Participation of the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent (ICIC) in the 48th Session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs (ICECS) Jeddah- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia January 20-22, 2026
The 48th session of the (ICECS), preparatory to the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was held at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah from January 20-22, 2026. The ICIC participated in the session, with the following delegation:
– H.E. Ambassador Ali Mahmoud Buhedma, ICIC President.
– Dr. Mohamed Hamad Elasbali, ICIC Executive Director.
The session opened with the participation of forty OIC member States, and in the presence of the OIC Assistant Secretaries-General and the directors of the OIC specialized institutions, and subsidiary organs. The presidency of this session was transferred from the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Iraq. The formation of the Bureau was approved, with the State of Palestine, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Republic of Senegal as Vice-Presidents, and the Republic of Turkey as Rapporteur. The session discussed several items on its agenda concerning strengthening of economic, cultural, and social cooperation among OIC member States, and the follow-up on the implementation of adopted development strategies. It also addressed issues related to education, culture, youth, women, and sustainable development. The session reviewed reports from the OIC General Secretariat, specialized institutions, and subsidiary organs on achievements during 2025 and their work plans for 2026. Furthermore, it explored ways to develop mechanisms for joint action to enhance integration and solidarity among member states, all within the framework of preparations for the fifty-second session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, scheduled to be held in Baghdad on April 11-12, 2026.
in the final day, the ICECS reviewed draft resolutions, which were approved and submitted to the upcoming OIC Conference of Foreign Ministers for adoption. Among these was a resolution concerning the ICIC activities during 2025 and its plans for 2026. The ICIC delegation held several meetings on bilateral relations and issues of common interest with the ambassadors of Libya, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Senegal, Somalia, Syria, and Jordan, as well as with the OIC Assistant Secretaries-General for Cultural and Social Affairs and Economic Affairs, and delegations from the Islamic Solidarity Fund, the Islamic Organization for Food Security, the Islamic Sports Federation, and the World Islamic Scout Federation.
