Gambia (Urdu Times) : Gambia is ready to host OIC Summit from 4 to 5 May 2024 in Banjul
The OIC Summit will be held from May 4 to 5, 2024 in the city of Banjul, The Gambia. In which the presidents, kings, sultans, prime ministers, rulers and other world leaders of the OIC member countries will attend.
Gambia is ready to host the Organization of Islamic Cooperation which was already reschedule for three times since 2020 .
As a reaction to the Jewish attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque on August 21, 1969, the OIC was established in Rabat, Morocco on September 25, 1969.
The permanent office of OIC is established in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The most important policy-making function in the OIC is the meeting of heads of state, which is held every three years.
Once a year, a meeting of foreign ministers is convened to consider the status of implementation of the decisions. Due to the alarming situation of the country and the fear of a serious humanitarian crisis after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers was held on December 19, 2021 in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
On June 28, 2011, during the 38th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, the organization changed its old name from Motmar Islamic Organization to Islamic Cooperation Organization, at that time the organization also changed its logo.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is an international organization that includes 57 Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East, North, West and South Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia and the subcontinent and South America.
The OIC works to protect the interests of 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. But it is sad to say that this organization has not done anything from its platform since its inception till today in relation to protecting the interests of Muslims and solving problems except holding meetings.
The OIC summit organized periodically brings together 57 member countries heads of state and government from the Muslim world to pick minds on common regional, international and geopolitical interests and strengthen Islamic solidarity.
Since it was founded 55 years ago, the intergovernmental organization which is seen as representing the ‘collective voice’ of the Islamic world has 57 member countries 27 of them in Africa with a population of over 2 billion according to a 2022 estimate and 48 of the Muslim-majority nations .
The Gambia OIC summit which was originally schedule in 2020 but was deferred thrice due to lack of preparedness will be held in Banjul from 4th May to 5th this year in Banjul.
Africa’s smallest mainland country had failed to finish infrastructural projects such as dual carriageways, a summit hotel, an international conference center, and VVIP lounge at the Banjul International Airport ahead of the November 2023 summit date.
Now the conference center and the VVIP lounge are completed a year ago and other projects are ready to hosting the summit in Banjul .
The Gambia is the country that is going to host the OIC summit which were earlier scheduled on 16th of November last year because of circumstances tied to security and other challenges Gambia decided it’s better to push it further”.
This decision was reached after meetings at the highest level with other heads of state and the secretariat after which the new date 4th May to 5th May 2024 was ”unanimously agreed to host the world’s largest gathering of world’s Islamic leaders in Banjul , Gambia”It should be remembered that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is the second largest organization after the United Nations, has been ineffective since its inception.
For the past six months, the Muslims of the world have only been criticizing but doing practically nothing for the people of Gaza.
Most of the rich Arab countries are engaged in business with Israel and have recognized Israel as a state.
The most unfortunate thing is that if an Islamic state reacts like Iran, the West and the United States will damage it economically.
The number of martyred Palestinians in the 6 months of the Gaza war is more than 33 thousand. According to the United Nations, at least 32 thousand 623 people were martyred and more than 75 thousand 92 were injured until the 175th day of the war.
According to the Ministry of Health of the Gaza Strip administered by Hamas, at least 33 thousand 137 Palestinians have been martyred and 75 thousand 815 injured in the Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. According to the report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 6 During the month, 16 journalists covering the war in Gaza were injured, 4 are missing, while 25 journalists are reported to have been detained by Israeli authorities.
As a result of this war, 1.1 million Palestinian citizens are facing food insecurity, while 31 percent of children under the age of 2 are suffering from severe malnutrition. On the other hand, as a result of the Israeli attacks, 70% of the population of Gaza has been displaced, and 60% of the residential buildings in Gaza have been destroyed in these attacks.
During 6 months, 90 percent of Gaza’s schools have also been destroyed, only 10 hospitals out of 36 hospitals are working, 227 martyr mosques and 3 churches have also been destroyed. Soldiers have released gruesome details of the two weeks they were held captive in the name of the operation. Preparations are underway for a summit in the shadow of the Gambia, The Never Again Monument, Banjul to confront the challenges facing Muslims. The meeting will be held from 4 to 5 May 2024 in Banjul, Gambia. Presidents, kings, sultans, prime ministers, rulers and other world leaders of OIC’s fifty-seven (57) member countries are expected to attend.
The logo of the Banjul summit is an acknowledgment of the country’s troubled past under the previous administration as well as the new hope and efforts for justice and prosperity in the new Gambia. There is no better example to symbolize this image than The Never Again Monument in Banjul. Although built to commemorate the unconstitutional change of government in 1994, President Adama Barrow renamed and rebuilt the building in honor of the victims of years of repression and human rights abuses. The Never Again Monument is located at the entrance of the capital Banjul and is one of the most recognized historical structures in the country. Furthermore, the inclusion of stripes in the national colors in the summit logo emphasizes the commitment as a country to the values and objectives of the OIC. Hopefully, this logo will inspire the world to stand up for justice for all people in the world, from Palestine to Myanmar. The theme of the Banjul Summit is ‘Enhancing Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development’ which is the strategic vision and aspiration of The Gambia to achieve the current goals of the OIC Charter as well as safeguard the socio-economic and political interests of the Ummah. According to the target. Dialogue to resolve differences and cooperate in achieving common goals is the guarantee of sustainable human development and prosperity for all. In preparation for this historic moment, the Government of The Gambia under the leadership of President Adama Barrow has earmarked a number of infrastructural developments aimed at ensuring a memorable experience for the delegates as well as improving the lives and livelihoods of the people in the country. To make. The main objective of this meeting is to expand our advocacy for the unity and unity of the Ummah to face the challenges faced by Muslims around the world. To create greater attention to the plight of the Muslim Ummah in particular. Promote greater cooperation between prosperous and developed member countries and their counterparts in the Global South in science and technology, entrepreneurship, trade and other key areas. Strengthening unity to collectively address critical challenges facing the Ummah. To promote cooperation and solidarity among Member States in the pursuit of our common goals enshrined in the Charter. Expanding the country’s economy and activating and mobilizing small and medium enterprises.
