Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Co-operation addresses OSCE, stresses need to jointly counter religious intolerance

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC), addressed the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 29 November 2012 and stressed the need to jointly address intolerance and discrimination on religious grounds.

Ihsanoglu underlined that intolerance and racial discrimination based on religious beliefs and faith pose a serious threat to global security, and emphasized the need for the OIC and the OSCE to work together in addressing the issue.

“The OIC and OSCE are uniquely positioned to adopt a common strategy in addressing the vexing issue of religious intolerance,” Ihsanoglu said. “I would urge you to pool our resources together and develop a network to reach the common people in raising awareness of the malaise of fanning hatred and violence. Our common goal must be devoted to developing a culture of peaceful cohabitation among diverse civilizations.”

He said that strengthening human rights within the OIC is a priority, and stressed that the OIC also laid “great emphasis on the cause of empowering women”, seeking to address the issues concerning women and facilitate their access to opportunities for their empowerment.‬ ‬

Ihsanoglu stressed the importance the OIC attaches to developing co-operation with the OSCE as a “relevant partner for furthering the historical reconciliation initiative, human rights and democratization”.‬

Eight of the OIC’s 57 OIC members are also participating States of the OSCE.

The Permanent Council is one of the OSCE's main regular decision-making bodies. It convenes weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make decisions