Pakistan pushes for UN-OIC cooperation to counter ‘alarming resurgence' of Islamophobia
As the president of the UN Security Council for July, Pakistan chaired a meeting at the multilateral forum to discuss the cooperation between the OIC and the UN. The briefing was titled: 'Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations.'
In 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by 60 OIC members states, spearheaded by Pakistan, which designated Mar. 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
Speaking at the briefing, Dar noted that the UN-OIC engagement continues to grow, from mediation and political transition to coordinated responses in humanitarian emergency, advocacy on issues of disarmament, development, and protection of religious and cultural heritage.
'Excellencies, nowhere in this cooperation is it more necessary than in encountering the rising tide of extremism, particularly the alarming resurgence of Islamophobia,' Dar said during his address.
He added that religious hatred is not only 'morally indefensible,' but also strikes at the very foundation of the UN Charter. The deputy premier noted that the global community's endorsement of Pakistan's initiative to designate 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, followed by the adoption of a resolution leading to the appointment of a UN Special Envoy on Islamophobia, are 'milestones' that reaffirm the OIC and UN's shared resolve.
'There has long been a strong voice on this issue, and we must further institutionalize its role in global efforts to promote respect, inclusion, and interfaith harmony,' Dar said.
Presidential statements are formal expressions of the Security Council's consensus but are not legally binding. They require unanimous approval and are often preceded by complex negotiations.
Founded in 1969, the OIC includes 57 member states across four continents and serves as a platform for collaboration on political, economic and social issues affecting Muslim communities worldwide.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
UN urges UK to repeal ‘disproportionate' Palestine Action ban
GENEVA: The United Nations rights chief on Friday slammed Britain's ban on activist group Palestine Action as a 'disturbing' misuse of UK counter-terrorism legislation and urged the government to rescind its move. 'The decision appears disproportionate and unnecessary,' Volker Turk said in a statement. The ban, introduced under Britain's Terrorism Act 2000, took effect earlier this month after activists from the group broke into an air force base in southern England. Two aircraft were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7.0 million ($9.55 million) in damage. Turk's statement said the ban raised 'serious concerns that counter-terrorism laws are being applied to conduct that is not terrorist in nature, and risks hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across the UK.' He stressed: 'According to international standards, terrorist acts should be confined to criminal acts intended to cause death or serious injury or to the taking of hostages, for purpose of intimidating a population or to compel a government to take a certain action or not.' But the ban among other things makes it a criminal offense to be a member of Palestine Action, to express support for the group or wear items of clothing that would arouse 'reasonable suspicion' that the person is a member or supporter of the group, Turk pointed out. UK police have arrested at least 200 people during protests, many of them peaceful, over the ban since it took effect, the UN rights office said. Palestine Action itself has condemned its outlawing — which makes it a criminal offense to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison — as an attack on free speech. The UN high commissioner for human rights agreed. The ban, Turk said, 'limits the rights of many people involved with and supportive of Palestine Action who have not themselves engaged in any underlying criminal activity but rather exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.' 'As such, it appears to constitute an impermissible restriction on those rights that is at odds with the UK's obligations under international human rights law.' The rights chief warned that the government's decision 'also conflates protected expression and other conduct with acts of terrorism and so could readily lead to further chilling effect on the lawful exercise of these rights by many people.' 'I urge the UK government to rescind its decision to proscribe Palestine Action and to halt investigations and further proceedings against protesters who have been arrested on the basis of this proscription,' he said. 'I also call on the UK government to review and revise its counter-terrorism legislation, including its definition of terrorist acts, to bring it fully in line with international human rights norms and standards.'
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan approves Skills Impact Bond for youth employment through private investment
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday approved Pakistan's first Skills Impact Bond, a new financing model aimed at mobilizing private investment to equip young people with market-relevant skills and improve their access to employment, both at home and abroad. The approval came during a high-level meeting in Islamabad focused on youth employment. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the initiative is part of a broader government effort to align vocational training with labor market demands and make Pakistani youth self-reliant through entrepreneurship and income-generating opportunities. The model, also known as 'pay-for-success,' links funding to independently verified outcomes such as job placement or minimum income levels. 'Pakistan's talented youth are the country's greatest asset,' the prime minister said at the meeting. 'By equipping them with education and skills tailored to market needs, we will transform the future of this nation.' Sharif instructed federal ministries and agencies to accelerate skills training, expand employment outreach through digital platforms and present a comprehensive roadmap based on estimates of domestic and overseas job opportunities for Pakistani youth. The prime minister approved a public awareness campaign to promote the use of the Digital Youth Hub, which has already registered over 500,000 users. The platform currently lists over 47,000 job openings in Pakistan and more than 100,000 overseas, along with 2,000 scholarship opportunities. He also emphasized preparing skilled workers specifically for international job markets and directed relevant departments to offer foreign language training for countries with high demand for labor.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US, China confront each other on Ukraine at United Nations
The United States told China at the United Nations on Friday it should 'stop fueling Russia's aggression' in Ukraine, as China accused Washington of trying to shift blame and spark confrontation. Acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea urged all countries, specifically naming China, to stop exports to Russia of dual-use goods that Washington says contribute to Russia's war industrial base and enable its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. 'Beijing's claim to have implemented strong export controls on dual-use goods falls apart in the face of daily recovery of Chinese-produced components in the drones, weapons, and vehicles that Russia uses against Ukraine,' Shea told a meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council on Ukraine. China did not start the war in Ukraine, is not a party to the conflict, has never provided lethal weapons, and has always 'strictly controlled dual-use materials, including the export of drones,' China's deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang responded. 'We urge the US to stop shifting blame on the Ukraine issue or creating confrontation and instead play a more constructive role in promoting ceasefire and peace talks,' he told the council. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Chinese-made engines are being covertly shipped via front companies to a state-owned drone manufacturer in Russia, labeled as 'industrial refrigeration units' to avoid detection in the wake of Western sanctions. 'If China is sincere in calling for peace, it should stop fueling Russia's aggression,' Shea said.
