OIC chief calls for intra-OIC cooperation to address challenges

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 14:23 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 Jakarta, (IINA) - Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Iyad Madani emphasized on Thursday the significance of effectively implementing various programs and projects on intra-OIC cooperation on labor, employment, and productivity in order to address the current challenges of unemployment, low productivity and macroeconomic instability prevalent in OIC member states. He made the remarks while addressing at the opening session of the Third Islamic Conference of Labor Ministers (ICLM) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesian Vice President Mohammad Yusuf Kalla inaugurated the conference. Reviewing the current strategies and action plans contained in OIC Framework for Cooperation on Labor, Employment, and Social Protection, the Secretary General urged the ministers and heads of delegations at the conference to demonstrate ownership of this OIC framework by reflecting them in their programs of action and allocating adequate resources for its expeditious implementation. He also called for intra-OIC cooperation aimed at creating conducive legislative and regulatory atmosphere for employment generation, training, social security, labor, and manpower exchange. While lamenting the steady increase in the average unemployment rate in OIC countries, as compared to the world average, the Secretary General drew attention to the fact that the unemployment rate in Palestine accounts for the highest unemployment rate in the entire OIC community. He attributed this unfortunate state of affairs in Palestine to the illegal occupation as well as the socio-economic blockade being meted out to the Palestinian people by the Israeli authorities. He therefore urged the conference to adopt a special dispensation to facilitate better employment opportunities for youth and vulnerable segments of the Palestinian population, including supporting programs in the area of vocational training, skill development and entrepreneurship. The third ICLM is being hosted by Indonesia following the expiry of two-year chairmanship of Azerbaijan, during which actions on the elaboration of the OIC Framework for Cooperation on Labor, Employment, and Social Protection as well as Draft Statute of the proposed OIC Labor Center in Baku, Azerbaijan were successfully completed. Ministers and heads of delegations from 35 OIC member states attended the conference. Officials representing OIC observer states, as well as regional and international organizations also attended. The conference is expected to adopt a resolution and a Jakarta Declaration, containing the roadmap for intra-OIC cooperation in the area of labor, employment, and social protection during the next biennium. AG/IINA