The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), represented by the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, member of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) Executive Committee, participated in the 12th session of the ISSF’s Executive Committee and General Assembly meeting in Riyadh on 27 November 2023. The session was chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, President of the ISSF and Minister of Sport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also serving as the Chair of the 5th Islamic Conference of Youth and Sport Ministers.
In his speech at the General Assembly, Ambassador Bakheet praised the wise leadership of His Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, which enabled the ISSF to record huge successes and achievements in sports development in the Muslim world. He assured of the General Secretariat’s commitment to enhancing coordination with the ISSF through the Department of Youth and Sport with the aim of achieving the goals set out in the OIC Plan of Action for the Development of Sports and the OIC Youth Strategy thereby elevating youth issues in the Muslim world, particularly in the area of sports.
Ambassador Bakheet applauded the great efforts deployed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards the development of youth and sport, in line with the generous attention attached to youth welfare and sporting activities in the Kingdom and the Muslim world by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince His Highness Prince Mohamed Bin Salman. He also applauded the significant efforts of the Ministry of Sport in implementing the resolutions of the 5th session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers held in September 2022 and its support for the activities of the General Secretariat.
Ambassador Bakheet highlighted the dire humanitarian situation facing the Palestinian people, particularly the killing of innocent children, women, and young people by the Israeli occupation authorities, including repression, violence, and destruction of health, cultural, and sports infrastructure.
