in the world occur in the OIC zone.”
This “conference is being held at a critical juncture, and at a time when the world is in dire need of mediation, dialogue, and negotiations to resolve conflicts,” Taha said.
He added that the OIC had succeeded in mediating conflicts in southern Philippines, southern Thailand, Sudan, Chad, and Afghanistan.
It has also played an important role in supporting international efforts aimed at establishing peace in Somalia, Guinea, and Iraq, the OIC chief added.
“We have played an important role in addressing the tense situation faced by the Muslim community in Sri Lanka due to some organized activities against Muslims by Buddhist monks in the wake of the brutal suicide attacks on churches and hotels on April 21, 2019,” Taha said.
“We have intervened to correct the discriminatory policies and practices adopted by the government of Sri Lanka to cremate the corpses of the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are incompatible with the rights of Muslims in Sri Lanka,” he added.
Taha thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the conference and praised all efforts made by the Kingdom as OIC host country and the chair of the 14th session of the Islamic Summit.