Jeddah (UNA) - The twenty-fourth regular session of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) kicked off today, Sunday (November 24, 2024) at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The session will continue until November 28, with the participation of representatives of the member states and observer states of the organization, in addition to its national institutions concerned with human rights, and experts from relevant international and regional organizations.
This session was devoted to focusing on the topic of “The Right to Health: From an Islamic Perspective and a Human Rights Perspective,” and the discussion was moderated by the Chairman of the Independent Permanent Commission for Human Rights, Ambassador Talal Khaled Saad Al-Mutairi.
At the beginning of the opening session of the session, His Excellency Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, delivered a speech in which he stressed that the process of developing and providing health care is a priority within the framework of the areas of joint work identified by the Organization in its work program until 2025, and its strategic work program in the field of health 2014-2023, as an integral part of the efforts of comprehensive human development, social and economic progress, and poverty alleviation in the member states.
Taha explained that, to date, the OIC member states have held seven sessions of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers, all of which focused on addressing issues and challenges related to public health in the member states.
For her part, Professor Noura bint Zaid Mubarak Al-Rashoud, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, expressed her appreciation for the moral and logistical support and distinguished services provided by the host country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister, to enable this important body to perform its work, role, tasks and responsibilities effectively and independently.
“We feel pain when we witness and condemn the crimes and atrocities of genocide committed with impunity by the Israeli occupation regime in the Gaza Strip and other parts of the occupied Palestinian territories,” she said in her speech.
Al-Rashoud explained that the Authority seeks to establish a balanced and enforceable basis that encourages adherence to human rights standards while respecting the cultural and religious values of member states.
As for the focus of the session’s discussions, Al-Rashoud stressed the role of governments and international bodies in addressing disparities and differences in access to quality health care, especially for marginalized groups such as low-income families, populations in rural areas, refugees, and individuals with disabilities.
In this regard, she urged participants in the discussions to explore strategies to reduce health disparities, including policy reforms, targeted financing, and public-private partnerships.
In turn, His Excellency Ambassador Talal Khaled Saad Al-Mutairi, Chairman of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that health is not a privilege for a few, but rather a basic right for all, indicating that the true strength of society lies in its commitment to ensuring the right of every individual to live a healthy and dignified life.
Zehra Selcuk, Director General of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), referred in her speech to the serious challenges facing the world, pointing to the inhumane attacks on Palestine and Lebanon that have left a tragic toll and loss of life.
Regarding the role of the media in promoting the right to health, His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Abdul Rabbo Al-Yami, Director General of the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of the Islamic World (UNA), spoke, indicating that contributing to promoting health and ensuring easy access to its services is a shared responsibility among all sectors, including the media sector with its various traditional and new means and channels.
Al-Yami also pointed out the important role of mass media in raising awareness and knowledge of health issues, and transmitting and disseminating correct information to reduce the spread of rumours about diseases.
In the first session, Dr. Mohamed Ezz El-Din, a United Nations expert, spoke about the international legal normative and Islamic perspective on human rights regarding the right to health, followed by Dr. Abdel Fattah bin Auf from the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, and legal expert Dr. Reda Mahmoud Al-Abd, who spoke about the same topic from different angles.
In the second session, “Institutional Perspectives on the Right to Health, Challenges and Opportunities” were explained and clarified. This session was enriched by the speech of His Excellency Ambassador Aftab Ahmed Khokhar, Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology at the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The second session concluded with the participation of Dr. Ammar Abdo Ahmed, Director of the Human Development Division at the Islamic Development Bank.
The third and final session of the first day’s discussions was titled “Best Practices and Regional Perspectives on the Right to Health.” It featured speeches by Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sidi Mohamed El-Imam, Director of Human Rights at the Commission for Human Rights and Humanitarian Action of the Republic of Mauritania, and Lulwa Al-Duwaish and Abrar Al-Harbi from the Institute of Public Administration in Saudi Arabia.
It is noteworthy that the first day witnessed the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding, including a memorandum of understanding between the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (UNA) and the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission.
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