OIC TO HOST 5TH MEETING UNHRC RESOLUTION COMBATING RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION

Jeddah, 14 Shaban 1436/1 June 2015 (MINA) – The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will host in Jeddah on June 3-4, the fifth meeting of the Istanbul Process for the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 16/18, “Combating Incitement to hatred, discrimination and violence based on religion or belief”.

A large number of stakeholders including member and non-member states, international organizations, NGOs and Academia as well as legal practitioners of the subject will attend the meeting, International Islamic News Agency (IINA) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Resolution 16/18 adopted in 2011 by consensus is a result of an OIC initiative to reach out to the key partners in the United Nations, such as the United States, European Union and others, to craft a text that steers the debate away from controversial concepts and suggests a balanced comprehensive Action Plan to combat incitement to hatred, violence and discrimination based on one’s religion or belief.

In July 2011, the OIC Secretary General, U.S. Secretary of State, EU High Representative and other key Western and OIC countries’ leaders met in Istanbul and agreed to have an informal follow-up mechanism to give effect to the Action Plan of this resolution. As agreed under Istanbul Process, regular meetings are being held in different parts of the world to follow up the implementation of the Action Plan by different stakeholders at different levels. So far four meetings have been held in Washington, London, Geneva and Doha.

Among other things, the 5th meeting of the Istanbul Process in Jeddah will focus on how to strengthen universal consensus on Resolution 16/18 as well as to ensure the full and effective implementation of its Action Plan at national and international levels.

The meeting will also endeavor to benefit from the views of legal practitioners on how to use the existing legal regimes being practiced in different countries to combat incitement to hatred, discrimination and violence based on religion and belief.

The OIC looks forward to welcoming all stakeholders in this meeting, which hopefully will renew the commitment and consensus on this text as well as helping to find practical solutions to the difficult issues that can be universally applied across different legal regimes. (T/P011/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)