Jeddah, (UNA-OIC) – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) underlined that the annual observance of November 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is an especially important occasion to renew political commitment and continue to work together to fulfill shared goals and responsibilities toward Palestine, in a spirit of cooperation and dedication to support Palestinians in their legitimate quest to achieve their inalienable rights.
In a statement read out on his behalf by the OIC permanent delegate to the UN on the occasion, at the UN headquarters in New York, Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen drew attention to the gravity of the continued Israeli policies of settlement and judaization of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, aiming to alter the city’s Arab and Christian character and change its demographic makeup.
Further, Dr. Al-Othaimeen stressed that the OIC remains supportive of the call Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed to the UN Secretary General to take all the necessary steps, in association with the UN Security Council and the Quadripartite Committee for Peace, to convene a UN-led conference for peace with full powers and with the participation of all parties concerned, to facilitate a constructive and meaningful peace process based on international law, UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, the ultimate aim being to bring an end to occupation, to enable the Palestinian people to gain their freedom and independence and build their sovereign state of Palestine with East Al-Quds as its capital, on the 1967 borders, and to resolve all permanent status issues, including the Palestinian refugee issue, in line with UN resolution 194.
The OIC Secretary General also stressed the need to adhere to the political, legal and humanitarian mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). We need to provide all possible support to the Agency in its mission to deliver basic services to Palestinian refugees and meet their growing needs, Dr. Al-Othaimeen stressed, reiterating the call on all UN member states to fulfill their political and legal obligations, ensure respect for international law, and contribute to the international effort to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and to realize the two-state vision of Palestine and Israel living side by side in peace.
