e_Paper, Sunday, July 23, 2017

The road to peace
The OIC and its monitoring of human rights
Opinion 13
DT
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
P O S T
BREAKFAST
• Muhammad Zamir
The preamble of
the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights states:
“The inherent dignity and
equal and inalienable rights of all
members of the human family is
the foundation of freedom, justice,
and peace in the world.”
Upholding of human rights
has gained focal attention all over
the world. It is generally agreed
that absence of this important
factor within the paradigm of
governance affects individual
security, collective security, and
also national security.
In this context, there is also
consensus that elements like
sectarianism and absence of
respect of socio-cultural rights
respect and protection for
different societies with separate
value-structures.
The youth is our future
This has been done with the belief
that this will strengthen the role
of youth and also foster peace and
development in all OIC member
states.
Details of the efforts
undertaken by the IPHRC in this
regard was recently enumerated
by its Vice Chairperson, Dr Rashid
Al Balushi, during the 44th session
of the OIC Conference of Foreign
Ministers (CFM) held in Abidjan
Republic of Cote d’Ivoire from
July 10-11. His address touched
on the theme of “Youth, Peace,
and Development in a World of
Solidarity.”
Dr Balushi also pointed out
that despite resource constraints;
IPHRC’s effort was being widely
recognised by the international
human rights community. In
this context, he also informed
Don’t just promote human rights, ensure them
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IPHRC has been charged to play a more proactive
role in promoting human rights
among different communities
have also had an effect on the subregional
and regional matrix.
The prevailing situation
of terrorism and violence in
different parts of the world --
resulting out of fundamentalism,
communalism, populism, and
misinterpretation of religion --
has resulted in displacement of
populations, both internally as
well as across frontiers.
Such an equation has
particularly emerged within the
parameters of parts of Africa
in general and North Africa in
particular, and also in several subregions
within the Middle East and
parts of South and Southeast Asia.
Armed violence has contributed
to instability, loss of lives, and
tension in the context of bilateral
relations.
Recognition of these factors
appears to have persuaded
the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) member states
to focus their collective attention
towards the upholding of human
rights. In this context, the OIC
Independent Permanent Human
Rights Commission (IPHRC) has
been charged to play a more proactive
role in not only promoting
human rights but also ensuring
the member states about IPHRC
conducting two field visits to
Palestine and Kashmir and also
preparing detailed reports on the
ongoing human rights situation in
these sensitive areas.
The IPHRC has apparently
also carried out research and
prepared a detailed report on the
subject of “Sexual orientation and
Gender identity” and also tried
to review the Cairo Declaration
on Human Rights in Islam against
existing universal human rights
instruments.
Both these studies with
concrete recommendations were
later submitted to the 44th CFM
for consideration and appropriate
follow up. It would be fitting at
this point to outline the manner in
which the IPHRC evolved within
the OIC. It is an expert body
with advisory capacity that was
established by the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as one
of the principal organs working
independently in the area of
human rights.
A new avenue of peace and order
The creation of IPHRC was
enunciated in the New OIC Charter
adopted by 11th Islamic Summit
held in Dakar, Senegal, on March
13-14, 2008. The commission
was formally launched with the
adoption of its statute by the
38th session of the Council of
Foreign Ministers held in Astana,
Kazakhstan, on June 28-30, 2011.
The nascent commission has
since emerged as a fully functional
human rights mechanism
pursuing its multidimensional
objectives and mandates. From
its first regular session, the
commission adopted a set of five
guiding principles for its work.
These include the principles of
complementarity, introspection,
prioritsation, incremental
approach, and credibility.
The IPHRC has also claimed
that they are now offering
programs of assistance to member
states in a variety of areas such
as advancing human rights,
reviewing the corresponding
domestic legislations, counseling
with regard to obligations
under international human
rights instruments, awareness
campaigns, and provision of
technical assistance for capacity
building, etc. One can only hope
that these objectives do not suffer
due to absence of political will or
financial contributions.
Support is key
The OIC, in this significant
journey, needs to fully support
the IPHRC while it undertakes
measures towards advancing
human rights and fundamental
freedoms in member states
as well as the fundamental
rights of Muslim minorities and
communities in non-member
states in conformity with the
universally recognised human
rights norms and standards and
with the added value of Islamic
principles of justice and equality.
This effort aimed at promoting
and strengthening human rights
in member states should also
include interfaith and intercultural
dialogue as a tool to promote
peace and harmony among
various civilisations and the
promotion of the true image of
Islam -- as a religion of peace and
understanding.
This will need extending
support to member states and
their national institutions in
the promotion and protection
of human rights for all in an
independent manner. It will also
require reviewing the OIC’s own
human rights instruments and
recommending ways for their finetuning,
as and where appropriate,
including the option of
recommending new mechanisms
and covenants.
Subsequent promotion of
cooperative working relations
with relevant bodies of the
United Nations will help to
strengthen regional human rights
mechanisms with the support
and association of accredited civil
society organisations.
A vast network
IPHRC, with its member states
spread over four continents
is designed to work as a
cross-regional human rights
mechanism that brings together
and promotes the universal
character of human rights. Over
the last three years, the IPHRC
appears to have deliberated on
a number of important issues of
contemporary concern such as
rights of women and children,
right to development, combating
Islamophobia, extremism, and
intolerance.
It would, however, be fitting
for OIC member states to
understand that the objectives
for setting up the IPHRC can only
be meaningfully achieved if they
seriously abide by the stipulations
set forth in international
instruments and not just in lipservice.
Conformity with these
aforementioned principles will
then ensure good governance
particularly with regard to the
millions of expatriate workers
-- both female and male -- who
now work in the Middle East from
least developed and developing
countries.
It will be a challenge, but I shall
try to make certain of this during
my tenure as an elected member
of the IPHRC for three years from
February, 2018.•
Muhammad Zamir, a former
Ambassador and Chief Information
Commissioner of the Information
Commission, is an analyst specialised in
foreign affairs, right to information, and
good governance. He can be reached at
muhammadzamir0@gmail.com.