How OIC Cooperation with UN Shapes International Policy - Essay Example

Running header: How OIC cooperation with UN shapes international policy Student’s name: Instructor’s name: Subject code: Date of submission How OIC cooperation with UN shapes international policy. Introduction Religion plays a great role on the formation of international policies ad relations. Bearing in mind that more than 90 percent of the world populations belong to the different religions practiced in different nations of the world, religion and religious leadership has played a leading role in influencing international policy. Another reason why religion and religious leadership has been allowed to influence international policy and hence relations is the fact that religion has been a volatile subject often leading strife among nations when it was not handled in the right manner. This is well illustrated in the fact that those who finance and fuel terrorism in the world base it on their religious teaching regardless of whether or not they are right (Shireen, 2008). Therefore, in a bid to prevent such strive, religion and hence religious leadership has to be allowed to play a great role in the formulation of international policies and relations. This paper examines the role of religion and religious leadership in shaping the international policies and relations. In this regard, I seek to examine how the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has interacted with various bodies of the United Nations organization (UN) in shaping and promoting human rights in the Muslim world as well as securing the rights of refugees hosted by these nations. These UN bodies include the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCHR). Since the collapse of the former USSR and after the September 11 attack, there has been increasing talk on the role of religion and religious leadership in shaping the behavior patterns by actors both at the national and international front. In his book, Huntington (2005) argues that religion will become the most important maker of identity and the determinant of patterns of international conflicts and amities thus highlighting the importance of religion in shaping international policy and relations which increases on a day to day basis (Howden, 2006). One religious organization that portrays the extent to which religion and religious leadership influences international policies and relations is the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). OIC is international organization that was founded in 1969 and has 57 members. The organization terms itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world and has been working hard in a bid to safeguard as well as protect the interests of the Muslim world in their bid to promote international harmony and peace. The organization has permanent delegations to the UN as well from where it cooperates with UN bodies such as UNHRC to promote the human rights related to the Muslims as well as their interest. The organization also works with the UN through UNHCR in a bid to promote the interests of the refugees they host in their countries who are millions in numbers. Matters pertaining to human rights are in the heart of every religion and hence OIC takes them to be o paramount importance. This is the reason why the body has been working very closely with UNHCHR which is the UN body that specifically deals with promotion of human rights and prevention of their violation around the world. Both OIC and UNHCHR have cooperated in various areas of human rights promotion though at times OIC has accused the UNHCHR of its colonial tendency of policing the internal affairs of Muslim nations as well as other nations (Fatema, 2002). This notion is blamed for formation of various bodies to fight for Muslim rights across the globe some of which use radical means in the name of religion to achieve this. Areas of conflict between OIC and UNHCHR regarding human rights are many. For instance, OIC created the Cairo Declaration on human rights in Islam which had the aim of subjecting the rights and freedoms in the declaration to the Islamic Shari’ah”. However, their attempt to have it adopted by the UN human rights council proved futile since the efforts were criticized for contradicting universal declaration of human rights. OIC has also faced criticism from UNHCHR for failure to discuss the treatment of ethnic minorities within its member countries including the oppression of the Kurds in Syria among other violations. Another area of contention between the UNHCHR and OIC has been concerning LGBT rights (Council on foreign relations, 2015). Though a resolution to support the rights were adopted by UNHRC in 2012 where UNHCHR was against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, OIC denounced the resolution arguing that such a resolution was aimed at promoting licentious behavior against the teaching of various religions including Islam. Despite the above areas of criticism and contentions between these two bodies, OIC has helped shape policy on various areas affecting Muslim rights and hence human rights in general. According to Human Rights Watch, OIC with the cooperation of UNHRC has successfully fought doggedly in a bid to shield its members from criticism apart from as far as criticism of Israel is concerned. For instance, an attempt by independent experts to report human rights violations in the 2006 Lebanon war was met with resistance from OIC states with demand that rather than condemning abusive government, the UNHRC ought to cooperate with them in promoting human rights (McInnis, 2009). The organization also successfully created the independent permanent human rights commission independent of OIC and composed of 18 members from various backgrounds. The commission was given the power of monitoring human rights within OIC member states while facilitating the integration of human rights into all of the OIC mandates. In addition, the body promotes the civil, political and economic rights in all OIC member states. This way, OIC has been successful in shaping the international human rights policy in its member states thus acting to facilitate UNHRC efforts at promoting human rights. In line with UNHRC, OIC adopted the convention on combating international terrorism in 1991. According to Human Rights Watch, the definition of terrorism is any act or threat of violence carried out with an aim of imperiling a person’s honor, threatening stability, territorial integrity or sovereignty of a state or occupying or seizing land or property. However, the UNHRC has criticized this as being ill defined and including what is outside the generally accepted meaning of terrorism since the definition could be used to label acts of peaceful expression, assembly and association as acts of terrorism. In addition, this could be used abusively to prosecute political opponents and others as terrorists. The UNHRC has also been concerned that OIC has been unwilling to recognize terrorism acts as serving courses endorsed by its member states (JTA, 2009). Thus, UNHRC has been urging OIC to adopt and embrace the longstanding and universally recognized international human rights standards in their fight against terror though according to Human Rights Watch, the request has not led to any results. Thus, the UN through UNHRC holds that the contradictions between OIC and other UN members has been thwarting efforts by the UN aimed at producing a comprehensive convention on international terrorism and hence its fight. On the other hand, OIC has for a long time blamed the UN for wanting to term the Palestinian fight with Israel as acts of terror. In this regard, the OIC remains categorical that it rejects all efforts to link terrorism to the Palestinian struggle in exercising their inalienable right of establishing an independent state with Jerusalem acting as its capital. The biggest contribution by OIC in shaping international policy and relations is probably seen in its cooperation with UNHRC in combating of defamation of religions across the globe. In this regard, there have been several non-binding resolutions that have been passed by the UN that condemn defamation of religions. Such motions sponsored by OIC have had the aim of prohibiting expressions likely to fuel discriminations, misconceptions and extremism that would lead to fragmentation and polarization with unforeseen and unintended consequences on the basis of religion. However, such resolutions have always met with strong criticism from the western world as well as human right groups. For instance, the most recent resolution on defamation of religions was in 2010 condemned the ban on construction of minarates of mosques just months after Swiss had introduced such a ban (Unhcr.org, 2012). From 1999, a total of eight resolutions have been passed by the UN in conjunction with OIC with an aim of ensuring all nations across the globe ensure that all its officials at all public and private sectors and all government levels do not discriminate any person in any way in the course of their duties and operations to respect all religions and beliefs while failing to discriminate against any person on the basis of their religion or beliefs while ensuring provision of all necessary education and training. Though such resolutions are not necessarily binding, their passage is in no doubt a great step since they are likely to have a great influence in shaping international policy on human rights especially those that relate to religion and religious beliefs. Another area where OIC cooperates with UN is in its efforts aimed at conflict reduction. Despite there being small scale of humanitarian activities that OIC is involved in, its Islamic identity brings with it hope within the formal humanitarian system that OIC would provide insights into how access can be gained to areas that islamist movements control as well as helping in developing approaches to humanitarian action that are more appropriate for the predominantly Muslim states (Hasimi, 2014). Such a contribution is seen as being of vital importance since more than half of all humanitarian appeals for crises in the year 2014 originated from Muslim-majority countries who contribute the OIC membership. In this regard, OIC has established collaborations with the UN secretariat , the department of political affairs as well as with every specialized UN agency which include the world food program (WFP), UNHCR, among other UN bodies with an aim of building mutual capacity as well as sharing of information . In addition, the organizations undertake joint humanitarian missions to numerous crisis zones. OIC also cooperates with the UN in promotion of the development of disaster risk management frameworks among its member states while working to prevent conflict globally with particular attention focused on Sahel, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. More specific collaboration has been between OIC and UNHCR witnessed in the Islamic world conference on refugees in the Islamic world that the two organizations co-hosted. This conference was important in shaping the UN policy on refugees since various resolutions were passed aimed at helping not only OIC but also the UN deal with the problem that the refugees face. OIC and the UN have been cooperating in partnerships in developing policies that have the aim of improving humanitarian access (Eva, 2015). For instance during the 2012 visit of the OIC headquarters by UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon, the two bodies agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas of common interest including conflict prevention and mediation, humanitarian assistance, the refugees and human rights as well as intercultural dialogue and the fight against terrorism. Resulting from the commitment, the two bodies have adopted the joint OIC-UN work plan that calls for OIC support in its efforts to increase humanitarian access in war ton Islamic countries such as Gaza, Yemen and Somalia among other nations. This is expected to have a great effect on the OIC influence on policy formation in the above areas. Conclusion The areas outlined above have illustrated how the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which is an international religious organization has collaborated with the various United Nation Organization’s bodies in a bid to bring about various policies that are of interest to the religion the organization represents thereby successfully shaping the international policy in the above areas. However, despite the cooperation, it has also been established that the two bodies have been blaming each other on various issues. For instance, it has been established that though OIC speaks for the human rights of Muslim, the UN records indicate that human rights violations are greatest within the OIC member states in the world. Such human rights violations include notorious prisons for political detainees as well as inhuman sentences. However, this could be blamed to the differences in what constitutes human rights in different religions and regions of the world (Arab News, 2014). It is however worth noting that the cooperation between the two bodies has contributed show much in shaping the various international policies and relations especially as far as those that concern the Muslim are concerned and hence those of other religions . This is an indication that such international religious organizations and hence religion can play a great role in influencing international policy both now and in the future. The relationship between OIC and UN though constantly characterized by blame games has in no doubt done a lot in shaping the international policy especially on human rights that concern Muslims. However, there is need for the two bodies to harmonize their perceptions on the various issues that constitute human rights. This way, such cooperation will yield even greater fruits in the future. References: Shireen, T2008, Iran’s Foreign Policy in the Post-Soviet Era: Resisting the New International Order, Georgetown, Praeger. Howden, D2006, How a meeting of leaders in Mecca set off the cartoon wars around the world, The Independent, London. Fatema, M2002, Islam and democracy, Cambridge, Perseus books. Council on foreign relations, 2015, Convention of the organization of the Islamic conference (OIC) on combating international terrorism, Retrieved on 3rd June 2015, from; http://www.cfr.org/terrorism-and-the-law/convention-organization-islamic-conference-oic- combating-international-terrorism/p24781 McInnis, L2009, UNHRC resolution 26th March 2009, Reuters. JTA, 2009, UN rights council passes religious defamation resolution, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 2009. Unhcr.org2012, Ancient principles inform current laws, UNHCR chief tells gathering on Muslim refugees, Retrieved on 3rd June 2015, from; http://www.unhcr.org/4fad0d7a9.html Eva, S2015, Islamic humanitarianism? The evolving role of the organization for Islamic cooperation in Somalia and beyond, Overseas Development Institute, London. Arab News, 2014, OIC to send humanitarian team to CAR, Arab News. Hasimi, C2014, Turkey’s humanitarian diplomacy and development cooperation, Insight Turkey, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 9-15. Read More

The organization terms itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world and has been working hard in a bid to safeguard as well as protect the interests of the Muslim world in their bid to promote international harmony and peace. The organization has permanent delegations to the UN as well from where it cooperates with UN bodies such as UNHRC to promote the human rights related to the Muslims as well as their interest. The organization also works with the UN through UNHCR in a bid to promote the interests of the refugees they host in their countries who are millions in numbers.

Matters pertaining to human rights are in the heart of every religion and hence OIC takes them to be o paramount importance. This is the reason why the body has been working very closely with UNHCHR which is the UN body that specifically deals with promotion of human rights and prevention of their violation around the world. Both OIC and UNHCHR have cooperated in various areas of human rights promotion though at times OIC has accused the UNHCHR of its colonial tendency of policing the internal affairs of Muslim nations as well as other nations (Fatema, 2002).

This notion is blamed for formation of various bodies to fight for Muslim rights across the globe some of which use radical means in the name of religion to achieve this. Areas of conflict between OIC and UNHCHR regarding human rights are many. For instance, OIC created the Cairo Declaration on human rights in Islam which had the aim of subjecting the rights and freedoms in the declaration to the Islamic Shari’ah”. However, their attempt to have it adopted by the UN human rights council proved futile since the efforts were criticized for contradicting universal declaration of human rights.

OIC has also faced criticism from UNHCHR for failure to discuss the treatment of ethnic minorities within its member countries including the oppression of the Kurds in Syria among other violations. Another area of contention between the UNHCHR and OIC has been concerning LGBT rights (Council on foreign relations, 2015). Though a resolution to support the rights were adopted by UNHRC in 2012 where UNHCHR was against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, OIC denounced the resolution arguing that such a resolution was aimed at promoting licentious behavior against the teaching of various religions including Islam.

Despite the above areas of criticism and contentions between these two bodies, OIC has helped shape policy on various areas affecting Muslim rights and hence human rights in general. According to Human Rights Watch, OIC with the cooperation of UNHRC has successfully fought doggedly in a bid to shield its members from criticism apart from as far as criticism of Israel is concerned. For instance, an attempt by independent experts to report human rights violations in the 2006 Lebanon war was met with resistance from OIC states with demand that rather than condemning abusive government, the UNHRC ought to cooperate with them in promoting human rights (McInnis, 2009).

The organization also successfully created the independent permanent human rights commission independent of OIC and composed of 18 members from various backgrounds. The commission was given the power of monitoring human rights within OIC member states while facilitating the integration of human rights into all of the OIC mandates. In addition, the body promotes the civil, political and economic rights in all OIC member states. This way, OIC has been successful in shaping the international human rights policy in its member states thus acting to facilitate UNHRC efforts at promoting human rights.

In line with UNHRC, OIC adopted the convention on combating international terrorism in 1991. According to Human Rights Watch, the definition of terrorism is any act or threat of violence carried out with an aim of imperiling a person’s honor, threatening stability, territorial integrity or sovereignty of a state or occupying or seizing land or property.

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