Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the EU
EU-OIC relations touch upon a variety of topics, mirroring respective competences. Dialogue primarily aims to contribute to enhanced understanding and to identify areas for cooperation where of interest to both organisations as well as to coordinate where possible policy making in other multilateral fora, notably the UN system.
With its 57 members*, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference) spreads over four continents and strives to be the collective voice of the Muslim world. Established in 1969 with its Headquarters in Jeddah, the OIC aims to represent the Muslim world in order to protect and safeguard interests of Muslims in the spirit of promoting international peace, security and harmony as well as inter-faith dialogue among various people of the world.
EU-OIC dialogue and cooperation is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), concluded in 2015, aiming to (i) exchange views, develop dialogue and cooperation in areas of common interest, based on mutual trust and benefit, and (ii) promoting mutual understanding.
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EU-OIC Cooperation Framework
Relations between the EU and the OIC started to develop under the initiative of the former EU’s High Representative Javier Solana following the first Danish cartoons’ crisis in 2005. In 2013, the OIC opened a permanent observer mission to the EU, while the EU accredited a Head of Delegation to the OIC in 2016. In the margins of the 2015 UNGA, former HR/VP Mogherini and Secretary General Madani signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of enhancing dialogue and cooperation between the two institutions. Senior Officials Meetings have been institutionalised since 2017 and further cooperation was launched with a number of joint events and resolutions in the UN framework (Resolutions on Myanmar and Freedom of Religion and Belief combating intolerance).
The most recent Senior Officials’ Meeting, held in June 2023 in Brussels, reaffirmed the interest of both organisations in deepening dialogue and cooperation, as well as in continuing the organisation of joint activities. To this effect, a joint programme of activities has been agreed. Accordingly, EU and OIC conducted several joint activities on election observation, freedom of religion and belief (FoRB), cultural and inter-faith cooperation and women’s rights.
EU-OIC Cooperation in Practice
Several cooperation programmes between the OIC General Secretariat and the EU are covering different topics of mutual interest. One example of the joint activities is a successful joint workshop on ‘eliminating gender based violence’, which was held in December 2022 in the framework of the 16 days of activism to end violence against women and girls. The EU and OIC further organised a virtual webinar on FoRB, inter-cultural and inter-faith dialogue with the aim to exchange on the respective frameworks established by the EU and OIC to protect FoRB and to explore opportunities for enhanced coordination and cooperation. The webinar was attended by OIC and EU officials as well as by external experts.
The EU and OIC have also been closely liaising following Quran burning incidents occurring in several EU Member States over the year of 2023.
In February 2023, the Humanitarian Department (ICHAD) of the OIC and the EU’s Humanitarian Department DG ECHO issued a joint press release that outlined a roadmap for collaboration on humanitarian affairs, in addition to increasing their existing dialogue and cooperation on key humanitarian policy areas and humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Rohingyas crisis, and the Middle East.
Another good example is the close coordination and liaison between the respective Special Representatives/Envoys for Afghanistan. The EU has further continued its outreach efforts with the OIC to reach agreement on joint initiatives and language in various international fora, such as the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.