Gambia concludes its efforts in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation by hosting the Islamic Summit Conference

Ouagadougou: The Republic of Gambia, a small West African country known as the smiling coast of Africa, is crowning years of work within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ( OIC) by hosting the 15th session of the Islamic Summit Conference (4-5 May 2024). Since joining the OIC in 1974, The Gambia has actively contributed to the international programs, initiatives and actions of the OIC to serve the causes of the Islamic world at different levels. In recent years, Gambia's name has been associated with its stances supporting the rights of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, where in November 2019, at the request of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, it filed a complaint before the International Court of Justice against the government of Myanmar, accused of violating the Genocide Convention, in light of the serious violations committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar. Following this decision by Gambia, the International Court of Justice ordered the Myanmar government to take certain measures to protect the Rohingya through "interim measures" while the case was ongoing. The Gambia has also hosted a number of international conferences and meetings held within the framework of the OIC, including the eighth session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers of Tourism held in Banjul on December 6, 2013, which resulted in important decisions to promote intra-OIC tourism. Since being chosen to host the fifteenth session of the Islamic Summit (ISS), The Gambia, under the leadership of President Adama Barrow, has made great efforts to prepare for the Summit, establishing a special secretariat for the purpose and implementing numerous projects in the field of infrastructure, roads and logistics. The Banjul Summit represents a unique opportunity for Member States to strengthen cooperation to promote joint Islamic action and engage in constructive dialogue on global issues and challenges facing the Islamic Ummah. At the preparatory meeting of Foreign Ministers for the Summit held in Banjul on May 2, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Mamadou Tangara, highlighted the role of the OIC to address the various challenges faced by the Member States. Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambia Abroad, Lang Yabo, noted that the summit comes at a time when the Islamic world is facing challenges of unprecedented magnitude which cannot continue to be ignored, calling for decisive, bold and comprehensive measures guided by humanitarian and development dimensions. The Gambia will succeed Saudi Arabia as president of the organization for the next three years. Source: Burkina Information Agency