48th Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Islamabad, 22-23 March 2022 (2022-3)

Pakistan will host the 48th Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), in Islamabad, on 22-23 March 2022, under the theme of "Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development". The meeting also holds special significance as it will coincide with the 75th anniversary celebrations of Pakistan's independence.

2. Pakistan has a proud history of hosting OIC Summits and CFM meetings. The upcoming Session will be the 5th occasion that Pakistan has hosted a regular CFM - we earlier hosted the 2nd Session (December 1970 in Karachi), 11th Session (May 1980 in Islamabad), 21st Session (April 1993 in Karachi) and the 34th Session (May 2007 in Islamabad).

3. Pakistan also hosted the 2nd OIC Summit in February 1974 in Lahore and the Extraordinary Summit on the occasion of Pakistan's Golden Jubilee, in Islamabad in 1997. Moreover, the 1st, 7th and the 17th Extraordinary Sessions of the OIC CFM were also held in Islamabad,in January 1980, September 1994 and December 2021, respectively.

4. Pakistan has a deep and abiding commitment to the eternal. Islamic virtues of amity and brotherhood. Promoting solidarity and cooperation between members of the Islamic Ummah is not only a foundational basis for our foreign policy, but is also an element of faith for us.

5. The guiding principles of this vision were laid by the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who described Pakistan's policy towards the Islamic States as one of abiding 'friendship and goodwill. Over the years, Pakistan has remained true to these ideals.

6. As a founding member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Pakistan is fully committed to the vision of realizing the true potential of the Organization as the most effective and representative voice of the Muslim World. This vision would also serve as a guiding principle for the 48th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM).

7. The 48th Session comes at a critical juncture for the Islamic World: the people of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are being denied their inalienable right to self- determination; the rising tide of Islamophobia and hate speech threatens Muslim communities across many parts of the world; millions of our Afghan brethren risk an uncertain future at the hands of hunger and disease. Similarly, the deleterious impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is yet to be fully contained.

8. Under these circumstances, the need for Islamic solidarity and cooperation is more pressing than ever and the Muslim Ummah has pinned its hopes on the OIC to chart out a joint Islamic action on all such wide ranging issues in the true spirit of Islamic solidarity.

9. During the course of our Chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, Pakistan will sincerely endeavor to promote unity amongst the OIC Member states, advance the cause of justice for all Islamic people, including our Kashmiri and Palestinian brethren who are forced to live under illegal and suppressive occupations, and to achieve the mutually reinforcing goals of prosperity and development for the OIC Member States. Similarly, ensuring full and complete recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic also remains a key priority for us.

10. The proposed theme of the 48th OIC CFM, "Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development" fully encapsulates these priorities. Our overarching focus would be to build 'bridges' of cooperation and to construct 'partnerships' across the Islamic world.

11. It is also pertinent to mention that during our previous Chairmanship of the CFM in 2007-08, Pakistan led negotiations on the new OIC Charter, which was a manifestation of our conviction that the Organization must be kept attuned to the dynamic and fast-evolving needs of our times. In the same spirit, Pakistan will continue to work with other OIC Member States towards tangible and practical steps to further strengthen bonds of Islamic solidarity and cooperation.

12. We are confident that the 48th CFM would prove to be a landmark session in our combined efforts to chart a joint Islamic way forward. On our part, Pakistan remains committed to support all efforts aimed at promoting unity, brotherhood and prosperity amongst the Muslim world. On 48th Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Islamabad, 22-" 23 March 2022, Pakistan Post is issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs 20/- denomination each on March 23, 2022.