Egypt can host and head the upcoming conference for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) next year, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said Sunday. It would be the first time Egypt has hosted the OIC conference. Amr has met with OIC member states in New York as world leaders gathered for the General Assembly of the United Nations. The OIC is the second largest international organization after the UN, including 57 member states across four continents. It is considered the voice of the Islamic world and it seeks to protect and maintain its interests. The organization was founded Sep. 30, 1969 in response to the Al-Aqsa mosque fire in Jerusalem. On a related note, Amr will meet the head of the organization “Ekmeleddin” Monday.