Hissein Taha: Saudi Chairmanship of Islamic and Arab Summits will Give Impetus to Coordinating Solutions to Common Issues

H.E. the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, attended the opening ceremony of the thirty-second session of the Council of the League of Arab States (LAS) at the summit level, which began its proceedings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, 19 May 2023.

The OIC Secretary-General began his statement delivered in the opening session by offering his sincere congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for chairing the current session of the Council of the League of Arab States, stressing his confidence that the concurrent chairmanship of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the current Arab and Islamic summits will give new impetus to cooperation between the two organizations, through coordination of efforts to address common issues and contribution to finding appropriate solutions to challenges within the multilateral framework. 

The Secretary-General also commended the efforts made by the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria to promote joint Arab action during its chairmanship of the previous session.
Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha said that the Arab summit is taking place in delicate circumstances and challenges facing the Arab and Muslim worlds, a matter that requires strengthening cooperation and solidarity and intensifying efforts and coordination, especially with regard to the Palestinian issue, which is central to the Arab and Muslim worlds. 

This summit convenes at a time we witness the continued obstruction of the horizon of a political solution and the escalation of the brutal Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people, its land, and holy sites, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Secretary-General also expressed deep concern about the crisis in Sudan, recalling the OIC's call for an urgent and permanent cease-fire and resorting to dialogue to resolve differences, reiterating that the OIC welcomed the joint Saudi-US initiative to start preliminary talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Jeddah. He called on the Sudanese parties to give priority to the national interest of Sudan in order to preserve its unity and achieve the aspirations of its people.

The Secretary-General stressed the keenness of the OIC on supporting all efforts to remove the causes of tension, overcome the obstacles of the past, and achieve peace, security and stability in Yemen, Libya and Syria, in addition to strengthening solidarity with Somalia to help it overcome the difficulties.

Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha looked forward to strengthening solidarity with the countries of the Sahel region and the Lake Chad basin, which share close historical and geographical ties with the Arab world. He further looked forward to the much-needed intensive coordination between the OIC and the League of Arab States in various fields, such as empowering women and youth, combating terrorism and extremism, and addressing hate speech and Islamophobia.

May 19, 2023