OIC Independent Permanent HR Commission Holds 24th Regular Session

Jeddah, 20 November, 2024 - The 24th Regular Session of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) shall be held from 24 – 28 November 2024 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It will be attended by OIC Member and Observer States, including their National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), experts from relevant international and regional organizations, and senior officials of the OIC General Secretariat and media representatives.

The formal Opening/Inaugural ceremony shall be held on Sunday 24th November, from 09:30-11:00 hours at the OIC Ministerial Conference Hall, Jeddah KSA. The inaugural ceremony will be followed by a thematic debate on the topic of “Right to Health: An Islamic and Human Rights Perspective” in collaboration with the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC). The Secretary-General of the OIC H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha and IPHRC Chairperson H.E. Amb. Talal Khalid Saad Al Mutairi, Director General of the SESRIC, H.E. Ms. Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, and Executive Director of IPHRC Secretariat, H.E. Prof. Noura Bint Zaid Alrshoud, will deliver remarks and inaugurate the Session.

The international experts from UN and OIC specialized institutions and representatives of OIC Member and Observer States, including their NHRIs, will participate in a day-long discussion on the topic of the right to health. The thematic debate will review strategies and policies, to address health inequities and barriers to healthcare access and service delivery within OIC Member States and beyond. Meanwhile, the session also aims to promote collaboration between OIC Member States, international organizations, and civil society organizations to advance the right to health. An outcome document reflecting key recommendations made during the debate will be finalized by the Commission which will be posted on the IPHRC website at the conclusion of the Session (www.oic-iphrc.org).

 The Commission, as per practice, shall also hold Closed Meetings of its different Working Groups from 25th - 28th November 2024 at the IPHRC Headquarters in Al Hamrah District, Jeddah, KSA.

The Commission is expected to hold detailed discussions on all issues on its agenda, including the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights in the OIC Member States, the human rights violations in Palestine, and Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Also, the regular meetings of its Working Groups on the Rights of Women and Children; Islamophobia and Muslim minorities; and the Right to Development will be held and decisions made during these closed meetings will be published in the concluding summary report of the Session. – OIC News