The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, gave recently a speech before the 22nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In his speech he emphasized the importance of avoiding politicization of the council's resolutions. The secretary General reiterated subscription to the view that this Council's main role should be constructive and remedial, and not judgmental or selective. The Secretary General pointed out that the Human Rights at the OIC is witnessing an increasing importance during the High Level segment each year and it has in fact become now a major pillar of the reform and restructuring exercise. He added that the establishment of OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) - in half the stipulated time - symbolizes the transformation accomplished at the OIC. The IPHRC reflects the resolve - expressed at the highest level in OIC - towards mainstreaming human rights perspective across programs and activities of the organization, he said. Moreover, the Secretary General stressed that the Commission - operationalized last year - developed its Rules of Procedures (RoP) in a record time. It has clearly identified rights of women and children as well as human rights education and Right to Developments as the first list of priorities. Prof. Ihsanoglu pointed out that the IPHRC deserves encouragement as the World's first cross-regional human rights' mechanism. As for the situation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Prof. Ihsanoglu said it constitutes a major concern of OIC with particular reference to their right to citizenship. On Palestine the Secretary General reiterated the urgent necessity for this Council to address the long standing and permanent sufferings of Palestinian people. The Israeli occupation and policies pose a continuing threat to the entire body of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories. Key issues including the Palestinian refugees; Civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in Occupied East Jerusalem; settlements in the occupied Arab territories; apartheid wall; blockade of Gaza Strip; and the Palestinian prisoners have all been riddled with violations of the whole range of Human Rights, Prof. Ihsanoglu emphasized.
