Jeddah (UNA-OIC) – The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), H.E. Hissein Brahim Taha, witnessed Tuesday (15 February 2022) the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure (MOICI) Republic of The Gambia, on the one hand, and the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA) and the Islamic Broadcasting Union (IBU) on the other hand.
In his speech during the MoU signing ceremony at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah, the Secretary-General welcomed “this good initiative and the first of its kind, represented in the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding between The Gambia, which will host the 15th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, with both the Islamic Broadcasting Union and the Union of OIC News Agencies”.
He pointed out that the MoU aims to “give the next session a remarkable media impetus and enlighten local and global public opinion with the results of the Islamic Summit, which we all hope will be well organized, God willing.”
“We expect these two media institutions (UNA and IBU) to provide valuable and high-quality media coverage during the upcoming Islamic Summit in The Gambia, in cooperation and coordination with the Department of Information within the OIC General Secretariat, and officials of the Ministry of Information in the Republic of The Gambia,” the Secretary-General said.
The OIC chief called on UNA and IBU to “crystallize the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding in the form of a well-examined media plan to ensure comprehensive media coverage to monitor all summit activities.”
In turn, Gambia’s Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure, H.E. Ebrima Sillah, expressed the aspiration of his country’s government to implement the activities and programs contained in the MoU. He underlined that the purpose of this memorandum is not only to convey the proceedings and decisions of the Islamic Summit, but also to convey the viewpoint and vision of the OIC on the issues of concern to the Islamic Ummah and all humanity.
Sillah stressed the importance of the MoU in providing media support to The Gambia during its organization of the Islamic Summit. He pointed out that hosting the Islamic Summit is a gateway for The Gambia to gain a foothold in the international arena, and to join the other countries that have hosted this prominent global occasion.
On his part, IBU Director-General Dr. Amr El-Lissy considered that this MoU “represents the fruit of joint work between the media agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to achieve further linkage and communication between the Organization and its various institutions on the one hand, and radio and television broadcasting corporations on the other hand.”
He expressed his hope that the MoU signed today will “represent a model for joint action to secure media coverage of the prominent and pivotal events in Islamic countries.
El-Leissy also expressed the thanks of IBU and UNA to the member states for their support for the work of the two institutions, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the headquarters state. He appreciated, in this regard, the continuous support provided to the two Unions by Acting Saudi Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, the Chairman of the UNA and IBU Executive Councils, to enhance their roles in advancing media institutions in member states as well as serving Islamic causes and highlighting the tolerant image of the true Islamic religion.
In turn, UNA Director-General Mohammed Abd Rabbo Al-Yami said that the MoU between UNA and IBU and the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure in The Gambia “represents a new stage in the joint work of the media institutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, towards achieving the supreme goals of the Organization in the field of media and public diplomacy, most notably encouraging comprehensive media engagement for extensive coverage of the Organization’s programs and activities and issues of concern to the Islamic world.
Al-Yami outlined that this memorandum “comes within the framework of the strategic plan of the Union of OIC News Agencies, to deepen partnerships with member states, and to transform into an international media platform for news exchange, in addition to providing consultancy on the media strategic planning, and coordinating press coverage, at the global level, of major occasions and events hosted by Islamic countries.”
