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PR. No.179/2008

Date: 18/06/2008   

STATEMENT BY

H.E. MAKHDOOM SHAH MAHMOOD QURESHI FOREIGN MINISTER OF PAKISTAN

AT

THE 35 TH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL OF FOREIGN MINISTERS

KAMPALA , REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

18 JUNE 2008

His Excellency Professor Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanogulu, OIC Secretary General,

Distinguished Foreign Ministers,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to address this august gathering of the Ummah, representing more than a billion people. The presence of His Excellency, President Mussevini amongst us today reflects the importance which Uganda attaches to this organization.

I would like to congratulate Uganda for assuming the Chairmanship of the Organization of the Islamic Conference at the Foreign Ministers level. Mr. Chairman I assure you of Pakistan 's complete support and cooperation in making this conference a success.

We are grateful to the Government and the people of Uganda for making excellent arrangements for this conference and for the generous hospitality being extended to us.

I would also like to express my appreciation to the OIC Secretary General Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanogulu and his team for their commitment, dedication and efforts to reform and revitalize this Organization and to make it responsive to the aspirations of the people of the Islamic World.

Excellencies,

The current session of the Council of Foreign Ministers takes place almost a year after the 34 th Foreign Ministers meeting held at Islamabad in May 2007, which was a landmark event. Besides addressing a wide range of issues concerning the Ummah, the Islamabad meeting was significant as it was after a long time that all 57 Member States of the Organization participated in a Foreign Ministers Conference.

I would now like to briefly recall the significant achievements of the Ummah since Pakistan assumed the Chairmanship of the Foreign Ministers conference last year.

The revision of the OIC Charter was clearly the most significant accomplishment over the last one year. This process was characterized by a free and frank exchange on a wide spectrum of issues pertaining to the structure and working of the Organization and its future role. It was a difficult process and at times the task appeared to be insurmountable. However, with the collective wisdom and commitment of the Member States and in the spirit of compromise, we were crowned with success at the Summit in Dakar . In this context, I would like to pay tribute to the leadership of President Abdoulaye Wade and Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio for providing leadership in reaching the landmark agreement that will transform OIC into a modern and effective organization, fully capable of safeguarding the interests of the Ummah in the 21 st century.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Ministerial-level Annual Coordination Meeting, convened during Pakistan's Chairmanship, on the sidelines of the 62 nd United Nations General Assembly session in 2007, was instrumental in producing an outcome document that addressed many critical issues facing the Ummah. These included the finalization of the mandate for a legally binding instrument on discrimination and instigation of hatred against any religion - a decision that was emphatically endorsed by the Summit in Dakar . Such an instrument is necessitated by the increasing trend in recent years to insult Islam. We cannot accept such malicious attempts to defame our religion by certain persons on the pretext of freedom of speech. Such acts undermine the principles and purpose of the UN Charter to promote friendly relations amongst the nations. We think that OIC should continue to engage the Western countries on this issue.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Palestinian tragedy continues to be one of the fundamental stimulants of discontent in the Muslim World. The OIC continues to offer unstinted support to the Palestinian people for their inalienable right to self-determination, establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital and the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their homes. An important development under the Chairmanship of Pakistan was the Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee held in February 2008. This Meeting mandated the Secretary General to contact influential international stakeholders and the United Nations with a view to seeking an end to a pattern of Israeli hostilities and the ensuing humanitarian crisis.

In South Asia, Pakistan remains committed to the peaceful resolution of the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. In my meeting with the Indian External Affairs Minister, Parnab Mukhrjee last month for the review of the fourth round of Pakistan-India Composite Dialogue, we exchanged views on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and agreed to continue discussions to build on convergences and narrow down divergences. We also agreed to continue the implementation of a number of Kashmir related CBMs with the view to alleviating the sufferings of the Kashmiri people. However, Pakistan remains deeply concerned over the widespread and continued human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. A number of reputed human rights activists and organizations as well as international media, including Indian media, have voiced grave concerns over the human rights violations in Kashmir .

The OIC continues to extend support to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. We thank Ambassador Izzat Kamil Mufti, Secretary General's Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir , for his sustained efforts, founded in a succession of OIC resolutions in support of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people. We would also like to convey Pakistan 's profound gratitude for OIC's support to the Kashmiri people in their valiant struggle to achieve their right to self-determination. We hope that the recommendations contained in the Report of Special Representative's visit to Azad Kashmir in March 2007 will be implemented in a time-bound manner.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A number of other important events and developments took place over the last one year. These included the first ever conference of OIC Health Ministers in Malaysia; the 36 th Session of the Permanent Finance Committee that adopted a package of financial reforms in the OIC; the 13 th General Assembly of the COMSTECH, which implemented the decisions of the Ministers to transform the COMSTECH Secretariat into a Specialized Organ; and the two meetings of the COMCEC characterized by initiatives such as Halal Food Standards and the impact of the ongoing international food and energy crises on the Member States' economies.

Pakistan participated actively in all OIC meetings and contributed significantly towards their successful outcome. We upheld our tradition of concrete expression of commitment towards important initiatives within the OIC framework by signing and ratifying the Preferential Tariff Scheme for TPS-OIC (PRETAS). Pakistan remains fully committed to continuing its active role on all matters of importance including issues of human rights, tackling Islamophobia and matters pertaining to developments in science and technology.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

OIC is the second largest International Organization after the United Nations. It represents the voices and aspirations of almost one-sixth of the entire humanity. As we all gather here today, recalling the achievements of the past one year, it is also a moment to reflect upon the fact that OIC is still far from realizing its true potential. Most of us still do not project OIC's position in other international forums nor do we vote for our endorsed candidates in elections to various international bodies. We need to change this if we want to be noticed and taken seriously by the world. This is a doable goal.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As I hand over the Chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers now, I am doing so with the confidence and belief that the organization will make significant strides in the next one year under the leadership of the brotherly country of Uganda .

I thank you all.

Islamabad

18 June 2008