The 17th meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Pakistan on 19th December, to consider the current crisis in Afghanistan, has garnered significant media coverage globally. According to international affairs experts, the OIC is, of course, a strong and cohesive block of 57 countries, with Saudi Arabia playing a key role in handling the reins.
At the informal meeting, Pakistan proposed a 6-point framework, insisting that OIC countries must immediately help Afghanistan by investing in education, health, and technology as well as increasing the capacity of Afghan institutions to fight terrorism. Islamic countries also agreed to create aid and trust funds, a special account of Islamic Development Bank, and appoint a special representative for meaningful participation of Afghan women in all fields, rights of children and minorities.
In tandem with Pakistan’s agenda, the OIC Secretary-General said that the people of Afghanistan desperately need help, while the Turkish Foreign Minister advised the OIC to work with other international organizations to overcome the Afghan crisis. The UN envoy described the crisis in Afghanistan as ‘dangerous’ and called on the chairman of the Islamic Development Bank to work together for a long-term solution.
The good news for the Afghan people at the OIC meeting was that Saudi Arabia announced one billion riyals in aid to Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has termed the convening of the IC Council of Ministers meeting in Pakistan as historic and with a clear message sent to the world.
The United States had left Afghanistan helpless after its withdrawal and has now made aid to Afghanistan conditional on the fulfillment of promises, while the Taliban government has been plagued by the unavailability of resources and freezing of assets. Pakistan has raised the Afghan issue with full vigor. Now it is a global responsibility to assist the country.
There is an urgent need for the world to play its part in preventing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan from escalating, restoring the frozen assets, and providing immediate relief to the Afghan people.
