OIC to mobilize resources for Rohingya genocide case against Myanmar

by Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan | Ddhaka Ttribune

Dedicated account already opened

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will convene a pledging conference during the upcoming meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in April, to mobilize resources for the case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), for the human rights violations committed against the Rohingya people.

The 47th CFM meeting will be held in Niamey, Niger, on April 3-4.

The decision to convene the conference came during a meeting of senior OIC officials held at the organization’s general secretariat in Jeddah between February 9 and 11.

The Bangladesh delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at the three-day meeting on preparations for the CFM meeting.

The OIC meeting welcomed the ICJ’s historic unanimous decision on January 23, ordering provisional measures to prevent further acts of genocide against the Rohingyas in Myanmar.

The OIC delegates also agreed to Bangladesh proposals for continued support to The Gambia in the case until a final verdict is issued, follow up on the ICJ’s notification of its order of provisional measures to the UN Security Council, and to contribute to resource mobilization efforts to ensure the safe, dignified and sustained return and resettlement of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

To that end, the OIC general secretariat has set up a dedicated account to facilitate the resource mobilization efforts.

The 45th OIC CFM held in Dhaka had established an OIC Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations against the Rohingyas, with The Gambia as chair, with a view to mobilize and coordinate international political support, particularly through the 57-member OIC process.

Following a submission by The Gambia, on behalf of the OIC, on November 11, 2019, the ICJ held its first hearing on December 10-12 in the case against Myanmar.

On the sidelines of the OIC meeting, Foreign Secretary Masud held a meeting with members of the ad hoc committee, where he appreciated the Gambian delegation for their dedication to the Rohingya cause in lodging the case with the ICJ.

He sought continued support from all members of the committee for mobilizing resources, including political support, to ensure early repatriation and resettlement of the Rohingyas in Rakhine.

The meeting congratulated Bangladesh for hosting the upcoming second brainstorming session to be held in Dhaka from February 10 to 20 on comprehensive reform of the OIC.

In this regard, the meeting also finalized a draft resolution outlining the follow up mechanism for the outcome of the brainstorming session.

Senior OIC officials further discussed draft resolutions on issues concerning the Middle East peace process in the wake of the US “Deal of the Century,” the status of Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC member states, combating international terrorism, the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, the Makkah Document on “The Values of Moderation and Middle Stance in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah,” and humanitarian, legal/statutory and administrative/financial affairs.

Draft resolutions finalized at the meeting will be finally adopted during the upcoming 47th CFM.