Jeddah, The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is scheduled to hold its 18th ordinary session during the period from 21 to 25 November 2021, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the organization in Jeddah, in the presence of representatives of both member and observer states of the organization, including their national human rights institutions, and specialists from various relevant international and regional organizations.

The agenda of the session includes issues of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in the member states of the OIC, in addition to violations of human rights in Palestine and Jammu as well as Kashmir.

The commission will also hold the ordinary meetings of its four working groups on Palestine, rights of women and children, Islamophobia and Muslim minorities, and the right to development, as decisions will be taken regarding the establishment of a future work plan for the commission.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) constitute a paradigm shift for achieving sustainable development by implementing human rights-based approaches. However, due to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts to achieve the SDGs, especially in the OIC member states, the issue of reconsidering achieving sustainable development from a human rights-based perspective receives more attention in relation to undertaking recovery efforts to address systemic inequalities in the post-pandemic period.

The Commission will also hold a discussion panel on “achieving sustainable development in the OIC countries through a human rights-based approach” on Tuesday, November 23, 2021.

Source: Saudi press Agency