JEDDAH, 18 January — The new secretary-general of the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference has called for reactivating the 56-member body to play a significant role at international level.
Dr. Abdelouhed Belkziz, who took charge on Monday, also highlighted OIC's role in settling disputes and promoting economic, cultural, scientific and technological cooperation among the member states.
Belkziz, a senior Moroccan diplomat, said he was determined to take the organization to new heights. "I have 48 months to work for the betterment of the OIC and improve the functioning of its various agencies," he added.
"All OIC agencies should work hard to carry out their mission in the desired manner, conducting accurate studies and research on various topics, keeping them available for the member states," he said.
The secretary-general hinted at restructuring the organization, if necessary, to make it a more dynamic and effective body. He also called for a new approach to reduce the gulf between the OIC states and other nations.
"We should make use of the weightage of Muslim countries, which are large in number, to mobilize support for Islamic causes," he said.
A former Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and information, Belkziz replaces Dr. Azeddine Laraki who served as OIC secretary-general for the last four years. Belkziz is currently holding meetings with his assistants and senior OIC officials to set out future plans.
The secretary-general commended Saudi Arabia's generous support to the organization since its inception. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd has issued orders to allocate land for building a permanent building for the OIC headquarters.
The OIC, the largest grouping of Muslim countries established about 30 years ago, has been instrumental in mobilizing international support for Muslim causes and issues such as Palestine, Bosnia, Kashmir and Chechnya.
The organization was formally launched in May 1971. Its secretariat became operational after a summit meeting of Muslim heads of state in Rabat, Morocco, on Sept. 22-25, 1969. The conference followed the burning of Al-Aqsa mosque by a Zionist holding Israeli and Australian nationalities. The Israeli government tried to temper the criminal act by claiming that the saboteur was insane.
Belkziz said Muslims all over the Islamic world were pinning great hope on the organization. He stressed the role of OIC general secretariat in Jeddah in strengthening the organization and activating its various agencies. He also called for promoting contacts with regional and international organizations.
He emphasized the need for spreading the message of Islam to make its tolerant voice heard by the world and project its glittering image. He described the Islamic summit in Doha as successful and urged to follow up the resolutions of the conference.
