By IINA,
Rabat : The Moroccan Capital of Rabat hosted the Eighth Islamic Conference of Information Ministers (ICIM) on January 27-28. The Conference, held under the patronage King Mohammed VI of Morocco, was organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Communication. It was preceded by a two-day preparatory meeting of senior officials from the 57 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
The Palestinian issue was on top of the meeting’s agenda, which also included the restructuring of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) and the Islamic States Broadcasting Union (ISBU), two specialized media organs of OIC.
Participants at the Rabat conference were unanimous to say that IINA is a “useful” news organ in the OIC system to defend the causes of Muslims, particularly at this time when Islam and Muslims are under attack from various corners. A strong IINA could contribute in combating Islamophobia and presenting a real, correct and objective image of Muslims and Islam, a religion of peace and tolerance. The Assistant Undersecretary at the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information Dr. Riyadh Kamal Najm made a presentation on the strategic plan to restructure ISBU during the preparatory and the ministerial meetings.
For his part, the Director General of IINA Erdem Kok made clear presentations on the comprehensive study on restructuring of IINA, conducted by an international consultancy company. During Rabat’s ICIM, Erdem Kok met a number of delegations and discussed with them about the efforts he exerts to make IINA a dynamic and effective news agency with the support of member states.
It’s worth recalling that IINA was created in 1972 according to a resolution of the third Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM), now Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM). During the last 15 years the agency was in a critical situation of various aspects that posed obstacles to achieve its goals and becoming an effective and dynamic news organ.
Other key issues discussed at the 8th ICIM included the interaction with external media, energizing the sector of information and communication in the OIC, the adoption of a code of conduct for the media in the OIC member States, supporting the Information department at the OIC General Secretariat, support for the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF), the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the OIC (OIC Day) and the Islamic information and the Cause of Al Quds Al-Sharif.
“Information is the weapon of modern time and our religion urges us to proclaim the clear message, urging for more efforts to be made in order to enable the media in the OIC member States to improve their performance, taking into account pluralism and diversity, and to act responsibly, observe ethical standard and stand united to defend the cultural and spiritual values and ideals of Muslim societies and serve their best interests”, said King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, in a message to the conference, red on his behalf by his Adviser, Mohamed Moatassim. The conference adopted the message of King Mohammed VI as a key document to the conference.
In his speech at the conference, the Chairman of the 7th Session of the ICIM and the Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Ameen Madani expressed thanks to the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for financing the studies for restructuring of IINA and ISBU, in his capacity as the chairman of the two organs. He announced that the OIC was in the process of writing off the unsettled arrears of contributions of member States to the budget of IINA and ISBU, to open a new chapter for member states to help these two organs effectively from now.
On his part, the Secretary General of the OIC Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said the 8th session of the ICIM coincided with the 40th anniversary of the OIC which held its first conference was held in Rabat in September 1969. Regarding the information system of the OIC, he told participants that IINA would be re-launched soon in its new version. He hailed the support extended by the Saudi minister of Culture and Information Iyad Ameen Madani to the news agency. He also commended IINA’s new Director General Erdem Kok for his valuable and committed efforts.
The Moroccan minister of Communication and Spokesman for the Government, Khalid Naciri, in his address at the 8th ICIM, said that “the agenda of our conference shows a fundamental conviction that all our concern is centered on promotion of the Islamic action in information-related fields in order to enable the sector to accomplish its lofty mission to fulfill the aspirations of our peoples to renaissance, development and prosperity, to lay down the foundations of constructive dialogue with all the countries of the world and to confirm our civilization’s contribution to building a world community founded on the principles of justice, peace, stability and respect of the specificities of all its components”.
Naciri added that the fierce competition in the communication industry, which has become one of the components of the current international context, prompt medias in the Islamic world, more than ever, to shoulder the responsibility to double efforts and keep pace with the technological evolution in the media and communications, develop high professionalism and accumulate broad-based expertise in order to take influential positions in a rapidly changing and highly competitive world in all fields, so as to acquire the required skills as a strong voice both inside and outside.
The participants adopted a declaration called “The Rabat declaration” proposed by the Moroccan ministry of Communications on challenges faced by media in the Islamic world. The consensus during the meeting and the unanimous adoption of all the resolutions submitted, made the 8th ICIM a real success. Gabon will host the 9th Session of the ICIM in 2011.