General Secretariat

• The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is the second largest international organization after the United Nations, with a membership of fifty-seven countries spread over four continents. The organization represents the collective voice of the Islamic world and seeks to protect and express its interests in support of international peace and harmony and in strengthening relations between the various peoples of the world.
• The organization was established by a decision issued by the historic summit held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on Rajab 12, 1389 AH (corresponding to September 25, 1969 AD) in response to the crime of burning Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
• In 1970, the first Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and decided to establish a general secretariat to be based in Jeddah and headed by a Secretary General of the Organization. Ambassador Hussein Ibrahim Taha is considered the twelfth Secretary-General of the organization, as he assumed this position in November 2021.
• The Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was adopted at the third session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in 1972. The Charter laid down the Organization's basic goals, principles and objectives represented in strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Member States. The number of members increased during more than four decades after the establishment of the organization from thirty countries, which is the number of founding members, to reach fifty-seven member states at the present time. The charter of the organization was subsequently amended to keep pace with global developments. The current charter was adopted at the eleventh Islamic Summit held in Dakar, the capital of Senegal in 2008, so that the new charter would be the pillar of future Islamic action in line with the requirements of the twenty-first century.
• The organization has the unique honor of being the university of the word of the nation and the representative of Muslims and advocates for issues of concern to more than one and a half billion Muslims around the world. The organization has relations of consultation and cooperation with the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations with the aim of protecting the vital interests of Muslims, and working to settle disputes and conflicts to which member states are a party. The organization has taken many steps to defend the true values ​​of Islam and Muslims and correct misconceptions and perceptions. It has also actively contributed to confronting all forms of discrimination against Muslims.
• The OIC Member States face multiple challenges in the twenty-first century. In order to address these challenges, the Third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah in December 2005 laid down a plan in the form of a ten-year program of action aimed at strengthening joint action among Member States. By the end of 2015, the process of implementing the contents of the OIC Ten-Year Program of Action was successfully completed. The organization has formulated a new program for the next decade, from 2016 to 2025.
• The new work program is based on the provisions of the OIC Charter, and includes 18 priority areas and 107 goals. These areas include issues of peace and security, Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, poverty alleviation, combating terrorism, investment and project financing, food security, science and technology, climate change, sustainable development, moderation, culture and interfaith harmony, empowerment of women, and joint Islamic action in the field. humanitarian, human rights, good governance and others.

Among the most important organs of the organization are the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers, and the General Secretariat, in addition to the Al-Quds Committee and three permanent committees concerned with science and technology, economy and trade, and media and culture. There are also specialized institutions working under the banner of the organization, including the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). The subsidiary organs and affiliated institutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also play a vital and complementary role by working in various fields.