Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the newly-elected secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), recently visited Egypt and spoke about his plans to reform the OIC, reports Sahar El-Bahr The 57 member states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the second biggest governmental organisation after the United Nations, are currently discussing proposals and ideas on how to reform the 36-year-old organisation. Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, originally from Turkey, and the newly elected secretary-general of the OIC, hopes to enact significant reform within the organisation. "There is need for change and I will submit a number of ideas for structural and conceptual change," he stated. According to Ihsanoglu, the charter of the organisation has become outdated. "It should be examined and amended to represent current realities in the Muslim world." Historically, the charter tackled issues like apartheid and colonialism. However, the organisation's charter has not been updated since the end of the colonial era and the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Arguing that we now live in a globalised world of free markets, where the new struggles are for human rights and democracy, Ihsanoglu suggests that the organisation should be more participatory and transparent. "Muslims, like any other people in the world, are looking for these rights. That is why we have to be more precise when conceptualising our framework," Ihsanoglu told Al-Ahram Weekly. The first reform, according to Ihsanoglu, should be changing the name of the organisation. "The name itself needs to be reconsidered," as 36 years ago the OIC was established for the purpose of organising ministerial meetings of the member states. The purpose of changing the name is to accommodate the changing status of the organisation from an organisational body to an active, international one, though he stressed that the term "Islamic" would remain a part of the organisation's title. Emphasising the necessity of the organisation to become an active partner in the international arena as a body representing the Islamic world, Ihsanoglu criticised the historic role of the OIC as being unable to make optimal use of its capabilities, nor has it been able to transform itself into a powerful entity capable of making the issues of the Islamic world heard internationally. One of the aims of his ambitious plans to reform the organisation is to devote special attention to dialogue between the Muslim world and other international and regional organisations. "My vision for the future of the OIC is that this organisation should develop a mechanism for conflict resolution since we have many conflicts in our parts of the world. We have to be more active engaging in cultural dialogue with not only the West, but the rest of the world: Africa, Asia and the Far East," argues Ihsanoglu. Asked about the Palestinian issue, Ihsanoglu asserted that Palestine remains a top priority for the OIC. Since he assumed his position, he has been following developments in Palestine closely and has expressed total solidarity with the Palestinian people. "The OIC will make all its capabilities available to assist the Palestinian government and people to regain their rights," stressed Ihsanoglu. Another of the OIC's top priorities will be socio-economic issues in the Islamic world: "We will cooperate with other international organisations like the WHO in fighting polio and other epidemic diseases in OIC member states," asserted Ihsanoglu. Immediately after the tsunami disaster, Ihsanoglu launched an appeal to member states to make urgent donations to the victims. His appeal received a strong response; 33 member states pledged donations totalling 1.3 billion dollars, 500 million dollars of which were given during the international donors conference to assist the tsunami victims in Indonesia. A project for the support of orphans, called the "OIC Coalition for the Rescue of Child Victims of the Tsunami" was also initiated, whereby member states and philanthropists in the Muslim world ensure the well-being of orphans of the stricken regions, whose number is estimated at 35,000. Another aim of the OIC is to defend Muslim minorities and societies outside the OIC member states, such as in the aftermath of the attacks against Muslims which took place in the province of Naratiwat in southern Thailand. Ihsanoglu issued a statement strongly deploring the violent actions carried out by Thai government forces against Muslim communities there and called on the Thai government to put an end to any excessive use of force and to investigate the root causes of the disturbances. Ihsanoglu hopes that his tenure as secretary-general will be characterised by remarkable success in breaking away from past methods and directly involving the OIC in the crucial issues affecting its member states.
