According to Arab News, the move was announced during the OIC's preparatory meeting in Jeddah this week for the upcoming 33rd session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 19-21.

If approved, the decision would allow NGOs to join the OIC with observer status. The move was a response to requests expressed by a growing number of NGOs to participate in the OIC.

The by-laws for allowing NGOs to join the OIC as observers would include rules that require the groups to get permission from their respective governments to join. Groups would also require a no-objection authorization from their respective governments, as well as official recognition in their countries. Also, NGOs submitting requests to join the OIC as observers would be required to have in their founding documents the same goals expressed by the OIC. NGOs must be committed to activities and services benefiting the Muslim Ummah.

Some countries, such as India, South Africa and the Philippines, have also expressed interest in joining the OIC under the same observer status, but certain member countries, including Pakistan and Morocco, have opposed these requests. The OIC meeting last week recommended that the concerned work-team continue its deliberations to reach an agreement regarding the rules for countries joining the OIC as observers.

The senior officials' meetings began Saturday and will continue for another week. The 33rd session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers will be held in Baku under the theme titled "Rights, freedoms and justice harmony session". Deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Vagif Sadikhov, chaired the meetings. The meetings approved the agenda and decisions to be discussed at the session, including the Palestinian issue, Islamic financial and economic funds, Iraq, the Iranian nuclear program and conditions in Afghanistan, Sudan, Kashmir and others.

The meetings also approved decisions on combating Islamophobia, initiating dialogue with European Union and implementing a ten-year plan for improving relations approved at the extraordinary OIC summit held in Makkah in December 2005.

It was also decided that the 34th session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in 2007 will be scheduled to take place in Islamabad; Syria pulled out its nomination for hosting the meet for the benefit of Pakistan.

/www.arabnews.com/