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UNUN REMAINS THE CENTRE FORUMFOR DIALOGUE AND DIPLOMACYPROFESSOR EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU,OIC SECRETARY-GENERALHere we are assembled today to celebrate,in this beautiful city of Geneva, the 40thanniversary of the OIC (Organization of theIslamic Conference).As headquarters of the UN European Office,and number of international organizationsand Institutions, Geneva represents for usat the OIC a very important place.Since its inception, in September 1969, afterthe terrorist attack of the Holy Mosque of AlQuds AS SHARIF, the OIC, as an intergovernmentalorganization, has progressivelymoved from a simple political frameworkof solidarity to a strong and comprehensiveinstrument of cooperation and coordinationcovering all aspects related to humansociety.After four decades of its existence, the OICnow constitutes an arena where a significantpart of its Member States’ external policy isstreamlined. It is the second largest politicalorganization in the world after the UnitedNations.It is the voice and representative of 1.5 billionMuslims spread over a wide geographicalarea extending from the Atlantic shoresto the confines of China, and the shores ofthe Islands of the Philippines and Indonesia,and in addition, countries in South America.Presently the OIC is regarded as the uniqueand most trusted and authoritative voice forthe Muslim World on major global issues. Itis in this light that many major players in theinternational multilateral arena, includingthe US and the Russian Federation, appreciateand recognize this role.The US Administration took the decisionto nominate a Special Envoy to the OIC –while the Russian Federation had joined theOIC as an Observer, in May 2005.The historic statement of President Obamain Cairo on 4 June 2009 has clearly confirmedthe desire of the US Administrationto make a new beginning in the relationsbetween the US and the Muslim world.The OIC will build concrete actions on thishigh momentum.The OIC firmly stands for moderation andtolerance. It condemns and rejects all formsof fanaticism, extremism and bigotry. It emphasizesthe inter-civilization and interfaithdialogues based on mutual respect andequality among the interlocutors.The OIC also stands to defend respect ofhuman rights, endeavours to promote goodgovernance, to widen political participation,establish the rule of law, ensure transparencyand accountability, while combatingterrorism in all its forms and manifestationsand rejecting all attempts to justify this abhorrentphenomenon.A great deal of the effort of the OIC is directedtoward human development in thesocio-economic spheres in its MemberStates through concrete and practical programmes,including promotion of humanrights, poverty alleviation, education, scienceand technology, and empoweringwoman and elevating her status. FightingMalaria and Polio has also become an importantpriority for our Organization.The OIC is engaged in international effortsto alleviate the suffering of the Palestinianpeople and to promote their inalienablerights for an independent State, in an environmentof peace, security and prosperity.We are working hard for reconciliation betweenIslam and the West because we believethat today’s human civilization is onecivilization with a multitude of tributariesand branches.The crises and conflicts of the recent turbulentyears have indeed enhanced and notdiminished the relevance of the United Nationsand its concomitant multilateralism,the UN remains the centre Forum for dialogueand diplomacy, the promotion andpreservation of global peace and security,international socio-economic development,elaboration as well as enforcement of internationalHuman Rights law and for securingthe community of Nations from the threatsof terrorism, weapons of mass destruction,and trans-national crime.The objectives of the UN will remain unattainablewithout the cooperation andthe unified action of all States, as well asregional and international organizations.It is in this perspective that the OIC viewsits supplementary role in the efforts of theUnited Nations and the collective resolve ofthe international community to overcomeglobal challenges.We look forward to the day when we cantogether conquer the prejudices that divideus, and eradicate the stereotypes whichstoke the enmity among nations and peoples.The OIC looks forward to the day whenwe can together build a world free fromhostilities and bigotries, a world wherepeace, concord and friendship prevail,where cooperation, progress and prosperitythrive, and where humanity will becomethe driving force which inspires our mindsand needs. ❚12 – UN Special – Novembre 2009