By Lamin Cham
The preparatory meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers for the OIC Banjul summit opens today at the Sir Dawda Jawara International Conference Centre.
The two-day meeting will consider the results of the senior officials meeting which preceded it on Tuesday and in turn submit its report to the summit of heads of state starting Saturday.
The senior officials meeting was formally opened by Permanent Secretary Lang Yabou of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who welcomed the delegates and senior technical officials of all the OIC member countries.
The Banjul Summit, under the slogan “Promoting Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development” will discuss issues on the organisation’s agenda and the challenges facing member states.
The leaders of the member states will discuss the political issues of the Islamic world, most notably the Palestinian issue, the economic, humanitarian, social and cultural issues, youth and women issues, the family, science and technology, the media, Muslim communities and groups in non-member states of the organisation, and legal issues. The summit will also discuss issues related to rejecting hate speech and Islamophobia, promoting dialogue, and issues of climate change and food security.
During the summit, the Secretary-General will present a report reviewing the most prominent activities, programs and projects undertaken by the organisation since the previous session of the Islamic Summit Conference. The fifteenth session will issue a final statement that includes the organisation’s positions on the issues presented to the summit, a resolution on Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and the Banjul Declaration.
