The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), H.E. Hissein Brahim Taha, addressed the inaugural high-level segment of the 8th Meeting of The Istanbul Process held virtually on 16 February 2022, under the theme ‘10th Anniversary of Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18: Looking Back and Moving Forward’.

The meeting hosted by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, witnessed broad participation of States from all regions, relevant UN Officials and Experts, religious leaders, civil society, business representatives and journalists.

The OIC Secretary General thanked the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for organizing the Eighth Meeting of The Istanbul Process. He reiterated the importance of this platform as an important step taken by the international community to resolutely combat hate speech, intolerance, discrimination and incitement to violence based on religion or belief.

In his statement, Mr. Hissein Taha expressed OIC’s concern over the continued rise of hatred, intolerance, discrimination and violence practiced on the basis of faith. He mentioned that the phenomenon is a threat to humanity as it jeopardizes peace and security in the world, in recalling the terrorist incidents that occurred in 2019 in New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

The OIC Secretary General underlined the crucial importance of collective efforts at international level to reverse such a tendency and to prevent atrocities from reoccurring, by using all available means and tools. The Resolution 16/18 and its Action plan, he said, remain a solid bedrock upon which the international community could build a collective response to fight hate speech, intolerance, discrimination and incitement to violence based on religion or belief.

Source: Organization of Islamic Cooperation