Jeddah (UNA-OIC) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is preparing to host the Fourth OIC Conference on Mediation “Experiences and Prospects” in Jeddah on Sunday and Monday, 5-6 June 2022, at a time when the OIC, the second largest multilateral intergovernmental organization in the world, seeks to strengthen its role in the field of mediation and achieve regional and global peace and security, and to create a new effective mechanism for mediation through the capabilities and capacities of the OIC in resolving disputes, in accordance with the principles of the OIC Charter, and its commitment to the spirit of Islamic solidarity and joint Islamic action.
Speakers from different continents and geographical groups will participate in the conference in order to enrich its sessions, in addition to participation of representatives of the OIC Member States at the level of experts, OIC organs, some United Nations institutions, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and specialized research centres, along with prominent regional and international figures in the field of mediation. This conference aims to activate the role of the OIC and its Member States to contribute to mediation in cooperation with international mediation partners, exchange effective regional and global experiences in the field of mediation, conflict prevention and settlement, and work to activate the role of preventive diplomacy in this field, in addition to discussing the challenges and difficulties facing the OIC contact group on mediation and supporting the efforts of mediation. The conference will also witness the presence of a number of OIC observers and permanent representatives.
It is worth noting that, according to the report of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) which is one of the OIC organs, about 60 percent of conflicts, unfortunately, occur in Islamic countries, a matter that requires the OIC to strive hard and on a large scale towards strengthening its capabilities to resolve disputes and work to use its available capabilities and the potentials of its countries in the field of mediation, recognizing the need to face contemporary challenges in order to resolve conflicts that have produced the largest proportion of refugees and displaced persons since World War II.
The conference includes five sessions that include reviewing the role of the OIC and its Member States in the field of mediation, and mediation from a humanitarian perspective in light of crises (humanitarian diplomacy), in addition to partnership with international and regional organizations, as well as the way forward in mediation (Looking Ahead), while the last session deals with presentation of the conference’s recommendations and a summary of its results.
