UN Seeks Islamic Cooperation to Resolve Conflicts
Citing more than 20 years of collaboration between the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a senior UN political official urged Thursday greater efforts by the two entities to draw on each other’s strengths and devise joint strategies to prevent and resolve conflicts.
“The magnitude and complexity of challenges are simply too big for any country or organization to tackle alone,” Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca told the UN Security Council during an open debate, which explored best ways for the two organizations to enhance their strategic partnership in preventing and countering extremist ideology.
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“To be successful in preventing and resolving conflicts, we need to join forces with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to devise joint strategies and draw on our comparative advantages,” he added.
The best approach to these challenges is to deepen strategic dialogue to forge common approaches to emerging crises, he said, explaining that their cooperation is reinforced through direct contacts between the secretariats of the two organizations and between the specialized agencies and bodies of the UN system and the OIC.
He also said that the UN supports the OIC call for “strengthening its role in conflict prevention, confidence building, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitations in Member States as well as in conflict situations involving Muslim communities.”
The UN has taken a number of steps to institutionalize its relationship with the OIC by helping strengthen its capacity through mediation and electoral assistance, and by holding desk-to-desk talks with the OIC on areas of mutual concern, such as peace and security, he added.
