Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid calls for greater Islamic unity and solidarity in the face of global challenges at the 47th Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
He made these comments while speaking at the 47th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 27 and 28 November 2020. The meeting, held under the theme “United against Terrorism for Peace and Development”, brought together the 57 Foreign Ministers of the OIC Member States who deliberated on the general policy of the organization as well as discussed issues important to the Muslim Ummah.
In his statement delivered at the meeting, Minister Shahid outlined the COVID-19 situation in the Maldives, including its health, social and economic effects. He said that the Government of Maldives had to take unprecedented and difficult measures to curb the virus, which resulted in a lot of adverse economic effects. He further drew attention to the particular vulnerability of smaller states within the OIC to the COVID-19 pandemic and called for greater concessional financing to aid with recovery and resilience.
He welcomed the Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, announced under Saudi Arabia’s G20 Presidency.
Minister Shahid called on all Member States to unconditionally reject terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He also called for a mechanism where the OIC and the wider international community works together to counter the prevailing atmosphere of Islamophobia around the world, that has afflicted the lives of many Muslims.
Moreover, he said that the people of Palestine are facing even more hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as they struggle for freedom and combat the virus. Minister Shahid, once again, reiterated Maldives’ call for a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine. He declared that the aspirations of the Maldivian people for the peaceful Middle East is tied to that of the people of Palestine.
Minister Shahid also said that gender equality is essential to ensuring a peaceful society and inclusive Ummah. This is why, he said, the Maldives joined the OIC’s Women’s Development Organization last year and took part in the First Ministerial Meeting of the OIC Women’s Development Organization in October of this year. He urged those countries who are not yet members of the organization to join and contribute towards achieving gender parity.
In addition to delivering a statement, Minister Shahid met with a number of his counterparts including the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, The Gambia, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mauritania, and Senegal. Minister Shahid was accompanied by His Excellency Mohamed Khaleel, Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the OIC, and Mr. Ahmed Salman Zaki, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
