OIC 10 year plan outlined

Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia- SPA-Dulkedah,6 1426- December,8 2005(IINA)
Based on the views and recommendations of scholars and intellectuals, convinced of the potential for the Muslim Ummah to achieve its renaissance, and in order to take practical steps towards strengthening the bonds of Islamic solidarity, achieve unity of ranks, and project the true image and noble values of Islam, a Ten-Year program of Action has been developed, which reviews the most prominent challenges facing the Muslim world today, as well as ways and means to address them in an objective and realistic way in order to serve as a practicable and workable program for all OIC member states.
In the intellectual and political fields, there are major issues, such as establishing the values of moderation and tolerance, combating extremism, violence and terrorism, countering Islamophobia, achieving solidarity and cooperation among member states, conflict prevention, the question of Palestine, the rights of Muslim minorities and communities, and rejecting unilateral sanctions. All of these are issues which require a renewed commitment to be addressed through effective strategies.
In the economic and scientific fields, the Ummah needs to achieve higher levels of development and prosperity, given its abundant economic resources and capacities. Priority must be given to enhancing economic cooperation, intra-OIC trade, alleviating poverty in OIC member states, particularly in conflict-affected areas, and addressing issues related to globalization, economic liberalization, environment, and science and technology.
As for education and culture, there is an urgent need to tackle the spread of illiteracy and low standards of education at all levels as well as a need to redress ideological deviation. In the social field, it is imperative to focus on the rights of women, children and the family.
In implementing the new vision and goals for the Muslim world, the role of the OIC is central, which requires its reform in a way that meets the hopes and aspirations of the Ummah in the 21st century.
To achieve this new vision and mission for a brighter, more prosperous and dignified future for the Ummah, we, the Kings and Heads of State of the OIC member states, decide to adopt the following Ten-Year Program of Action, with a mid-term review, for immediate implementation.
1. Intellectual and political issues
I. Political Will
1. Demonstrate the necessary political will in order to translate the anticipated new vision into concrete reality and call upon the Secretary General to take necessary steps to submit practical proposals to the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
2. Urge member states to fully implement the provisions of the OIC charter and resolutions.
II. Solidarity, joint Islamic action
1. Demonstrate strong commitment and credibility in Joint Islamic Action by effective implementation of OIC resolutions, and limit the adoption of resolutions to those that can be practically implemented. In this context, the Secretary General should be empowered to fully play his role in following up the implementation of all OIC resolutions.
2. Affirm commitment to Islamic solidarity among the OIC member states vis-à-vis the challenges and threats faced or experienced by the Muslim Ummah, and endeavor to develop a legal framework to define member states duties and obligations in this regard.
3. Participate and coordinate effectively in all regional and international forums, in order to protect and promote the collective interests of the Muslim Ummah, including UN reform, expanding the Security Council membership, and extending the necessary support to candidatures of OIC member states to international and regional organizations.
4. Continue to support the issue of Al Quds Al Sharif as a central cause of the OIC and the Muslim Ummah, and support the struggle of Muslim peoples to safeguard their legitimate rights.
III. Moderation in Islam
1. Endeavor to spread the correct ideas about Islam as a religion of moderation and tolerance in order to fortify Muslims against extremism and narrow-mindedness.
2. Condemn extremism in all its forms and manifestations, as it contradicts Islamic and human values; and address its political, economic, social, and cultural root-causes, which are to be faced with rationality, persuasion, and good counsel.
3. Emphasize the inter-civilizational dialogue, based on mutual respect and understanding, and equality are prerequisites for international peace and security, peaceful co-existence, and participation in developing the mechanism for that dialogue.
4. Encourage inter-religious dialogue and underline common values and denominators.
5. Ensure the OIC s participation as a proactive partner in the dialogue among civilizations and religions, as well as in initiatives and efforts exerted in this regard.
6. Utilize the different mass media in order to serve and defend the causes of the Muslim Ummah, promote the noble principles and values of Islam, and correct misconceptions about it.
7. Strive for the teaching of Islamic education, culture, civilization, and the jurisprudence and literature of difference; call on member states to co-operate amongst themselves in order to develop balanced educational curricula that promote values of tolerance, human rights, openness, and understanding of other religions and cultures; reject fanaticism and extremism, and establish pride in the Islamic identity.
IV. The Islamic Fiqh Academy (IFA)
1. Reform the Islamic Fiqh Academy to make it the supreme jurisprudential authority for the Muslim Ummah, adopt competence and jurisprudential, scholarly, and professional aptitude as criteria for the membership of the IFA; and mandate the OIC Secretary-General to convene eminent persons to select the working group that will conduct the detailed study to develop the IFA s work in accordance with the following objectives:
a. Coordinate religious ruling 9fatwa) authorities in the Muslim world.
b. Combat religious and sectarian extremism, refrain from accusing Islamic schools of heresy, emphasize dialogue among them, and strengthen balance, moderation, and tolerance.
c. Refute fatwas that take Muslims away from the parameters and constants of their religion and its established schools.
V. Combating terrorism
1. Emphasize the condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, and reject any justification or rationalization for it, consider it as a global phenomenon that is not connected with any religion, race, color, or country, and distinguish it from the legitimate resistance to foreign occupation, which does not sanction the killing of innocent people.
2. Introduce comprehensive qualitative changes to national laws and legislations in order to criminalize all terrorist practices as well as all practices to support, finance, or instigate terrorism.
3. Affirm commitment to the OIC convention on combating terrorism participate actively in international counter-terrorism efforts, and endeavor to implement the recommendations of the International Conference on Combating Terrorism, held in Riyadh in February 2005, including the establishment of an International Center for Combating Terrorism, as well as the recommendations of the Special Meeting of OIC Foreign Ministers on Terrorism, held in Kuala Lumpur in April 2002.
4. Support efforts to develop an International Code of Conduct to Combat Terrorism.
VI. Combating Islamophobia
1. Emphasize the responsibility of the international community, including all governments, to ensure respect for all religions and combat their defamation.
2. Affirm the need to counter Islamophobia, through establishing an observatory at the OIC General Secretariat to monitor all forms of Islamophobia, issue an annual report thereon, and ensure cooperation with international Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) in the West in order to counter Islamophobia.
3. Endeavor to have the United Nations adopt an international resolution to counter Islamophobia, and call upon all States to enact laws to counter it, including deterrent punishments.
4. Initiate a structured and sustained dialogue with the parties concerned in order to project the true values of Islam and empower Muslim countries to help in the war against extremism and terrorism.
VII. Human Rights
1. Seriously endeavor to enlarge the scope of political participation, ensure equality, public liberties, social justice, transparency, and accountability, and eliminate corruption in the OIC member states.
2. Call upon the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers to consider the possibility of establishing an independent permanent body to promote human rights in the member states, in accordance with the provisions of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam.
3. Mandate the OIC general secretariat to cooperate with other international and regional organizations to protect the rights of Muslim minorities and communities in non-OIC member states, and promote close cooperation with the governments of the states hosting Muslim communities.
VIII. Palestine and occupied Arab territories
1. Make all efforts to end the Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan, and the rest of the occupied Lebanese territories, and extend effective support for the Palestinian people s right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
2. Maintain a united stand on the comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian question according to OIC resolutions, UN resolutions (242, 338, 1515 and UN General Assembly Resolution 194), the Arab Peace Initiative, and the Roadmap, in concert and consultation with the UN, the Quartet, and other stakeholders, such as to make full withdrawal as a prerequisite for establishing normal relations with Israel, and for providing the OIC with a greater role in establishing peace.
3. Support the efforts of Al-Quds Committee in protecting the Palestinian presence in Al-Quds and safeguarding the city of Al-Quds heritage and Arab and Islamic identity, affirm the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its facilities against any violations, counter the policy of judaization of the Holy City, and support the Palestinian institutions in Al-Quds and establish the University of Al-Aqsa.
4. Extend full support to the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to negotiate for the inalienable Palestinian rights and extend necessary assistance to ensure control of all Palestinian territories, international crossings, reopen Gaza airport and seaport, and connect Gaza with the West Bank in order to ensure free movement of the Palestinians.
5. Work together wit the international community to compel Israel to stop and dismantle its settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the occupied Syrian Golan; remove the racist separation wall built inside the Palestinian territories, including within and around the city of Al-Quads, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
IX. Conflict resolution and peace building
1. Enhance cooperation among the OIC member states and between the OIC and international and regional organizations in order to protect the common rights and interests of the member states in conflict resolution and in peacekeeping and confidence building.
2. Strengthen the role of the OIC in confidence-building, peacekeeping and conflict resolution in the Muslim world.
X. Reform of the OIC
1. Reform the OIC through restructuring, and consider changing its name, review its Charter and activities and provide it with highly qualified manpower, in such a manner as to promote its role, reactivate its institutions and strengthen its relations with NGOs in the OIC member states; empower the secretary-general to discharge his duties and provide him with the necessary powers and sufficient flexibility and the resources that enable him to carry out the tasks assigned to him.
2. Establish a mechanism for the follow-up of resolutions by creating an Executive Body, comprising and the summit and Ministerial Troikas the OIC host country, and the General Secretariat. The Member State concerned should be invited to participate in the deliberations of these meetings.
3. Call for strengthening all OIC specialized and affiliated organs in order to play their aspired role, and reinforce coordination with the General Secretariat, and request it to review the activities of these organs and dissolve those that prove to be inefficient.
4. Mandate the Secretary General to prepare a study to strengthen the role of Islamic Solidarity Fund and develop Fund and develop it, and submit the study to the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
5. Urge Member States to pay in full and on time their mandatory contributions to the General Secretariat and Subsidiary Organs, in accordance with relevant resolutions, in order to enable Member States to avail themselves of the facilities and services offered by OIC subsidiary organs and specialized and affiliated institutions.
2. Development, social economic and scientific issues
i-Economic Cooperation
Call upon the Member States to sign and ratify all existing OIC trade and economic agreements, and to Implement the provisions of the relevant OIC Plan of Action to Strengthen Economic and Commercial Cooperation among OIC Member State.
. Mandate COMCEC to promote measures to expand the scope of intra-OIC trade, and to consider the possibility of establishing a Free Trade Zone between the Member State in order to achieve greater economic integration to raise it to a percentage of 20% of the overall trade volume during the period covered by the plan.
Promote endeavors for institutionalized and enhanced cooperation between OIC and regional and international institutions working in the economic and commercial fields.
Support OIC Member States in their efforts to accede to the World trade Organization (WTO), and promote concerted positions between the member States within the WTO.
Call upon the OIC Member States to facilitate the freedom of movement of businessmen and investors among them, and conduct a feasibility study on the Draft Makkah Visa Agreement for Businessmen proposed by the Islamic Chamber for Commerce and Industry.
Support expanding electronic commerce among the OIC Member States and call on the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry to strengthen its activities in the field of data and expertise exchanges between chambers of commerce of the member States.
Call upon the Member States to coordinate their environmental for a so as to prevent any adverse effects of such policies on their economic development.
II. Supporting the Islamic Development Bank
Consider achieving development programmes, eliminating illiteracy for both genders, eradicating diseases and epidemics, particularly Polio and AIDS, and combating poverty and unemployment, as urgent strategic objectives of he Muslim Ummah; strive also to mobilize all available resources in order to achieve these objectives by establishing an IDB special fund. As a concrete expression of the unity and interdependence of the Muslim World, each OIC Member State should allocate an annual percentage of its budget, according to its financial resources, however little it may be. The IDB Board of Governors should be entrusted to implement the above proposals.
Commission the IDB Board of Governors to consider making a substantial increase in the Bank s authorized, subscribed, and paid-up capital, so as to enable it to strengthen its role in providing financial support and technical assistance to OIC member States, and strengthen the Islamic Corporation for Trade Finance recently established within the IDB
Urge the IDB to develop its mechanisms and programmes aimed at cooperation with the private sector and to consider streamlining and activating its decision-making process.
Urge the IDB and its institutions to study and explore investment opportunities and intra-OIC t4rade, and to conduct other feasibility studies to provide the necessary information to develop0 and promote joint ventures.
III. Social solidarity in the face of natural disasters
Islam advocates solidarity with, and assistance to all the needy without discrimination, which requires the Islamic States to avoid and adopt a clear strategy on Islamic relief action and support the trend towards cooperation and coordination between individual relief efforts of Islamic States and Islamic civil society institutions on the one hand, and between those of international civil society institutions and organizations on the other hand.
IV. Supporting development and poverty alleviation in Africa.
Promote activities aimed at achieving economic and social development in African countries, including supporting industrialization, energizing trade and investment, transferring technology, alleviating their debt burden and poverty, and eradicating diseases; welcome the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).
Call upon the Member States to poverty in the Least-Developed Member States of the OIC.
Support the efforts of the Low-income OIC Members States to find effective ways and mechanisms to alleviate their external debt burden.
Urge international specialized institutions and organizations to exert greater efforts to alleviate poverty in the Least- Developed Member States and assist Muslim societies, the refugees and displaced in the OIC Member States, and Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States to contribute to the World Fund for Solidarity and Combating Poverty.
V. Higher Education, Science and Technology.
Effectively improve and reform higher education institutions and curricula, link postgraduate studies to the comprehensive development plans of the Islamic World. At the same time, priority should be given to science and technology and facilitating academic interaction and exchange of knowledge among the academic institutions of Members States.
Urge the member States to strive for quality education that promotes creativity, innovation, and research and development.
Assimilate highly-qualified Muslims within the Muslim World, develop a comprehensive strategy in order to utilize their competencies and prevent brain migration phenomenon.
Call upon Islamic countries to encourage research and development programmes, taking into account that the global percentage of this activity is 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and request Member States to ensure that their individual contribution is not inferior to half of this percentage.
Study feasibility of creating an OIC Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements by Muslim scientists.
Encourage public and private national research institution to invest I technology capacity-building.
Review the performance of the OIC-affiliated universities so as to improve their effectiveness and efficiency, and call for participation in the two Waqfs (Endowments) dedicated t the two universities in Niger and Uganda.
Urge the IDB to further enhance its programme of scholarships for outstanding students and HI-Tech specializations aimed at developing the scientific, technical, and research capabilities of scientists and researchers in the Members States.
VI. Right of Women, Children, and the Family in the Muslim World.
Strengthen laws aimed at enhancing the advancement of women in Muslim societies in economic, cultural, social, and political fields, in accordance with Islamic values of justice and equality: and aimed also at protecting women from all forms of violence and discrimination and adhering to the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Di8scrimination against Women.
Give special attention to women s education and female literacy.
Expedite developing The Covenant on the Rights of Women in Islam , in accordance with Resolution NO. 60/27-P and the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam.
Strive to provide free, compulsory, and quality primary education for all children.
Strength laws aimed at preserving the rights of children, enjoying the highest possible health levels, taking effective measures in order to eradicate poliomyelitis and protect them from all forms of violence and exploitation
Encourage the Member States to sign and ratify the OIC Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam, the United Nations Deceleration on the Rights of the Child in Islam, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its annexed Optional Protocols, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol with regard to the Girl Child.
Call upon the OIC to contribute towards projecting Islam as a religion that guarantees full protection of women s rights and encourages their participation in all walks of life.
Accord necessary attention to the family as the principal nucleus of the Muslim society, exert all possible efforts, at all levels, to face up to the contemporary social challenges confronting the Muslim family and affecting its cohesion, on the basis of Islamic values.
VII. Mass Media
Call upon TV channels and the mass media to deal with in International mass media effectively in order to enable the Muslim world to express its perspective on international developments.
Call on the mass media in Member States, including satellite channels, to agree on a Code of Ethics that caters for diversity and pluralism and safeguards the Ummah s values and interests.
Mandate the Secretary-General too prepare a report to evaluate the current situation of IINA, ISBO, and the OIC information Development; consider ways and means to activate the role and mechanisms of the media within the framework of the OIC System; and submit proposals, in this regards, to the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers for consideration.
VIII. Cultural Exchange among Member States
1. Accord attention to Arabic as the language of Qur an develop programmes for translation between the languages of the Muslim Ummah, and implement programs of cultural exchanges among the OIC Member States, including Observer States