JEDDAH, Monday, May 6, 2024 (WAFA) – The 15th Islamic Summit Conference of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) commenced its deliberation in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, in the presence of their Majesties, Excellencies, and Highnesses, heads of states, and governments of the OIC member States, and high-level dignitaries from non-member states.

The 15th Islamic summit was held in light of the dangerous and unprecedented developments taking place in the Palestinian cause, especially the crimes of the brutal Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Hissein Taha, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), emphasized that the Palestinian cause remains the OIC’s central issue and urged the member states to redouble efforts to mobilize the responsibility of the international community toward stopping the aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

The Secretary-General called on the OIC Member States to continue to mobilize international support for the recognition of the State of Palestine and help it attain full membership in the United Nations.

He announced the establishment of a media observatory at the OIC General Secretariat to document and highlight, within the media, the numbers of martyrs, wounded, detainees, and various crimes of the Israeli occupation.

The OIC is also concurrently working towards activating the Legal Observatory to document Israeli crimes, in line with the decision of the recent Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh.

Furthermore, the Secretary-General reaffirmed the OIC's commitment to addressing pressing political and humanitarian challenges facing the OIC Member States.

He emphasized that the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir remains a priority for the OIC.

K.T