OIC HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO MATERIALISE SOON, SAYS IHSANOGLU

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, March 3 (Bernama) -- The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
is on the verge of establishing an independent permanent commission on human
rights, according to its secretary-general Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

He said the move must be viewed as a landmark event and a positive
development in the 40-year history of the OIC.

Ihsanoglu disclosed the matter at the high level segment of the 13th session
of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on Monday. His remarks were made
available by the Jeddah-based OIC.

The commission, he said, was expected to constitute an important pillar of
the ongoing process of reform at the OIC, with a view to transforming it into a
body that would effectively cope with the existing and emerging challenges faced
by the Muslim world.

He stressed that the task of improving human rights conditions on a global
scale should be borne collectively by all nations represented in the family of
the United Nations.

However, he said the OIC believed that tackling contemporary threats to
global peace and security posed by conflicts and terrorism solely from the
security angle would not lead to durable and comprehensive solutions.

"There's a need for a proper understanding of the root causes, which often
lie in political grievances, backwardness, underdevelopment and concerns related
to preservation of national, ethnic, cultural and religious identities," the
secretary-general said.

Ihsanoglu also called on the HRC to effectively address the plight of the
Palestinian people under the continuous and deliberate aggression of Israeli
military forces.

He alluded to the frequency of flagrant violations of the basic human rights
of the long-suffering Palestinians.
-- BERNAMA