51st OIC Ministerial Council Recognizes King Mohammed VI’s Work on Al-Quds

Marrakech – The 51st Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) concluded its two-day session in Istanbul on Sunday, June 22, with special recognition for Morocco’s ongoing contributions to Palestine and Africa.

In their resolution on “the Capital of the State of Palestine, Al-Quds Acharif,” the Islamic foreign ministers acknowledged King Mohammed VI’s continuous efforts to protect holy sites in Jerusalem. As President of the Al-Quds Committee, the King was specifically noted for his work through the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency.

The Istanbul Declaration affirmed the agency’s implementation of numerous development projects benefiting Jerusalem’s population and supporting their struggle.

Ministers specifically credited the agency’s role in preserving the holy city’s identity as a symbol of tolerance and coexistence among the three monotheistic religions.

“The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency has played a substantial role through the implementation of several development projects,” stated the foreign ministers in their official resolution.

On the humanitarian front, the agency recently distributed food aid to 850 vulnerable families in Jerusalem and Gaza for Eid Al-Adha. It also launched a campaign providing flour and essential food products to 1,000 families in the besieged strip, along with drinking water supplies funded by Moroccan civil society organizations.

In response to the ongoing genocidal campaign carried out by Netanyahu’s government, the agency initiated a prosthetics program for child amputees in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development. The first phase will assist 23 children, part of a broader program targeting 300 beneficiaries.

Additionally, the agency established an orphan sponsorship program supporting 500 children who lost parents in the conflict, providing monthly allowances and social assistance.

The OIC ministers also condemned Israeli aggression against Iran and expressed concern over the dangerous escalation. The declaration denounced “Israel’s destabilization policies” against Syria and Lebanon, calling them “a flagrant violation of sovereignty and international law.” Notably, the statement did not mention or condemn American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Regarding African initiatives, the ministers valued King Mohammed VI’s effort to provide Sahel countries with access to the Atlantic Ocean. They pointed to the strategic importance of this initiative, which reflects Morocco’s active solidarity with the continent, particularly in the Sahel region.

Ministers also recognized the African Atlantic States Initiative launched by the monarch as an African partnership process aimed at strengthening cooperation between African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean to consolidate peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

The Council commended the sovereign’s leadership on migration issues in Africa and Morocco’s continuing role as a “Champion Country” for implementing the Global Migration Pact.

They also welcomed the United Nations’ selection of Morocco to host the UN Counter-Terrorism Program and Training Office for Africa, inaugurated in Rabat on June 24, 2021.

The ministers saluted Morocco’s leadership and experience through its presidency of the Africa Focus Group within the Global Coalition against Daesh.

At the session, Morocco was elected to the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission for a three-year term, recognizing the North African country’s prominent position in promoting and protecting human rights nationally and internationally.

The OIC, founded in 1969 following the fire at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, has 57 member countries and aims to protect the interests of the Muslim world while increasing Muslim solidarity.