{"id":27370,"date":"2026-08-11T17:04:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=27370"},"modified":"2026-08-11T17:04:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:34:01","slug":"organisation-of-islamic-cooperation-oic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/organisation-of-islamic-cooperation-oic\/","title":{"rendered":"Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Members, Headquarters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is an intergovernmental organisation of 57 member states spread across four continents. It describes itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world and seeks to safeguard common interests while promoting international peace, harmony, cooperation, and development.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">was<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">established in 1969 and is generally described as the second-largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations in terms of membership. It works on political, economic, social, cultural, scientific, humanitarian, and human-rights-related issues affecting its member states and Muslim communities worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) About<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is an intergovernmental organisation representing 57 member states across four continents. It seeks to promote solidarity and cooperation among its members and represents their collective interests on international issues, particularly those concerning the Muslim world.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Headquarters<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It houses the General Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, which coordinates the implementation of OIC decisions and organises summits and ministerial meetings.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OIC Charter<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Charter of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the foundational treaty and constitutional document of the OIC, the second-largest intergovernmental organisation after the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/the-united-nations-un\/\" target=\"_blank\">United Nations (UN)<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Amendment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originally adopted in 1972, the current amended charter was officially adopted on March 14, 2008, at the Dakar Summit in Senegal.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Objective:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Charter emphasises respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. The Charter identifies the Palestinian cause and Al-Quds as key priorities.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation History<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The formation of the OIC is linked to the arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in August 1969. This incident generated strong concern among Muslim-majority countries and led to a summit of Muslim leaders in Rabat, Morocco.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Founded (1969):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The OIC was established on September 25, 1969, at the historic First Islamic Summit Conference in Rabat, Morocco, as the <\/span><b>Organisation of the Islamic Conference<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (1970): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first conference of the Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, when the General Secretariat was founded, and Jeddah was selected as the temporary headquarters.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>First Charter Adopted (1972): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first OIC Charter was adopted, detailing the organisation's objectives, principles, and institutional framework.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Islamic Development Bank (1975):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Islamic Development Bank was founded to finance socio-economic development initiatives in member states.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>New OIC Charter (2008):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A revised Charter increased the OIC's mandate to encompass good governance, human rights, sustainable development, and countering extremism.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Name Change (2011):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Organisation of the Islamic Conference was formally renamed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to reflect its larger role beyond conferences.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Objectives<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The objectives of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), as outlined in the OIC Charter, include promoting peace, sustainable development, and collective action on issues of common concern.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Strengthen Islamic Unity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Enhance fraternity, solidarity, and cooperation among member states while safeguarding their common interests and coordinating efforts to address challenges facing the Islamic world.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Promote Peace &amp; Protect Sovereignty:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Uphold the principles of self-determination, non-interference, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful international relations, while supporting member states under occupation in accordance with international law.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Support Palestine &amp; Muslim Communities:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Support the Palestinian people's right to self-determination with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital and safeguard the rights, dignity, and cultural identity of Muslim communities worldwide.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Advance Socio-Economic &amp; Scientific Development:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Strengthen cooperation in trade, economic integration, sustainable development, and information fields, including the long-term goal of an Islamic Common Market.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Promote Human Rights &amp; Global Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, preserve Islamic values and heritage, combat terrorism, extremism, corruption, and Islamophobia, and promote a unified position in international forums.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Members<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) include 57 member states spread across four continents\u2014Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, representing over 2 billion Muslims worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Asia (27 Members): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, T\u00fcrkiye, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Africa (27 Members): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Europe (1 Members): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Albania<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>South America (2 Member):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Guyana and Suriname.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Observer States:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, the Russian Federation, Thailand, and the Turkish Cypriot State.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Structure<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation functions through a multi-tier institutional framework that formulates policies, implements decisions, and promotes cooperation among its member states across political, economic, social, and cultural sectors.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Islamic Summit: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The OIC's highest authority, made up of the heads of state and government of its member nations. To decide on the organisation's overarching goals and aims, it convenes every three years.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The foreign ministers of the member nations, which is the main decision-making body. It convenes once a year to approve the OIC budget, issue resolutions, and carry out Summit decisions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>General Secretariat:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Secretary-General leads the General Secretariat, which has its headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and is in charge of carrying out OIC decisions, organising events, and overseeing daily operations.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Permanent Committees: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Specialised committees are in charge of important sectors like information and media (COMIAC), scientific and technological cooperation (COMSTECH), economic and commercial cooperation (COMCEC), and Al-Quds (Jerusalem) matters (Al-Quds Committee).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Subsidiary &amp; Specialised Institutions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The OIC operates institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) to implement programmes and strengthen cooperation.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Functions<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation serves as a platform for political, economic, humanitarian, and socio-cultural cooperation among its member states, promoting the collective interests of the Islamic world.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Political Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The OIC coordinates common positions on regional and global issues through the Islamic Summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers. For example, the 51st Council of Foreign Ministers (Istanbul, 2025) adopted resolutions on Palestine and Israel's acceptance of Somaliland.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Conflict Resolution &amp; Humanitarian Assistance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Through the Islamic Finance Fund (ISF) and affiliated organisations, the OIC organises mediation and coordinates humanitarian aid in areas impacted by war.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For instance, it provides relief support for Sudan's humanitarian crisis.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Economic and Development Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Through institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and COMCEC, the OIC finances infrastructure, health, education, and climate-resilient projects, exemplified by<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Example, IsDB's multi-billion-dollar financing for T\u00fcrkiye's post-2023 earthquake reconstruction and continued support for sustainable development.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Counter-Terrorism and Combating Islamophobia:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The OIC strengthens cooperation against terrorism by advancing international initiatives such as the UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia (15 March) and condemning incidents like Qur'an burnings in Europe.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and India<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India and OIC share significant economic and people-to-people ties despite India not being a member of the OIC. Their relationship is shaped by strategic engagement with OIC member states, India's large Muslim population, and differences over issues such as Jammu &amp; Kashmir.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>The 1969 Snub:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> India was invited to the inaugural OIC summit in Rabat, Morocco, in 1969, but was disinvited at the last minute due to pressure from Pakistan.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Guest of Honour (2019): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2019, India participated for the first time in an OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, when the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was invited as the Guest of Honour at the Abu Dhabi session.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Bilateral Success:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> India has strategically bypassed the OIC as a collective bloc, instead building massive economic and security ties directly with the Gulf and Arab nations.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are key partners in the India\u2013Middle East\u2013Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) initiative.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indian-diaspora\/\" target=\"_blank\">Indian Diaspora<\/a>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Over 10 million Indians reside and work in OIC member nations, especially in the Gulf, making significant contributions through remittances and fostering interpersonal relationships.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Kashmir Issue:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> India consistently rejects the OIC's locus standi on its internal affairs, stating that the organisation has no mandate to comment on matters regarding sovereign Indian territories.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Crticisms<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The OIC faces political, institutional, and geopolitical challenges that limit its effectiveness in promoting unity and addressing issues affecting the Islamic world.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Political Divisions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consensus and group action are frequently hampered by rivalries among member states, such as the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Conflicts between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in southern Yemen.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Weak Crisis Management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Despite the organisation's stated mandate to protect the interests of Muslims, it has repeatedly failed to make a tangible impact on protracted issues, including the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/israel-palestine-conflict\/\" target=\"_blank\">Israeli-Palestinian conflict<\/a><\/strong> and the humanitarian plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Selective Approach to Issues:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The OIC has been criticised for frequently issuing resolutions on Jammu &amp; Kashmir while remaining comparatively muted on issues affecting Muslim communities, such as the Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Limited Coordination on Global Issues: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The OIC struggles to coordinate effectively on global challenges like climate change, pandemics, and <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/cyber-security\/\" target=\"_blank\">cybersecurity<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> due to varying priorities, resources, and capabilities among member states.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Economic Disparities:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Wide variations in the economic capacities of member states, from high-income Gulf countries such as Qatar and the UAE to least-developed members such as Niger, Chad, and Somalia, have constrained deeper economic integration and delayed initiatives like the Islamic Common Market.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Way Forward<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">OIC can enhance its effectiveness by strengthening institutional capacity, fostering greater unity among member states, and promoting inclusive cooperation to address emerging global challenges.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Institutional Reforms:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Strengthen the implementation and monitoring of OIC resolutions by improving the effectiveness of the General Secretariat and specialised institutions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Greater Political Unity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Promote dialogue and confidence-building among member states to overcome regional rivalries and adopt a more coordinated approach to common challenges.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Balanced &amp; Consistent Diplomacy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Adopt an impartial and rules-based approach to international issues, ensuring consistent responses to humanitarian and geopolitical crises across regions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Deeper Economic Integration:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Accelerate intra-OIC trade, investment, <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/digital-economy\/\" target=\"_blank\">digital economy<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and the long-term goal of an Islamic Common Market through institutions such as COMCEC.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Enhanced Counter-Terrorism Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Strengthen intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, capacity building, and coordinated efforts to combat <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/terrorism\/\" target=\"_blank\">terrorism<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, violent extremism, and transnational crime.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is a 57-member intergovernmental body representing the Muslim world. Check about Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":27441,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,29],"tags":[1826,40,639],"class_list":["post-27370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-notes","category-upsc-international-relations-and-institutions-notes","tag-organisation-of-islamic-cooperation","tag-quest","tag-upsc-international-relations-and-institutions-notes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27370"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27461,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370\/revisions\/27461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}