The cause of Palestine and Al-Quds was the raison d’etre for the establishment of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1969. The Department of Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs (DPQ) was established as a major department at the General Secretariat. It is headed by an Assistant Secretary-General in accordance with Article 18 of the OIC Charter “One post of Assistant Secretary General shall be devoted to the cause of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and Palestine with the understanding that the State of Palestine shall designate its candidate”.

 

Vision and Mission

Enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights, including their right to return, self-determination, and establish the independent and sovereign state of Palestine on the 1967  borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, preserving its Arab identity and preserving its holy places, and working to end the occupation of the Palestinian and Arab territories occupied since 1967, including the city of Al-Quds and the other occupied Arab territories.

 

Tasks

• Following up the implementation of Resolutions, recommendations and plans related to the affairs of Palestine and Al-Quds, issued by Islamic summit, Council of Foreign Ministers and sectoral meetings.
• Preparing political, economic, social, cultural and media reports to  support  the struggle of the Palestinian people, helping them to regain their legitimate rights, and circulating such  reports to Member States and the relevant OIC  organs.
• Coordinating efforts, positions and policies towards Al-Quds as a central issue, following up on the implementation of OIC resolutions on monitoring and confronting Israeli violations and Judaization policies, implementing the strategic plan for the development of Al-Quds, activating twinning agreements with it, and contributing to preserving its Arab identity and preserving its holy places.
• Preparing the appropriate media line to introduce the Palestinian cause and expose the Israeli violations of the sanctity of the holy places, and coordinating media activity with the specialized organs.
• Monitoring all forms of activities of the Israeli occupation, especially the policies of colonial settlement, Judaization, and forced displacement, and proposing the necessary measures to confront this.
• Following -up all activities at the UN and other international fora pertaining to the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif in all aspects and coordinate the role of the Islamic group through the OIC offices.
• Representing the OIC General Secretariat in conferences, seminars, meetings and other events related to Palestine and Al-Quds affairs.
• Following-up  the implementation of the OIC resolutions regarding the Islamic Office for the Boycott of Israel, and monitoring the Israeli occupation policies related to colonial settlement, the apartheid wall, and the daily attacks and violations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

 

Administrative Units

• The Islamic Office for the Boycott of Israel: It was established under Resolution No. 15/12-P, issued by the 12th  Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in 1981. It seeks to achieve the efforts of the General Secretariat in implementing the resolutions on boycotting Israel, and monitor the Israeli occupation policies related to colonial settlement, the apartheid wall, and the daily attacks and violations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
• The OIC Representative Office in Palestine: This office was established by Resolution No. 42/40-P issued by the 42nd CFM session in 2015. It works to promote the cooperation, coordination and consultation  with the State of Palestine, based on OIC  objectives, principles and resolutions, contribute to strengthening its role towards supporting the rights of the Palestinian people, building their national institutions, meeting their needs, strengthening their steadfastness, and preserving their sanctities.

 

Division for Palestine and the occupied Arab territories

This division follows up four sub-dossiers, namely ministerial meetings, the peace process, relations with international organizations, as well as the issue of refugees and UNRWA.

 

Division for Al-Quds Affairs

This division follows up four sub-dossiers, namely the strategic plan for the development of Al-Quds, the Israeli violations in the city, and twinning with Al-Quds, as well as following up on the work of the Al-Quds Committee and the Bait Mal al-Quds Agency.

 

Division for Aid and Development Affairs 

This division follows up four sub-dossiers, namely development and humanitarian aid, media and cultural activities, development funds, and OIC organs.

 

Contact groups and organs concerned with the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds

• Al-Quds Committee

This Permanent Committee was established in accordance with Resolution No. 1/6-P issued by the 6th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Jeddah, KSA (12 – 15/7/ 1975). It aims to follow up the implementation of the OIC resolutions on the Arab-Israeli conflict, and resolutions passed by  other international bodies that support, or are in line with, the  OIC position, It   communicates with any other bodies,  makes   proposals to  Member States with regard to implementation of Resolutions and realization of their  objectives and take appropriate  measures regarding situations that arise within the limits of its terms of reference.

The Committee held twenty sessions, the last of which was in Marrakesh, Kingdom of Morocco, on 17-18/1/ 2014. The OIC CFM elects the members of the Committee for three years, renewable. Its membership currently includes: Kingdom of Morocco – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan – Republic of Iraq – State of Palestine – Republic of Lebanon  – Islamic Republic Of Mauritania – Arab Republic Of Egypt – Republic People’s Bangladesh – Islamic Republic of Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Iran – Republic of Indonesia – Republic of Senegal – Republic of Niger – Republic of Guinea – Republic of  Türkiye – Syrian Arab Republic (suspended since 2012)

 

•  Six-member Committee on Palestine

This Committee was established by Resolution No. 1/13-P issued by the 13th session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in 1982. It aims at coordinating political positions and efforts and taking all effective steps on the widest possible international scale at the UN and its specialized agencies and all other various international organizations and conferences to support the Palestinian cause. Its membership includes the Foreign Ministers of: the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; Republic of Senegal; Republic of Guinea; State of Palestine; Malaysia, and the OIC Secretary General.

 

• Ministerial Contact Group on the Question of Palestine and Al-Quds

This Group was established by Resolution No. 7/40-PAL  of the  Council of Foreign Ministers  (Conakry, December 2013),  and the  Islamic action plan adopted  to support the Palestinian cause and protect Al-Quds Al-Sharif from the systematic policies of Judaization practiced by the Israeli occupation authorities to change the city’s Arab and Islamic character and change its demographics and isolate it from its Palestinian surroundings.

The Ministerial Contact Group is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco. It  membership  includes  Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Guinea, Malaysia, the Republic of Türkiye and the Republic of Azerbaijan, in addition to the OIC  Secretary-General.

 

• Al-Quds Fund and its Waqf

This Fund was established by a Resolution of the Seventh Conference of Foreign Ministers in 1976. It operates under the supervision of a board of directors chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and with the membership of the State of Palestine, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Guinea, in addition to the OIC  Secretary-General.