Organization Of The Islamic Conference (OIC) Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of fifty-seven states. The organization was established in 1969 to facilitate cooperation among Muslim states in the political, economic, scientific, and cultural spheres. It is the only intergovernmental organization founded on a common religious ideology.

The OIC is composed of three main bodies. The highest authority within the OIC is the Conference of Kings and Heads of State and Government, which meets triennially to determine the OIC’s policies. The Conference of Foreign Ministers meets annually to formulate policy implementation strategies and to review financial and programmatic matters. The General Secretariat is charged with the implementation of the policies decided upon by its other bodies. The organization consists of numerous committees, secondary organs, and institutions that address the cultural, scientific, economic, legal, and educational spheres, as well as the OIC’s social and humanitarian activities. The OIC also has established several Islamic colleges and cultural centers.

The organization has achieved moderate success in the realms of technical and cultural cooperation over the years, but serious and protracted differences among its member states continue to be a formidable obstacle to its political progress. Despite frequent political stonewalling by its member states, the OIC has continued to take an active role in conflict prevention and resolution in recent years by sending delegations to mediate conflicts in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. It also funds various reconstruction and humanitarian aid projects throughout the Muslim world.

Despite its modest successes, however, criticisms against the OIC persist. In the five interstate conflicts it attempted to resolve, the OIC was unable to find a peaceful resolution. Until the OIC amended its charter in 2008, there were no formal membership criteria, and no significant movement could be taken on political issues without the unanimous consent of its member states. Further, its legal jurisdiction remains questionable, its countries often do not pay dues, and it does not maintain communication with some member states in order to encourage attendance at its conferences. OIC states rarely criticize each other within their own meetings, and until the recent announcement of its planned human rights body, its members seldom raised issues of human rights, fair elections, or women’s rights.

In response to these criticisms, the OIC adopted its Ten Year Programme of Action in 2005, which outlines the strategies needed to address the challenges facing the Muslim world. In accordance with its new mission, the secretariat has attempted to increase its capacity for peace building, human rights monitoring, economic cooperation, humanitarian aid, and good governance. Emerging issues such as combating Islam phobia and terrorism also have become increasingly high-priority areas for the OIC.

The OIC has gained greater attention in recent years, in part because Islam continues to take a more prominent role in international affairs. To date, however, the OIC has responded only to political crises that threaten to undermine the religious and political legitimacy of its member states, such as foreign occupation, Islamic opposition groups, or incendiary comments made by politicians and religious leaders against Islam. Nevertheless, the OIC represents an interesting example of how religious norms—in this case Islam’s process of group consultation (Shura)—interface with the secular, state system.

Bibliography:

Khan, Saad S. Reasserting International Islam: A Focus on the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Other Islamic Institutions. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Selim, Mohamad El Sayed. The Organization of the Islamic Conference in a Changing World. Edited by Mohamad El Sayed Selim. Cairo: Freidrich Ebert-Stiftung, 1994.

This example Organization Of The Islamic Conference (OIC) Essay is published for educational and informational purposes only. If you need a custom essay or research paper on this topic please use our writing services. EssayEmpire.com offers reliable custom essay writing services that can help you to receive high grades and impress your professors with the quality of each essay or research paper you hand in.