KUALA
LUMPUR, March 29, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) –
Seeking a better and more developed Muslim world, chairman of the
Organisation of Islamic Conference countries (OIC) outlined Tuesday,
March 29, seven initiatives involving seven host countries, to be
implemented as capacity building program for the Organisation.
OIC
Chairman, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Malaysian Prime Minister
launched, also Tuesday, three poverty alleviation projects as phase
one of the program, Bernama News Agency reported.
“We
hope Phase Two can be launched before too long,” he said in his
address at the launching of the capacity building program for OIC
countries in Kuala Lumpur.
He
further stressed that the capacity building program must become a
permanent feature of OIC economic cooperation.
As
a philosophy, he said, the program was also intended as an exercise in
reform and renewal with the purpose of creating a better life through
good governance.
“We
need to erase the image that a large part of the Muslim world is a
world of backwardness, ignorance and violence.
“We
need to change ourselves and institute a process of change from
within. The time for lament and blaming others for our misfortunes is
over,” he said.
Self-improvement
Abdullah
said as a small nation still grappling with problems of maintaining
economic growth, Malaysia’s ability to directly help other Muslim
countries was limited.
However,
he pointed out that Malaysia was ever ready and willing to share its
ideas, experiences and expertise in social engineering and economic
development.
The
projects include promoting the palm oil industry in Sierra Leone, the
resources sector in Mauritania and the fisheries industries in
Bangladesh.
Four
other projects in Guinea, Comoros, Indonesia and Maldives are expected
to be geared up later.
He
said the program should serve as a challenge to both detractors of OIC
and OIC members that the 57-member organisation was indeed capable of
undertaking concrete actions outside the realm of pure politics and
diplomacy.
Modest
Beginning
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“Muslim
countries needed to enhance level of entrepreneurship and
investment to improve this situation,” Tareen said.
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The
OIC chairman said the capacity building program represented a modest
beginning towards dealing with the problem of global poverty,
especially with over one billion people getting on by less than US$1
per day, mainly in Muslim countries.
He
further pointed out the United Nations had reported that out of the 50
least developed countries, 22 were OIC member countries.
“Therefore,
it was incumbent upon OIC members to contribute towards reduction of
global poverty by half by 2015 as envisioned under the UN’s
Millennium development goal (MDG) target.”
The
project-oriented program is not premised on the availability of grant
aid or international funding but self-help.
It
would involve normally three parties, namely the country hosting the
project, one or two OIC member countries volunteering assistance in
the form of funds or expertise and the private sector participating on
a commercial basis.
The
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will be an important partner through
the provision of financing for projects on easy terms, according to
Bernama.
Abdullah
conceived the idea of instituting the program upon becoming Prime
Minister and later assuming the chairmanship of OIC at its 10th Summit
in Putrajaya last year, Bernama said.
The
OIC was established in Rabat, Morocco, on 12 Rajab 1389H (25
September 1969) in the wake of the criminal arson perpetrated 21
August 21, 1969 by Zionist elements against Al-Aqsa Mosque, in Al-Quds
(occupied Jerusalem).
In
March 1970, the first meeting for OIC foreign ministers was held in
the Saudi city of Jeddah and set up a permanent General Secretariat,
to ensure a liaison among member states and charged it to coordinate
their action.
In
the meeting, the top diplomats appointed a secretary general and chose
Jeddah as the headquarters of the OIC, pending the liberation of
Al-Quds, which would be the permanent host.
Malaysia,
one of the most progressive OIC members, took the rotating
chairmanship of the world’s largest Muslim political organization in
October 2003.
It
will hold the post until 2007, a year longer than originally scheduled
because Senegal won't be ready to take over in 2006.
Promoting
Trade
The
OIC program move came as the Pakistani federal minister for
Industries, Production and Special Initiatives urged the Muslim Ummah
(nation) to form mutual business partnerships among the OIC countries
to meet the world economic challenges, Pakistani Daily Times said
Monday, March 28.
Jehangir
Khan Tareen said “there are 57 countries in the OIC with the
population of 1.4 billion people which is around 23 percent of world
total.
“Our
gross domestic income is around $1,250 billion, which is mere 4
percent of the world and regretted that per capita income in OIC is
only 1/6 of world average,” he added, addressing the inaugural
session of a five-day OIC workshop organized by the small and medium
development authority (SMEDA), the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (ICCI) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).
“Muslim
countries needed to enhance level of entrepreneurship and investment
to improve this situation,” the minister said.
“We
have a wide pool of trained manpower, excellent infrastructure and
friendly environment”, he said, expressing keen interest to partner
with all the agencies and institutions working for the SME sector
development in the Islamic countries.
