DUSHANBE, May 26, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have called on member nations of the Organization to provide assistance to Tajikistan that suffered a lot from torrential rain and resulting mudslides this year, according to the MFA information department.

A resolution adopted at the 36th session of the council of foreign ministers (CFM) of the OIC member nations in the Syrian capital Damascus, in particular, said that proceeding from the OIC Charter and referring to a ten-year program of actions adopted at the 3rd extraordinary summit of the Organization that was held in Mecca in December 2005 calling for strengthening of the role of the Organization in expansion of social cooperation in responding to disasters, and reaffirming the provisions of the final communiqué of the 11th Islamic Summit held in Dakar in March 2008, the 36th session of the OIC CFM that was held in Damascus on May 24-25 calls on member nations of the Organization to provide assistance to the government of Tajikistan with mitigation of effects of recent disasters.

The OIC CMF also calls on the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) to provide urgent humanitarian aid to Tajikistan that suffered a lot from disasters this year, the MFA information department said.

OIC is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents.  The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.  The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on September 25, 1969 as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah headed by the organization’s secretary general.  Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the 9th Secretary General who assumed the office in January 2005 after being elected by the 31st ICFM.

The present Charter of the Organization was adopted by the Eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar on March 13-14, 2008, which laid down the objectives and principles of the organization and fundamental purposes to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the Member States. Over the last 38 years, the membership has grown from its founding members of 30 to 57 states.  The Organization has consultative and cooperative relations with the UN and other inter-governmental organizations to protect the vital interests of the Muslims and to work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving Member States.  In safeguarding the true values of Islam and the Muslims, the organization has taken various steps to remove misperceptions and have strongly advocated elimination of discrimination against the Muslims in all forms and manifestations.

The member nations of the OIC face many challenges in the 21st century and to address those challenges, the third extraordinary session of the Islamic Summit held in Mecca in December 2005, laid down the blue print called the Ten-Year Program of Action which envisages joint action of member states, promotion of tolerance and moderation, modernization, extensive reforms in all spheres of activities including science and technology, education, trade enhancement, and emphasizes good governance and promotion of human rights in the Muslim world, especially with regard to rights of children, women and elderly and the family values enshrined by Islam.