OIC: A project for the benefit of the children of Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Central Africa

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is currently working in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank to design a project which aims at providing humanitarian aid for the benefit of children in the respective conflict areas of Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the Central African Republic. In addition, the OICDepartment of Humanitarian Affairs has collaborated with the Qatif Charity Organization in launching a project for providing education and health care for the children of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Othaimeen explained in his speech at the tenth session of the Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah on 29 November 2016, that this project is similar to the initiative taken by the OIC after the 2004 tsunami disaster, which isestablishing an Islamic alliance in coordination with the Islamic humanitarian organizations and OIC Member States to provide humanitarian assistance to the children victims of the tsunami.

The Secretary General said that " the protection and promotion of children’s rights in situations of armed conflict, foreign occupation,emergencies and disasters", which is the theme of the current session of the Commission, comes at a time when conflicts and crises as well as humanitarian emergencies infringe on children’srights and the international human rights law. He warned that children in these circumstances may be separated from their families and be subjected to violence, mistreatment and forced labour because of poverty, or may be forced to join armed militias.

In his statement, the Chair of the Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights, Ambassador Abdul Wahab congratulated HE Dr. Othaimeen on his unanimous election to the post of Secretary General of the Organization of IslamicCooperation. He said that the Commission has decided to address the issue of children’s rights since its first session, stressing that Member States have made a positive progress in the field of children’s rights, in the context of the Covenant of the Child in Islam.

The IPHRC session, 27 November to 1 December, is witnessing extensive discussions on all the issues on its agenda, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Member States of the Organization, and human rights violations in Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir. The usual meetings of the fourworking groups on Palestine, the rights of women and children, Islamophobia and Muslim groups and communities, and the right to development are also being held to discuss and adopt the reports and studies prepared by the members of the Commission.