Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, is an intergovernmental forum through which Muslim-majority states coordinate on shared concerns. Established in 1969, its Charter mandates Islamic solidarity, cooperation among members, protection of common interests and support for international peace and security.

Nature and membership

The OIC has 57 member states and is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It describes itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world, while remaining an organisation of sovereign states rather than a supranational authority.

Core mandate

• It seeks to strengthen solidarity and unity among member states and coordinate their positions in international forums.
• It supports the rights of the Palestinian people, including self-determination, and treats the Palestinian question as a central concern.
• It promotes cooperation in political, economic, social, cultural, scientific and technological fields.
• It seeks to safeguard the rights, dignity and religious and cultural identity of Muslim communities and minorities in non-member states.
• It promotes peace, security, human rights, good governance and cooperation against terrorism, extremism and organised crime.

Principles and institutional character

The OIC must operate consistently with sovereign equality, territorial integrity, non-interference, peaceful settlement of disputes and the purposes of the UN Charter. Its principal organs include the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers and the General Secretariat. It coordinates policies and programmes, but its Charter does not create a mutual-defence guarantee comparable to a military alliance.