As part of the ongoing implementation of the bilateral Cooperation Agreement and its subsequent Plan of Action between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the Gulf Council Countries, the OIC General Secretariat hosted a high-level brainstorming roundtable on “The Missing Persons During Conflicts and Disasters: Strengthening the Response in the OIC Countries” in partnership with the Regional Delegation of the ICRC for the GCC, at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah on 26 October 2023, with the participation of representatives from OIC Member States.
During his speech at the brainstorming roundtable, the OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Social and Cultural Affairs, Ambassador Tareg Ali Bakheet, commended the valuable contribution made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait. He specifically recognized the ministry’s participation through Ambassador Eladsani, the Director of the Committee in-charge of the Missing and Prisoners at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, who was invited by the ICRC. Ambassador Bakheet highlighted Kuwait’s pioneering role in addressing the issue of the missing persons during conflicts by co-sponsoring the first-ever resolution on the missing, which was adopted at the UN Security Council.
Ambassador Bakheet emphasized that the issue of missing persons during conflicts and disasters has become a major concern in the international scene, and that’s why the United Nations Security Council felt the need to adopt resolution 2474 of 11 June 2019 sponsored by Kuwait. The resolution urged the international community to pay greater attention to the fate of the missing and disappeared persons, addressing their situation and helping their families.
The Assistant Secretary-General noted that the OIC General Secretariat recognizes the importance of raising awareness on the issue under discussion to deliberate on the best ways and means to strengthen the responses to the phenomenon of the missing persons. This is particularly crucial in an increasingly complex world marked by protracted conflicts, situations of violence, forced displacements, natural disasters, and large-scale trans-regional migration. He also commended the efforts of the ICRC in alleviating the humanitarian sufferings of people in Gaza, especially during the ongoing crisis.
ICRC Head of Regional Delegation for the GCC countries, H.E. Mr. Mamadou Sow delivered a speech at the opening of the brainstorming roundtable, noting that “behind every statistic is a human story, a family longing for a loved one, and addressing the issue of the missing is not just a task, it is a humanitarian imperative. Our collaborations with states have shown the way, but real progress demands unwavering political will and resources”. He added that “in Gaza, the magnitude of the crisis becomes even more evident. We have been flooded with urgent pleas from those agonizing over the unknown fate of their family members, amplifying the daily horrors they face.”—PR
