ORGANISATON OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) AND

ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE (OIC)

Prepared by

DR. AFROZ ALAM

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POLITICS
NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, ORISSA
E-MAIL: [email protected]
[email protected]

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 ORGANISATON OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) AND ORGANISATION OF
ISLAMIC CONFERENCE (OIC)
Structure:
13.0 Objectives
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Organization of American States (OAS)
13.2.1 Membership
13.3 OAS History at a Glance
13.4 Goals and Purposes of OAS
13.5 Main Bodies of OAS
13.5.1 General Assembly
13.5.2 Permanent Council
13.5.3 Meetings of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
13.5.4 Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI)
13.5.5 The General Secretariat
13.6 Activities of the OAS
13.7 The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
13.7.1 Membership
13.7.2 Observers
13.8 Objective and Principles of OIC
13.9 Structure and Organization
13.9.1 Conference of Kings and Heads of State
13.9.2 Conference of Foreign Ministers
13.9.3 The General Secretariat
13.10 Activities of the OIC
13.11 Let Us Sum Up
13.12 Some Useful Books

13.0 Objectives:
The present chapter discusses the formation, aims and objectives, organs and activities of the two extremely
pivotal organisations, namely the Organisation of American States (OAS) and Organisation of Islamic
Conference (OIC). After going through this chapter, you will be able to:
• know the formation, aims and objectives, organs and activities of the two extremely pivotal
organisations, namely the Organisation of American States (OAS) and Organisation of Islamic
Conference (OIC)
• analyse the role of both the organisation in the contemporary global politics.
13.1 Introduction:
The Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), both the
organisations, are in several respects the most significant of the multipurpose regional organisations. This
significance is established on the basis of the elaborate structure, the range and scope of the functions, aims,
and activities of the OAS and OIC and their long, continuous history.
13.2 Organization of American States (OAS):
The Organization of American States (OAS) brings together the nations of the Western Hemisphere to
strengthen cooperation on democratic values, defend common interests and debate the major issues facing
the region and the world. The OAS is the region’s principal multilateral forum for strengthening democracy,
promoting human rights, and confronting shared problems such as poverty, terrorism, illegal drugs and
corruption. It plays a leading role in carrying out mandates established by the hemisphere’s leaders through
the Summits of the Americas. The Organization's official languages are English, French, Portuguese, and

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Spanish. Although Suriname is one of the member states, Dutch is not an official language. Its headquarters
is located in Washington DC, United States.
13.2.1 Membership:
All 35 independent countries of the Americas have ratified the OAS Charter and belong to the Organization.
Cuba remains a member, but its government has been excluded from participation in the OAS since 1962.
On 6 May 2005, President Fidel Castro of Cuba reiterated that the island nation would not "be part of a
disgraceful institution that has only humiliated the honor of Latin American nations". The member countries
are as follows: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of
America, Uruguay, and Venezuela
13.3 OAS History at a Glance:
The notion of closer hemispheric union in the American continent was first put forward by Simón Bolívar
("The Liberator") who, at the 1826 Congress of Panama, proposed creating a league of American republics,
with a common military, a mutual defense pact, and a supranational parliamentary assembly. This meeting
was attended by representatives of Gran Colombia (comprising the modern-day nations of Colombia,
Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela), Peru, the United Provinces of Central America, and Mexico, but the
grandly titled "Treaty of Union, League, and Perpetual Confederation" was ultimately only ratified by Gran
Colombia. Bolívar's dream soon foundered with civil war in Gran Colombia, the disintegration of Central
America, and the emergence of national rather than continental outlooks in the newly independent American
republics.
The pursuit of regional solidarity and cooperation again came to the forefront in 1889–90, at the First
International Conference of American States. Gathered together in Washington, D.C., 18 nations resolved to
found the International Union of American Republics, served by a permanent secretariat called the
Commercial Bureau of the American Republics (renamed the "International Commercial Bureau" at the
Second International Conference in 1901–02). These two bodies, in existence as of 14 April 1890, represent
the point of inception to which today's OAS and its General Secretariat trace their origins.
At the Fourth International Conference of American States (Buenos Aires, 1910), the name of the
organization was changed to the "Union of American Republics" and the Bureau became the "Pan American
Union".
The experience of World War II convinced hemispheric governments that unilateral action could not ensure
the territorial integrity of the American nations in the event of extra-continental aggression. To meet the
challenges of global conflict in the postwar world and to contain conflicts within the hemisphere, they
adopted a system of collective security, the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty)
signed in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro.
The Ninth International Conference of American States was held in Bogotá between March and May 1948
and led by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall, a meeting which led to a pledge by members to fight
communism in the Americas. This was the event that saw the birth of the OAS as it stands today, with the
signature by 21 American countries of the Charter of the Organization of American States on 30 April 1948
(in effect since December 1951). The meeting also adopted the American Declaration of the Rights and
Duties of Man, the world's first general human rights instrument.
The transition from the Pan American Union to OAS was smooth. The Director General of the former,
Alberto Lleras Camargo, became the Organization's first Secretary General. The current Secretary General is
former Chilean foreign minister José Miguel Insulza, who took office in May 2005.
13.4 Goals and Purposes of OAS:
In the words of Article 1 of the Charter, the goal of the member nations in creating the OAS was "to achieve
an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their

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sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence." Article 2 then defines eight essential
purposes:
• To strengthen the peace and security of the continent.
• To promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of
nonintervention.
• To prevent possible causes of difficulties and to ensure the pacific settlement of disputes that may
arise among the member states.
• To provide for common action on the part of those states in the event of aggression.
• To seek the solution of political, judicial, and economic problems that may arise among them
• To promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social, and cultural development.
• To eradicate extreme poverty, which constitutes an obstacle to the full democratic development of the
peoples of the hemisphere.
• To achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons that will make it possible to devote the
largest amount of resources to the economic and social development of the member states.
Over the course of the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, the return to democracy in Latin America, and
the thrust toward globalization, the OAS made major efforts to reinvent itself to fit the new context. Its stated
priorities now include the following:
• Strengthening democracy: Between 1962 and 2002, the Organization sent multinational observation
missions to oversee free and fair elections in the member states on more than 100 occasions. The
OAS also works to strengthen national and local government and electoral agencies, to promote
democratic practices and values, and to help countries detect and defuse official corruption.
• Working for peace: Special OAS missions have supported peace processes in Nicaragua, Suriname,
Haiti, and Guatemala. The Organization has played a leading part in the removal of landmines
deployed in the Americas and it has led negotiations to resolve the continent's remaining border
disputes (Guatemala/Belize; Peru/Ecuador). Work is also underway on the construction of a common
inter-American front to counter the scourge of terrorism.
• Defending human rights: The agencies of the inter-American human rights system provide a venue
for the denunciation and resolution of human rights violations in individual cases. They also monitor
and report on the general human rights situation in the member states.
• Fostering free trade: The OAS is one of the three agencies currently engaged in drafting a treaty that
will establish a hemispheric free trade area from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
• Fighting the drugs trade: The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission was established in
1986 to coordinate efforts and cross border cooperation in this area.
• Promoting sustainable development: The goal of the OAS's Inter-American Council for Integral
Development is to promote economic development and combating poverty. OAS technical
cooperation programs address such areas as river basin management, the conservation of biodiversity,
planning for global climate change, and natural disaster mitigation.
13.5 Main Bodies of OAS:
The OAS operates through a General Assembly, which meets annually and is designated as the supreme
organ. A Permanent Council performs special pacific-settlement functions in addition to serving as the
preparatory committee for the General Assembly and carrying out other directives of the Assembly. Two
other councils, Inter-American Economic and Social Council and Inter-American Council for Education,
Science and Culture, supervise extensive programmes, draft treaties, and initiate conferences under
Assembly guidance. These two councils are merged together to form Inter-American Council for Integral
Development (CIDI) in 1996. In crisis situations a Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
may be summoned at the request of member states. An Inter-American Juridical Committee acts as an
advisory body to the OAS and promotes the development and codification of international law within the
hemisphere. Other agencies include specialised conferences; specialised organisations in such fields as

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agriculture, child welfare, women’s affairs, health, and Indian affairs; and an Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights. The General Secretariat serves as the administering and coordinating arms of the OAS. We
will focus on the important bodies for more details.

13.5.1 General Assembly:

The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization of American States. It is represented by all
the member states, with each state having one vote. It meets annually. In special circumstances and with the
approval of two thirds of the member states, the Permanent Council may convoke a special session of the
General Assembly.
The General Assembly has as its principal powers, in addition to such others as are assigned to it by the
Charter, the following:
• To decide the general action and policy of the Organization, determine the structure and functions of
its organs, and consider any matter relating to friendly relations among the American states;
• To establish measures for coordinating the activities of the organs, agencies, and entities of the
Organization among themselves, and such activities with those of the other institutions of the inter-
American system;
• To strengthen and coordinate cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies;
• To promote collaboration, especially in the economic, social, and cultural fields, with other
international organizations whose purposes are similar to those of the Organization of American
States;
• To approve the program-budget of the Organization and determine the quotas of the member states;
• To consider the reports of the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the
observations and recommendations presented by the Permanent Council with regard to the reports
that should be presented by the other organs and entities, in accordance with the provisions of Article
91.f, as well as the reports of any organ which may be required by the General Assembly itself;
• To adopt general standards to govern the operations of the General Secretariat; and
• To adopt its own rules of procedure and, by a two-thirds vote, its agenda.
The General Assembly exercises its powers in accordance with the provisions of the Charter and of other
inter-American treaties.
13.5.2 Permanent Council:
The Permanent Council is composed of one representative of each member state, especially appointed by the
respective government, with the rank of ambassador. The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization is
the secretary of the Permanent Council and of its subsidiary bodies and committees, as provided in Article
115 of the OAS Charter. The Council holds regular, special, and protocolary meetings, in accordance with its
Rules of Procedure
The Permanent Council of the Organization reports directly to the General Assembly and has the powers
assigned to it by the Charter and the other inter-American instruments and the functions entrusted to it by the
General Assembly and the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
The Permanent Council keeps vigilance over the maintenance of friendly relations among the member states
and, for that purpose, effectively assists them in the peaceful settlement of their disputes. It carries out those
decisions of the General Assembly or of the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs the
implementation of which has not been assigned to any other body. It watches over the observance of the
standards governing the operation of the General Secretariat and, when the General Assembly is not in
session, adopts provisions of a regulatory nature that enable the General Secretariat to carry out its
administrative functions. It acts as the Preparatory Committee. At the request of the member states, it
prepares draft agreements to promote and facilitate cooperation between the OAS and the United Nations
and other inter-American institutions. It submits recommendations to the General Assembly with regard to
the functioning of the Organization and the coordination of its subsidiary organs, agencies, and committees.

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It considers the reports of the organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system and presents to the
General Assembly any observations and recommendations it deems necessary.
It serves provisionally as the Organ of Consultation under Article 83 of the OAS Charter and under the
provisions of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty). It also considers any matter
which the Secretary General of the Organization may bring to its attention under Article 110 of the OAS
Charter and Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
13.5.3 Meetings of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs:
The Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs is held in order to consider problems of an
urgent nature and of common interest to the American states, and to serve as the Organ of Consultation.
Any member state may request that the Meeting of Consultation be called. The request must be addressed to
the Permanent Council of the Organization, which decides by an absolute majority whether a meeting should
be held.
The agenda and regulations of the Meeting of Consultation are prepared by the Permanent Council of the
Organization and submitted to the member states for consideration. When the Council serves as Organ of
Consultation, its proceedings are governed by the provisions of the Rio Treaty. The assistant secretary
general acts as secretary of the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs when the regulations
of the Meeting so provide.
13.5.4 Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI):
CIDI can actually be defined as two things: a political body, as well as a system for promoting new forms of
cooperation. As a political body, it works as a decision-making body composed of a representative, at the
ministerial level or the equivalent, of all OAS member states. CIDI reports to the General Assembly. Its goal
is to promote integral development in the Americas through cooperation among countries. It was created in
1996 by amendment to the OAS Charter. Its sessions take the form of regular annual meetings, but these
sessions can also be special or sectoral meetings to deal with specific topics related to its goal. These
meetings of the council can be convened by the General Assembly, by meetings of OAS Foreign Ministers,
or by CIDI itself.
To promote new forms of cooperation under CIDI, member states support activities to strengthen
hemispheric policy dialogue, to broaden the exchange of knowledge and experience in priority areas of
development, and to facilitate joint and complementary action by and between countries and their
institutions, as well as the international community.
In developing these activities, CIDI is responsible for elaborating a Strategic Plan on cooperation for the
approval of the General Assembly, as well as for formulating sectoral policies, plans and programs that have
been mandated to it. CIDI also develops the budget for the funding of OAS cooperation programs, oversees
the implementation of approved programs, and evaluates their performance and establishes relations with
other international and national cooperation institutions.
13.5.5 The General Secretariat:
The General Secretariat is an administering and coordinating wing of the OAS. It carries out the programmes
and policies set by the political bodies. The Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General are
elected by the General Assembly for a five year term. The Assistant Secretary-General is also the Secretary
of the Permanent Council. The current Secretary General is former Chilean foreign minister José Miguel
Insulza, who took office in May 2005. He restructured the General Secretariat so the priorities of the member
states could be addressed more effectively. In the newly restructured OAS General Secretariat, the
Secretariat for Political Affairs takes the lead in strengthening democratic development and advancing
democratic practices throughout the hemisphere. It has three key areas of emphasis:
• Promoting democracy through such activities as observing elections, advancing sound practices in
political financing, and supporting political party reform and legislative modernization.
• Promoting good governance by helping to instill democratic values in society, strengthening
decentralization and state modernization, and improving transparency and civil society participation.

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• Preventing crises by identifying problems at an early stage, taking action to help defuse them, and
supporting member states in the resolution of bilateral disputes.

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13.6 Activities of the OAS:
The Organization of American States is the world’s oldest regional organization. One of its primary missions
has been to promote technical cooperation and foster social and economic progress in the Hemisphere. In
recent years, the Organization has undergone a significant reform and redefinition of both its mission and
structure, which has included a mandate for promoting multilateral cooperation in the Americas. A new
partnership philosophy to govern multilateral cooperation programs and policies has replaced the traditional
technical assistance mode of institutional behavior that characterized international organizations and donor
countries’ aid programs in the first three decades of post-war international development.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the international community began a thorough review of technical cooperation due
to the widespread conviction that this and other instruments of development assistance entailed an unequal
relationship between donor and recipient. This assistance model was based on an economic concept that
development basically involved the transfer of resources from "have" to "have not" countries, and largely
ignored the notion of cooperation. Projects and programs were for the most part donor driven, which meant
that the donors’ priorities and actions were imposed upon the recipient and did not necessarily respond to the
needs of the developing countries. This often resulted in the duplication of efforts and competition among
donor institutions. In addition, projects were primarily implemented with the use of expatriate rather than
local experts, and did not emphasize the concepts of self-reliance, national capacity building, and
sustainability.
Gradually, a new definition of cooperation began to emerge in which the donor-recipient relationship was
replaced by one of participation and partnership that emphasized joint ownership throughout the
development cycle. Programs and projects were to be more demand-driven, signifying that needs were to be
defined by national governments rather than by the aid agencies. The fundamental goal became one of
improving the internal capacity of the member states to achieve their own sustainable development.
Within the OAS, this new face of cooperation is embodied in the Inter-American Council for Integral
Development (CIDI), which was created in 1996 after a process of consensus building that reconciled the
different levels of development among the 34 member countries of the Organization. Reflecting the specific
characteristics of the Hemisphere, this new partnership approach has some characteristics that are unique to
the OAS and differentiate it from other global institutional arrangements for development cooperation.
Partnership for development in the OAS emphasizes multi-country activities that are carried out within the
framework of eight priority areas. Due to funding limitations, rigorous criteria have been developed to help
the member states assess the quality of the project proposals presented. This concept of competition between
partnership proposals requires strong inter-country collaboration and cooperation in order to develop new
funding mechanisms. CIDI has the potential to play a pivotal role in creating a shared agenda for
development throughout the Hemisphere, and thereby encourage the creation of an integrated community of
nations.
In recent years, the OAS has been called on to respond to numerous political crises in the region, and in
many cases — at the request of member states — it has sent special missions to provide critical support to
the democratic process. One country in which the OAS has been particularly active in the past year is
Nicaragua. In June 2005, responding to issues raised by the government of President Enrique Bolaños, the
OAS General Assembly expressed concern about developments that posed a threat to the separation and
independence of the branches of government. Citing the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the OAS
Charter, the General Assembly called for an OAS mission to help establish a broad national dialogue in that
country. The week after the General Assembly session, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza led a
high-level mission to Nicaragua to support efforts to find democratic solutions to the situation. Insulza
subsequently appointed former Argentine Foreign Minister Dante Caputo — who now heads the OAS
Secretariat for Political Affairs — as a special envoy to facilitate dialogue in Nicaragua. In October, the
government and opposition forged an agreement designed to enhance stability and lead to a national
dialogue. The following month, during the Fourth Summit of the Americas, the hemisphere’s leaders

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recognized the efforts of the OAS and the Secretary General to ensure respect for the democratic regime in
Nicaragua, and called for the OAS to continue lending its support.
In March of this year, the OAS observed elections in Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast region, and its Special
Mission to Accompany the Democratic and Electoral Process in Nicaragua is following the political situation
and monitoring the process leading up to nationwide elections in November. Speaking to the OAS
Permanent Council in April, Chief of Mission Gustavo Fernández Saavedra reiterated the importance that the
OAS mission maintains its independence, without taking sides or giving the impression of taking sides with
any of the political actors. “It is not the responsibility of the Organization of American States to determine
how to overcome possible institutional difficulties within a country, but rather to note its permanent concern
for ensuring that all conflicts are resolved within the rule of law and that each of the institutions is able to
fulfil its functions,” he said.
Last year, acting on instructions from the OAS political bodies and in accordance with the Inter-American
Democratic Charter, the General Secretariat sent special missions to Bolivia and Ecuador to help address
political conflicts and provide assistance in resolving difficult situations. Following an institutional crisis in
Ecuador, the OAS offered support for the establishment of an impartial, independent Supreme Court of
Justice. Insulza appointed two distinguished jurists, Sonia Picado of Costa Rica and José Antonio Viera
Gallo of Chile, as his special representatives to observe the selection process. Members of Ecuador’s new
Supreme Court were sworn in last November. The OAS also played a role in Bolivia, following the June
2005 resignation of President Carlos Mesa. Insulza appointed Ambassador Horacio Serpa of Colombia as his
special representative to facilitate political dialogue and then to head the OAS mission that would observe
the electoral process. On December 18, President Evo Morales was elected in a landslide, through a process
considered free and fair.
In special situations, the OAS plays a longer-term role in helping countries resolve bilateral issues — but
only if both or all the member states involved in the dispute ask for its participation. In September 2005,
Belize and Guatemala signed an agreement at the OAS establishing a framework for negotiations and
confidence-building measures, to help maintain good bilateral relations while they seek to a permanent
solution to their longstanding territorial dispute. The OAS is supporting that effort through its Fund for
Peace. In April of this year, another OAS-supported effort came to a successful conclusion when El Salvador
and Honduras signed a demarcation agreement settling differences over their common border.

Check Your Progress 1

Note: Use the space given below for your answer. Also check your answer with the model answer given at
the end of the Unit.
Q. 1 What are the purposes of the OAS?
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Q. 2 Write a short note on the Inter-American Council for Integral Development.
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13.7 The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC):
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an inter-governmental organization grouping fifty-
seven States. These States decided to pool their resources together, combine their efforts and speak with one
voice to safeguard the interest and ensure the progress and well-being of their peoples and those of other
Muslims in the world over. The official languages of the organization are Arabic, English and French.
The Organization was established in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on 25 September 1969 when the First
meeting of the leaders of the Islamic world was held in this city in the wake of the criminal arson perpetrated
on 21 August 1969 by Zionist elements against Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied Jerusalem. It was indeed in
order to defend the honour, dignity and faith of the Muslims, to face this bitter challenge launched in the holy
city of Al-Quds so dear to them and against the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, the first Qibla and third holiest Shrine
of Islam, that the leaders of the Muslim world, at their Summit in Rabat, seized that event - which brought
about unanimous worldwide condemnation and reprobation - to think together of their common cause and
muster the force required to overcome their differences, unite and lay the foundations of this large grouping
of States, that is, the Organization of the Islamic Conference which they entrusted, in absolute priority, with
liberating Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa from Zionist occupation.
Six months after that historical meeting, i.e. in March 1970, the First Islamic Conference of Ministers of
Foreign Affairs held in Jeddah set up a permanent General Secretariat, to ensure a liaison among Member
States and charged it to coordinate their action. The Conference appointed its Secretary General and chose
Jeddah as the Headquarters of the Organization, pending the liberation of Jerusalem, which would be the
permanent Headquarters.
13.7.1 Membership:
The OIC consisted of 57 Member States, mostly Islamic nations in the Middle East, North, West and
Southern Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and South America. The
names of the countries are as follows: Afghanistan (1969), Albania (1992), Algeria (1969), Azerbaijan
(1992), Bahrain (1972), Bangladesh (1974), Benin (1983), Brunei (1984), Burkina Faso (1974), Cameroon
(1974), Chad (1969), Comoros (1976), Cote D'ivoire (2001), Djibouti (1978), Egypt (1969), Gabon (1974),
Gambia (1974), Guinea (1969), Guinea-Bissau (1974), Guyana (1998), Indonesia (1969), Iran (1969), Iraq
(1975), Jordon (1969), Kazakhstan (1995), Kuwait (1969), Kyrgyz Republic (1992), Lebanon (1969), Libya
(1969), Malaysia (1969), Maldives (1974), Mali (1969), Mauritania (1969), Morocco (1969), Mozambique
(1994), Niger (1969), Nigeria (1986), Oman (1972), Pakistan (1969), Palestine (1969), Qatar (1972), Saudi
Arabia (1969), Senegal (1969), Sierra Leone (1972), Somalia (1969), Sudan (1969), Suriname (1996), Syria
1972), Tajikistan (1992), Togo (1997), Tunisia (1969), Turkey (1969), Turkmenistan (1992), Uganda (1974),
United Arab Emirates (1972), Uzbekistan (1996), and Yemen (1969).
India - has the second largest Muslim population in the world and has shown its interest in joining the OIC,
as an observer nation. While India's candidature is supported by several OIC members including Saudi
Arabia, some influential OIC members like Pakistan have blocked India's inclusion into the OIC. They argue
that though India is home to more than 175 million Muslims, they form just over 16% of India's total
population. Another factor affecting India's induction into the OIC is the Kashmir dispute. The OIC supports
Pakistani claim over the entire region of Kashmir. In turn, India established diplomatic relations with Israel
in 1992. Relations between India and OIC severed in 2001 when the latter criticised India for not doing
enough to stop the alleged human rights violations against Muslims in the Indian state of Jammu and
Kashmir.
Philippines - The Philippine government has made attempts to join the OIC, but was opposed by its Muslim
minority of the state. Muslims make up only 5% (4.5 million) of the 90 million populations in this
predominately Catholic country.
13.7.2 Observers:
Following states are granted the observer status by the OIC: Bosnia and Herzegovina (1994), Central African
Republic (1997), Thailand (1998), The Russian Federation (2005), and Turkish Cypriot State (1979).
Following Muslim communities and organisations are given the observer status: Moro National Liberation
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Front (1977), Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUOICM) (2000), and Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYFDC) (2005). The international organizations which are
granted observer status are as follows: United Nations (UN) (1976), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) (1977),
League of Arab States (LAS) (1975), African Union (AU) (1977), and Economic Cooperation Organization
(ECO) (1995).
13.8 Objective and Principles of OIC:
Two and a half years after Rabat, in February 1972, the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, meeting in
its Third Session, adopted the Charter of the Organization, whose purpose is to strengthen solidarity and
cooperation among Islamic States in the political, economic, cultural, scientific and social fields. However,
the Charter of the OIC recognizes the following aims, objectives and the principles:
A) Objectives: The objectives of the OIC, as proclaimed in its Charter are:
1. to promote Islamic solidarity among Member States;
2. to consolidate cooperation among Member States in the economic, social, cultural, scientific and
other vital fields of activities, and to carry out consultations among Member States in international
organizations;
3. to endeavour to eliminate racial segregation, discrimination and to eradicate colonialism in all its
forms;
4. to take necessary measures to support international peace and security founded on justice;
5. to coordinate efforts for the safeguarding of the Holy Places and support of the struggle of the people
of Palestine, to help them regain their rights and liberate their land;
6. to back the struggle of all Muslim people with a view to preserving their dignity, independence and
national rights;
7. to create a suitable atmosphere for the promotion of cooperation and understanding among Member
States and other countries.
B) Principles: The Member States decide and undertake that, in order to realize the objectives mentioned in
the previous paragraph, they shall be inspired and guided by the following principles:
1. total equality between Member States;
2. respect of the right of self-determination, and non-interference in the domestic affairs of Member
States;
3. respect of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of each Member States;
4. settlement of any conflict that may arise by peaceful means such as negotiation, mediation,
reconciliation or arbitration;
5. abstention from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity, national unity or political
independence of any Member States.
13.9 Structure and Organization:
The Islamic Conference is made up of:
1. the Conference of Kings and Heads of State and Government
2. the Conference of Foreign Ministers, and
3. the General Secretariat and Subsidiary Organs.
13.9.1 Conference of Kings and Heads of State:
The Conference of Kings and Heads of State and Government is the supreme authority in the Organization.
The Islamic Summit Conference shall convene periodically, once every three years. It shall also be held
whenever the interest of Muslim Nations warrants it, to consider matters of vital importance to the Muslims
and coordinate the policy of the Organization accordingly.
13.9.2 Conference of Foreign Ministers:
1. Conference sessions:
a) The Islamic Conference shall be convened once a year of whenever the need arises at the level of
Ministers of Foreign Affairs or their officially accredited representatives. The sessions shall be held
in any one of the Member States.
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 b) An extraordinary session may be convened at the request of any Member State or at the request of
the Secretary General, if approved by two-thirds of the Member States. The request may be circulated
to all Member States in order to obtain the required approval; and
c) The Conference of Foreign Ministers has the right to recommend the convening of a Conference of
Heads of State or Government. The approval can be obtained for such a Conference by circulating the
request to all Member States.
2. The Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers shall be held for the following purposes:-
a) To consider the means of implementing the general policy of the Conference.
b) To review progress in the implementation of resolutions adopted at previous sessions.
c) To adopt resolutions on matters of common interest in accordance with the aims and objectives of the
Conference set forth in this Charter.
d) To discuss the report of the Financial Committee and approve the budget of the Secretariat General.
e) 1.To appoint the Secretary General;
2. To appoint four Assistants to the Secretary General on recommendation
of the Secretary General; and
3. In recommending his Assistants, the Secretary General shall duly take competence,
integrity and duly take into consideration their dedication to the Charter's objectives as well as the
principle of equitable geographical distribution. To fix the date and venue of the coming Conference
of Foreign Ministers;
f. To consider any issue affecting one or more of the Member States whenever a request to that effect is
made with a view to taking appropriate measures in that respect.
3. Resolutions or recommendations of the Conference of Foreign Ministers shall be adopted by a two-third
majority.
4. Two-thirds of the Member States in any session of the Conference of Foreign Ministers shall constitute the
quorum.
5. The Conference of Foreign Ministers decides on the basic procedures which it follows and which could be
good for the Conference of Kings and Heads of State and Government. It appoints a Chairman for each
session. This procedure is also applied in subsidiary organs set up by the Conference of Kings and Heads of
State and Government and also by the Conference of Foreign Ministers.
13.9.3 The General Secretariat:
It is the executive organ of the Organization, entrusted with the implementation of the decisions of the two
preceding bodies, and is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Current secretary is Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, from
Turkey, since January 1, 2005. However, the Charter provides the Secretariat as:
1. The General Secretariat shall be headed by a Secretary General appointed by the Foreign Ministers
Conference for a period of four years renewable once only.
2. The Secretary General shall appoint the staff of the General Secretariat from amongst nations of Member
States, paying due regard to their competence and integrity, and in accordance with the principle of equitable
geographical distribution.
3. In the performance of their duties, the Secretary General, his Assistants, and the staff of the General
Secretariat, shall not seek or receive instructions from any government or authority other than the
Conference. They shall refrain from taking any action that may be detrimental to their position as
international officials responding only to the Conference. Member States undertake to respect this quality
and the nature of their responsibilities, and shall not seek to influence them in any way in the discharge of
their duties.
4. The Secretariat General shall work to promote communication among Member States and provide
facilities for consultations and exchange of views as well as the dissemination of information that may have
common significance to these States.
5. The headquarters of the Secretariat General shall be in Jeddah pending the liberation of "Baitul Maqdis"
(Jerusalem).

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6. The General Secretariat shall follow up the implementation of the resolutions and recommendations of the
Conference and report back to the Conference. It shall also directly supply the Member States with working
papers and memoranda through appropriate channels, within the framework of the resolutions and
recommendations of the Conference.
7. The General Secretariat shall prepare the meetings of the Conference in close cooperation with the host
states insofar as administrative and organizational matters are concerned.
8. In the light of the agreement on immunities and privileges to be approved by the Conference:
a) The Conference shall enjoy, in the Member States, such legal capacity, immunities and privileges as
may be necessary for the exercise of its functions and the fulfilment of its objectives.
b) Representatives of Member States shall enjoy such immunities and privileges as may be necessary
for the exercise of their functions related to the Conference; and
c) The Staff of the Conference shall enjoy the immunities and privileges necessary for the performance
of their duties as may be decided by the Conference.
13.10 Activities of the OIC:
Much of the OIC’s attention has been focussed on resolving disputes and wars within and among member-
nations. These recurring tensions have hindered the pursuit of the goals of the OIC. The Palestine problem
has been viewed as a major concern, for which OIC is committed to provide every help in order ensure its
independence and complete withdrawal of Israel from all occupied countries during war. However, there
major differences with Egypt on the Palestine issue. On this issue, the membership of Egypt was once
suspended in 1979 but reinstated later in 1984. In the 1980s, the OIC called for unconditional and immediate
withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. It also condemned the foreign pressures on Iran and armed
aggression against Somalia. The Iran-Iraq war and the Gulf War were other issues that dominated the OIC in
the late 1980s and early 1990s. Here, the non-compliance of Iraq to the UN Resolutions was condemned. In
the early and mid-1990s, OIC was occupied with the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the plight of
Muslim Bosnians. The OIC called for increased UN intervention to stop Serbian attacks against Bosnian
Muslims and established a fund to provide further humanitarian and economic assistance to Bosnian
Muslims. In 1994, a contact group was set up to deal with “human rights violations” in Jammu and Kashmir
in India. The strife in Afghanistan and in Indonesia (for the independence of East Timor) figured in talks in
the late 1990s.
However, in particular economic field, the OIC has initiated the Capacity Building Programme for poverty
alleviation in the least developed and low-income OIC Member States. The objective of this Programme is to
assist in formulating appropriate projects to strengthen capacity building to enhance human resources
development, institutional, organizational, management skills, including the development of infrastructures.
In order to coordinate and boost its action, align its view points and stands, and be credited with concrete
results in the various fields of cooperation: political, economic, cultural, social, spiritual and scientific,
among Member States, the Organization has created different committees, nearly all, at ministerial level, a
number of which are chaired by Heads of State. The Al-Quds Committee, the Standing Committee for
Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC), the Standing Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation
(COMCEC), the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technical Cooperation (COMSTECH) and the
Islamic Peace Committee are the ones Chaired by Heads of State. Fourteen Committees which have been
thus established, deal with other important issues such as Palestine, the Sahel, Afghanistan, Kashmir etc.
The number and types of secondary organs and institutions, working toward the achievement of the OIC
objectives, have been steadily increasing, and cover various areas of cultural, scientific, economic, legal,
financial, sports, technological, educational, media, as well as vocational, social and humanitarian.
Depending on their degree of autonomy vis-a-vis the parent organization, they are classified as subsidiary
and specialized organs, or affiliated institutions.
Last but not least, it is worth mentioning that by the 3rd year of the World Decade for Cultural Development
launched by the United Nations in 1988 under the auspices of UNESCO - the Organization of the Islamic

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Conference had built Islamic Colleges, and Cultural Institutes and Centres to spread Islamic culture and
dispense the Teaching of Arabic, the language of the Holy Qur’an, as well as other languages.
The Parliamentary Union of the OIC member states (PUOICM) was established in Iran in 1999 and its head
office is situated in Tehran. Only OIC members are entitled to membership in the union.
The ninth meeting of the Council of PUOICM was held on 15 and 16 Feb 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Speaker of Malaysia's House of Representatives, Ramli bin Ngah Talib, delivered a speech at the beginning
of the inaugural ceremony. OIC secretary-general Prof Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said prior to the meeting
that one main agenda item is stopping Israel from continuing its excavation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's
third holiest shrine. OIC is also discussing how it might send peacekeeping troops to Muslim nations, and the
possibility of a change in the name of the body as well as its charter. Additionally, return of the sovereignty
right to the Iraqi people along with withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq is another main issue on the
agenda.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri told reporters on 14 Feb 2007 that the Secretary General of OIC
and foreign ministers of seven “like-minded Muslim countries” will meet in Islamabad on 25 Feb 2007
following meetings of President Musharraf with heads of key Muslim countries to discuss “a new initiative”
for the resolution of the Palestinian dispute. Kasuri said this will be a meeting of foreign ministers of key
Muslim countries to discuss and prepare for a summit in Mecca to seek the resolution of the Middle East
crisis.
Check Your Progress 2
Note: Use the space given below for your answer. Also check your answer with the model answer given at
the end of the Unit.

Q. 1 What are the countries aspiring for the membership of the OIC? Discuss the case of India’s
membership.
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Q. 2 Write a short note on the objectives of the OIC.
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13.11 Let Us Sum Up:
To sum up, the Organization of American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest but dynamic regional
organization. The primary focus of the organisation has been to promote technical and political cooperation
and foster social and economic progress in the Western Hemisphere. Participation in the OAS gives the
United States an opportunity to organize multilateral backing for its core objectives in Latin America.
However, the role of the United States as arbiter of regional cooperation continues to arouse some concern
among Latin Americans given the long history of U.S. intervention in the region.
On the other hand, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) is an inter-governmental organization of
Islamic nations. The organization also aimed to promote the social, political, economic and technological
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cooperation among the member states. The OIC members have a combined GDP of $5,540 billion.
Nonetheless, the working of the organization has been seriously challenged by the war, conflict and
dissension among the member states. As a result, the OIC reduced to the status of merely a Debating Club of
Islamic nation.

13.12 Some Useful Books:

1) LeRoy Bennett, International Organisations: Principles and Issues, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.,
1998
2) Kalpana Rajaram (ed.), International Organisations, Conferences and Treaties, New Delhi:
Spectrum Books, 2005.

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