22 April 2015 – The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) H.E. Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani conducted an official visit to the Philippines from April 17 to 20, to officially express the OIC’s support to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
Secretary General Madani commenced his visit with a courtesy call on Secretary Albert F. del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) last April 17. During the call, Secretary Del Rosario expressed his gratitude for the humanitarian missions and assistance extended by the OIC and its Member States to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoons Yolanda and Sendong. Secretary Del Rosario also extended his appreciation for the continuing support of the OIC to the peace process.
For his part, Secretary General Madani highlighted the OIC’s recent thrust to pursue diversified areas of work, such as science and technology, to inspire hope among the youth in its Member States and a way to counter threats of radicalization. He also acknowledged that the OIC shares many common interests with the Philippines, such as combating terrorism and other transnational crimes, and the promotion and protection of human rights in Asia. These common interests, he noted, can be the foundation of new areas of cooperation between the Philippines and the OIC, whether through bilateral relations with Member States or direct multilateral engagements with the organization. In this regard, Secretary General Madani shared that there is renewed interest in the OIC to revisit the Philippines’ bid for an observer status this year.
Secretary General Madani also met with Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, which is the lead agency that hosted the Secretary General’s visit. This meeting was followed by courtesy calls with the Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., and other members of Congress.
He also sat down with key personalities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Davao, and convened a meeting of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF).
The official visit concluded with a courtesy call by Secretary General Madani on President Aquino on April 20. He was joined in this meeting by OIC Special Envoy for Peace in Southern Philippines H.E. Ambassador Syed Kassem Elmasry, and Dr. Hassan Abedin, head of the Muslim Minorities division of the OIC.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, with 57 Member States spread over four continents. It has played key roles in the peace process in Mindanao, including being the facilitator in the tripartite review of the implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF. END
