OIC: Challenges and Actions
The forthcoming OIC Conference of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad provides an occasion for reflecting on the role of the OIC in present times, and on what may be done to strengthen the Organization.
To meet the challenges that confront the Muslim world today, a revitalized, strengthened OIC is a necessity. We have entered into an era of intense global polarization. Europe is in a state of war.
The two largest world powers are embroiled in an intensely antagonistic relationship. The specter of the world splitting off into conflictual blocs is not an imaginary fear – it is a very real possibility.
In such a global environment, smaller countries, which essentially constitute the OIC membership, are threatened by serious restrictions on their ability to chart out an independent course of action, and to exercise political and economic choices that are in their own interest. Viable multilateral organizations and groupings are essential if smaller countries are to preserve some space for autonomous actions.
The challenges arising from a polarized, and increasingly conflictual, world are compounded by a host of health, environmental and technological challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inability of OIC member states to protect their people.
All OIC countries, rich or poor, had to stand in line for accessing vaccines and necessary medicines. The more well-off did manage to purchase the required products. But, even they were subject to the priorities of others. It is inevitable that there will be future pandemics. And, again, OIC countries will be dependent on the largesse of those with the know-how and manufacturing capacities.
The ravages of climate change are now seriously afflicting our countries. Droughts, floods, hurricanes, the slow disappearance of small island states – these are not a distant prospect; these are happening now. And, the OIC countries’ capacity to deal with environmental crises is woefully inadequate.
Another formidable challenge is posed by the breathtaking development of new technologies. These are fundamentally reshaping the contours of the global economy, and impacting on countries’ ability to be economically competitive.
Those unable to harness the new technologies will be condemned to be hewers of wood and drawers of water for generations to come.
Added to these challenges is a challenge that is peculiar to the Muslim world. This is the challenge posed by the intensification of a particularly virulent strain of prejudice – Islamophobia.
This is not an issue that is being used by the Muslim countries for polemical purposes. It is a very real phenomenon which manifests itself in active discrimination, hate speech, and even outright violence against Muslims, putting their lives at risk.
It underlies state policies in many countries that seek to scapegoat Muslim countries and communities in order to cover their own failings. And, disturbingly, it is often the driving force behind wars launched to “civilize” the “terrorism prone” Muslims.
These challenges cannot be addressed by OIC countries on their own. They need to respond collectively. For this, the OIC must be strengthened.
Despite what detractors of the Organization may claim, the OIC is an important institutional means of engaging with an increasingly challenging global environment. The OIC has delivered in a number of areas.
It has provided valuable and consistent support to the Palestinian and Kashmiri people. It has spoken out on behalf of threatened Muslim communities, most notably the Rohingya. It has taken humanitarian initiatives to alleviate suffering in different parts of the Muslim world. And, it has mobilized international opinion against Islamophobia.
But, given the scale of challenges we face, much more needs to be done. There should be a focus on a limited set of actions that are doable, and that can translate into tangible benefits in the short term. These could include:
In the political domain, OIC should empower its Secretary General to draw upon the work of special mechanisms (Special Envoys, Fact Finding Missions, OIC’s Permanent Human Rights Commission) to forcefully articulate the case of oppressed Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir, Myanmar, and elsewhere.
In addition, to counter Islamophobia, the OIC Observatory for monitoring incidents of Islamophobia should be strengthened, and a sustained political dialogue should be initiated with countries that have significant Muslim communities, especially with EU countries.
In the health area, a project maybe commenced to pool the resources of OIC countries to establish a robust capacity to manufacture vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. Some Muslim countries have already been designated by the WHO as vaccine manufacturing hubs.
They need to work with others to set up facilities which can meet the pharmaceutical requirements of all OIC members. Coupled with this, health experts should be tasked to formulate an overall pandemic response plan which could be quickly implemented to protect our peoples in future pandemics.
In the knowledge and technology domain, OIC should increase the resources provided to COMSTECH, its lead institution for promoting cooperation in science and technology. If necessary, Pakistan should do this on its own. It is an investment that would yield immense benefits to all OIC members, including Pakistan.
In addition, a mechanism should be established for the exchange of students and researchers between the academic institutions of OIC countries. Ibne Sina scholarships may be set up for natural sciences and Ibne Khuldun scholarships for social sciences. These could catalyze the much needed exchange of knowledge among Muslim countries, and re-establish the cultural and academic linkages between our peoples.
In the humanitarian field, valuable work has been done by the OIC secretariat and the Islamic Development Bank, especially to address the situation in Afghanistan, Yemen and parts of Africa.
This is also an area in which many OIC countries provide generous support individually. But, it is only through collective action of OIC countries, and through the establishment of permanent structures, that will ensure the speedy provision of assistance to those in need.
Our vision for OIC should be ambitious. Though OIC countries have differences, yet there is an abiding sense of solidarity amongst the people of our countries.
This emanates from a shared religion, culture and history. As recently as the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Muslim scholars and traders moved freely from Africa to Central Asia, to South and South East Asia.
The Ummah inhabited a common cultural and economic space that was only ruptured with the intrusion of colonial powers. This space needs to be re-established. The OIC can be a vehicle for realizing this grand vision. But to do so we should commence by taking small, actionable steps.
