General Secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and its specialized institutions and the UN General Secretariat will hold a general meeting to enhance cooperation in political, economic, scientific, cultural, social and humanitarian fields between the two organizations on 3-5 July 2018, at the headquarters of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco. This biennial meeting will examine the continued political cooperation in terms of comprehensive consultations and capacity-building, as well as addressing conflicts and their means of resolution and peacemaking and security. It also reviews counter-terrorism, combating violent extremism, promoting democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law. Furthermore, it discusses issues such as the Middle East peace process, the situation in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Mali, the Central African Republic and Myanmar. On economic issues, OIC and UN officials will discuss the OIC trade preferential system, agriculture, food security and rural development, as well as transport and tourism issues. The meeting will also discuss cooperation in science and technology, research and higher education, technical and vocational training, environment, climate change and water issues. During the meeting, the two organizations will seek to promote cooperation in the area of intercultural dialogue and the promotion of a culture of dialogue for peace and reconciliation, combating incitement to discrimination based on religion or belief, social issues related to the interests of women, children and youth and the preservation of the cultural heritage of mankind. Important topics to be discussed by the two organizations at the forthcoming meeting include the humanitarian landscape in OIC countries like delivery of humanitarian aid and the mobilization of support during humanitarian crises, particularly in Bangladesh, the Lake Chad Basin, the Central African Republic and Somalia.
