Ismail Ould elected new OIC secretary general

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has been elected new secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Ismail Ould, a Mauritanian diplomat and former foreign minister, took the oath of office as secretary general, succeeding Hissein Brahim Taha, in the presence of foreign ministers of the OIC member states.

Earlier, the member states of the OIC elected him as the new secretary general of the Islamic body during the 23rd Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on Thursday.

In an address, the newly elected secretary general said his election was the greatest honour of his career and the highest distinction he had received after more than three decades of international, regional and national service.

He added that his profound pride in this trust was unparalleled, as was his sincere determination to live up to the expectations of the organisation’s member states and to prove through actions, not just words, that his selection as Secretary-General was justified.

For her part, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine Dr Varsen Aghabekian Shahin thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its invitation to convene the meeting and for its steadfast support of the Palestinian cause.

She pointed to the attacks by Israel, the occupying power, on the countries of the region, and emphasised that Israel has become emboldened to act against the countries of the region because it has enjoyed impunity for decades.

The minister called on member states to take practical, political, and legal measures to hold accountable the perpetrators of settler crimes and those who stand behind and finance them.

She stressed that the incursions, violations, and attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque constitute a direct threat to peace and stability in the region.