Parliament set to host OIC Speaker’s conference

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Speakers and Deputy Speakers from countries under the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Countries Conference-PUOIC are scheduled to meet in Kampala this week, URN has learnt. The OIC member countries are Algeria, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The team will discuss among others corporation among their countries, human rights, and support to education and health facilities. Rebecca Kadaga, who is scheduled to chair the two day meeting at Skyz Hotel in Kampala starting on Tuesday, says the Conference will attract 40 delegates from the OIC member states with the exception Azerbaijan and Cameroon, which have sent apologies.

Senegal and Sudan haven’t responded to the invitation. Uganda last hosted the Union, which is composed of Parliaments of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in 2010.

According to Kadaga, key on the agenda for conference is the consideration of a report of the PUIC Secretary General looking at the March 2019 Rabat, Morocco Declaration on Importance of Corporation and Sticking to the Core Value of Unity among countries.

During their March meeting at the 14th Session of the PUIC Conference in Morocco, Speakers, heads and members of delegations reiterated their commitment to the fundamental principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other states and resolution of conflicts through peaceful means and dialogue.

According to the declaration, the Speakers also re-asserted their determination to continue efficient contribution to the improvement of the work of the United Nation (UN) and its specialized agencies, particularly in domains as concern the establishment of world peace and regional security and observance of human rights.

“We stress the vital importance of democracy, State of institutions, and the respect and safeguard of human rights in the advancement of societies, their development, and their stability. This is because these constitute an ultimate universal goal, a social requirement, and an objective to be achieved through accumulated experience, reforms, involvement of different groups and components of societies in political life, and through ensuring an enhanced and effective political participation of women and youth,” further reads the declaration.

The Kawempe North MP, Latif Ssebaggala who is a member of the Conference Organizing Committee, said delegates from the different member countries started arriving in Uganda on Saturday.

Ssebaggala said that Uganda’s membership in Organisation of Islamic Countries has in the past brought a number of benefits to the country citing the establishment of Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), support to the Uganda Heart Institute, renovation and equipping of Kayunga and Yumbe General Hospitals and others.

He said that they expect to achieve more from the 42nd Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Countries Conference (PUIC).

Kadaga noted that this week’s meeting will see discussion of more support to Uganda towards education, health facilities and tourism.

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URN