(United Against Terrorism and Extremism)
BAGHDAD – REPUBLIC OF IRAQ
14 –15 RABI UL THANI 1437H
24 - 25 JANUARY, 2016
RESOLUTION No.1-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
COORDINATION IN INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL FORA ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AMONG REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATES OF THE PUIC MEMBER PARLIAMENTS
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Guided by the noble teachings of Islam which enjoin the Muslim peoples to safeguard the bounties that Allah has granted them on earth;
Recalling all relevant Draft Resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summits and Islamic Conferences of Foreign Ministers, especially Resolution NO.19/40-P concerning the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam;
Being aware of the universality and nature of Islamic values which are indivisible as regards human rights, the outstanding position of Man in Islam, considered as God’s vicegerent on Earth, and consequently of the importance accorded by Islamic thought to strengthening, encouraging and respecting human rights;
Convinced that there is an urgent need for further exploring ways and means to strengthen and protect human rights;
Considering the role that education plays in the exercise of democracy and that the popularization of human rights in compliance with Islamic legislation (sharia) are part and parcel of the right to education and training, both being the tool for society and the nation to prepare good citizens and empower them for future leadership;
Emphasizing that awareness of the people of their rights is considered as one of their natural rights based on their right to education provided for by international conventions, based on the belief, culture and needs of the nation in such a way as to achieve harmonization of thought, objective, methodology and the means to ensure the respect of human rights and protect the freedom of thought and expression and the effective participation of citizens in building society all in compliance with the precepts of the Islamic Shari’a;
1. Recommends PUIC Member Parliaments the necessity of teaching a special course on human rights and democratic principles in light of the Islamic shari’a.
1.1 Protection of the culture of human rights and respect for its universal values, while recognizing the right of every human being to the preservation of the specific features of his cultural identity;
1.2 Giving attention to the principles upon which the culture of human rights is based and rejection of hegemony of the single culture model.
2. Affirms the need to, where appropriate, amend national laws, systems and legislations to achieve democracy and protect human rights and freedom of opinion and expression in accordance with the provisions of the Islamic shari’a.
3. Strongly rejects and condemns politicization, selectivity and discrimination in addressing issues related to human rights at the regional and international levels.
4. Rejects the attempts to use the issue of human rights in order to throw doubt on the principles and fundamentals of Islamic Sharia, and to intervene in the internal affairs of Muslim States.
5. Condemns the barbaric Zionist aggression against Palestine and expresses support with the Palestinian detainees in the Zionist Israeli occupation jails, including members of the Palestinian National Council, which constitutes a blatant violation of human rights; and calls for Zionist Israeli settlers to be brought to justice.
6. Strongly condemns violence committed by armed gangs against women and children in Mali, Nigeria and Cameroon and in other areas of conflict, in the name of Islam; and calls upon the OIC Member States, in cooperation with the concerned countries, to put an end the horrible atrocities as soon as possible.
7. Strongly condemns also the violations of human rights perpetrated by DAESH and other terrorist groups by humiliating women and selling them in the slave market, torturing its opponents and killing them in cold blood in both Iraq and Syria. Emphasizes that such acts do not relate whatsoever to Islam or to its teachings or tolerant ethics.
8. Confirms the utmost importance of the national, regional, cultural and religious specificities in defining the rules and criteria relevant to human rights.
9. Strongly rejects the repeated and widespread association of Islam and Moslems with terrorism and violation of human rights, which has led to the intensification of Islamophobia as well as the increase of prejudice and discrimination against Moslems in all parts of the world.
10. Calls for enacting national laws condemning takfir fatwas and justifying the killing of others under Islamic pretexts. Condemns attempts to exploit the name of Islam to practice violence, terrorism and inciting sectarian schism among Muslims. Calls for intensifying cooperation and coordination among Islamic States in order to combat this phenomenon.
11. Stresses the responsibility of all governments to ensure total respect for Islam and other divine religions and to prohibit the media from taking the freedom of expression as an excuse to defame these religions.
12. Calls on all member Parliaments to carry out their obligations in giving top priority to human rights.
13. Calls for setting up an independent standing body tasked with the promotion of human rights provided for by the Declaration of Human Rights in Islam.
14. Urges Islamic organizations to cooperate with international and regional organizations to ensure human rights of Muslim minorities living in some non-OIC countries.
15. Calls for serious quest to expand the scope of political participation, ensure equality, social justice and civil liberties, and promote transparency and accountability in addition to eradicating corruption in the States of PUIC member Parliaments.
16. Urges the States of the PUIC Member Parliaments to cooperate and coordinate among their representatives in international and regional fora concerned with human rights issues aimed at projecting and holding high Islamic values related to human rights as well as standing against attempts of politicization and discrimination in dealing with these issues, and imposing the hegemony of the single model.
17. Calls on the mass media in member and non-member States of the PUIC Parliament to maintain preciseness and accuracy in covering political events and to refrain from adding a sectarian nature thereto.
18. Calls on the mass media in member and non-member States of the PUIC Parliament to maintain vigilance in reporting the causes of conflicts in order to avoid widening the scope of disputes and conflicts threatening regional and international peace and security.
19. Underscores the importance for human rights organizations and institutions to observe a professional, moral, objective and honest position in their reports, and to abstain from taking biased stances and from issuing reports based on double standards and practices or serving political objectives.
20. Calls for the adoption the principal of societal dialogue advocated by our Islamic religion as a framework for resolving problems and disputes which arise between our communities and their various constituents.
RESOLUTION No.2-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
ENHANCING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ALL DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS IN STATES OF PUIC MEMBER PARLIAMENTS
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani, 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Recalling PUIC Resolution No.3-WSC/7-CONF on Enhancing the Role of Women in all development aspects in PUIC Member States to Strengthen Democracy which adopted during the 7th Session of PUIC Conference in Indonesia;
Recalling also all the outcomes of the OIC Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in Development held in Istanbul, Turkey, 20-21 November 2006, Cairo, Egypt, 24-25 November 2008, Tehran, Iran, 19-21 November 2010, and Jakarta, Indonesia, 4-6 December 2012 and Conscious of the fact that women and children are the most vulnerable parts of the societies during conflicts, wars and occupation period, affirms that security is the main precondition to development in all dimensions and without providing security, development programs won’t be applicable in the country;
Recalling also the Charter of the Family in Islam signed by OIC Member States;
Emphasizing the pivotal role of women in the family, especially with regard to training of the next generation and the need of societies for women's employment, Reaffirms the key role of governments to support women to make balance between playing role in the family and society, through policy makings for social mechanisms,
Recognizing that to enhance the role of women in PUIC Member States is required to pursue sustainable development;
Recognizing also that the involvement of women in politics, social, and economic in PUIC Member States has been strengthened in the recent years and should be continued;
Reaffirming the resolution “World against Violence and Extremism”, proposed by Islamic Republic of Iran and adopted by the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, in which targeting of civilian populations, including women and children, in violation of international law, in particular human rights and humanitarian law, is condemned;
Acknowledging also the role of women in alleviating poverty and distributing welfare; and recalling pioneer woman models;
Stressing the need for taking due care of women according to the necessary fundamentals and granting them full rights as guided by the teaching of Islam as derived from the Holy Quran: “And Among his signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts)”. And those male and female believers are the supporters of each other. They enjoin what is good and forbid what is bad;
Recognizing that achieving the highest attainable standard of health, through, inter alia, equitable and universal access to affordable and quality health-care services and preventive health-care information, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health, is critical to women’s economic advancement and empowerment, that a lack of economic empowerment and independence increases women’s vulnerability to a range of negative consequences, including the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, and that the neglect of women’s full enjoyment of human rights severely limits their opportunities in public and private life, including the opportunities for receiving an education and for achieving economic and political empowerment;
Recognizing also that men and women workers should have equal access to education, skills training, health care, social security, fundamental rights at work, social and legal protection, including occupational safety and health, and decent work opportunities;
1. Urges PUIC Member Parliaments to promote gender mainstreaming as a key strategy for achieving gender justice, balance and equality, empowering women and enhancing their participation as a genuine partner in achieving inclusive and sustainable development, in addition to the development of the intellectual character of women, providing means for disseminating their intellectual production and developing media performance in addressing women-related issues.
2. Encourages PUIC Member Parliaments to increase the level of women representation in the decision-making bodies through application of appropriate and effective initiatives, including inter alia quota system, as a temporary measure to empower women in decision-making positions, and also Calls the PUIC Member States to promote greater gender-balance and increase the participation of women in decision-making at all levels and in all sectors, including in peace-making, peace-keeping and peace-building processes in situations of foreign occupation and armed conflicts in accordance with OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW).
3. Welcomes the hosting by an august Member Parliament of a symposium or workshop with the participation of the working group from the members of the Committee on Human Rights, Women and Family Affairs, and presentation of specialized papers aimed at addressing the level of representing women in decision-making organs. The conclusions of the symposium shall be presented to the next meeting of the Committee.
4. Calls upon PUIC Member Parliaments to ensure the protection of the rights of women and girls as well as the elimination of all forms of violence and discriminations against women and girls in line with Islamic values through the adoption of appropriate national laws and legislations, and to prevent all forms of exploitation of women.
5. Highlights the role of Islam in preserving the rights of all people, especially women, condemning all forms of extremism, which strongly contradicts with Islamic human rights values.
6. Urges the PUIC Member States to take all necessary preventive, protective and prosecuting measures to combat all forms of violence such as sexual abuse, trafficking and etc., perpetrated against women in the situation of armed conflicts.
7. Condemns the persistence of the occupying regime of Zionist entity (Israel) in systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people, including violations resulting from the use of excessive force and military operations, which led to the death and injury of Palestinian citizens, in particular women and children, Stresses the need to support the rights of all Palestinian people, especially in Gaza and east Jerusalem and the West Bank. Calls for ending Gaza’s siege.
8. Also strongly condemns the Inhuman and barbaric terrorist acts of DAESH and the other terrorist groups in all Muslim states, leading to injury, death or displacement of millions of civilians, especially women and children, and also the sexual abuse of defenseless women, which strongly impresses every human being.
9. Encourages PUIC Member Parliaments to promote people-cantered sustainable development, including sustained economic growth, through the provision of basic education, lifelong education, literacy and training, and primary health care for women and girls.
10. Encourages also PUIC Member Parliaments to strictly monitor the implementation of the protection of the rights of women and girls policies in their respective countries.
11. Requests countries of the PUIC Member Parliaments to support measures in eradicating poverty by ensuring women’s equal access to full employment and decent work, among others, which would preserve their dignity, through the consideration of measures to remove structural and legal barriers, and to provide women with the economic facilities and opportunities in order to enhance their role in the various dimensions of development.
12. Requests also PUIC Member Parliaments to enact necessary legislations to ensure that all women could enjoy equal access to economic resources, including access to land, to productive resources, to micro credit and finance, and enhancing technological and medical capacities of women in order to improve their skills through training programs.
13. Encourages PUIC Member Parliaments to ensure the implementation of PUIC Resolution No.3-WSC/7-CONF and submit country progress report on women empowerment during the regular annual PUIC Conferences.
14. Requests PUIC Member Parliaments to support the implementation of all the resolutions of the OIC Ministerial Conferences on the Role of Women in Development, inter alia the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW); the Mechanism for the Implementation of the OPAAW; Tehran Declaration on Women, Family and Economy; and the Jakarta Declaration on Strengthening Women’s Participation and Roles in Economic Development in OIC Member States.
15. Calls upon PUIC Member Parliaments to approach their respective governments to ensure allocation of sufficient budget to implement strategy and policy for achieving gender equality and balance and women empowerment in all development aspects.
16. Requests the Member Parliaments to urge their respective governments and their specialized organs to exchange their experiences as regards the effective role which women play in the development of their countries specially addressing negative aspects resulting from areas of conflicts and natural disasters and for their support of peace efforts.
17. Calls for the economic, cultural and political empowerment of women, and involving them in decision-making centres.
18. Recognizes the need to empower women, particularly poor women and girls, economically and politically, and in this regard encourages PUIC member parliaments to invest in appropriate infrastructure and other projects, including the provision of water and sanitation to rural areas and urban slums, in order to increase health and well-being, relieve the workloads of women and girls and release their time and energy for other productive activities in order to create balance between family life and social activities.
19. Requests supporting Palestinian women, especially Maqdesi women who are holding fast in Al-Quds, and who are suffering oppression and persecution by settlers who aim at uprooting people from their land and tampering with their sanctities.
20. Commends the governments and Member Parliaments, which have taken important steps in enhancing the position and role of women in the various development aspects.
21. Calls on PUIC Member Parliaments and the relevant OIC institutions, especially the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture to intensify their efforts to support and empower business women in the Islamic countries.
22. Welcomes the on-going efforts to integrate and unify the activities of the various OIC institutions which manage specialized funds for micro and medium-size projects.
23. Calls for establishing human rights and media mechanisms and institutions combating all manifestations of violence against women, and providing legal support for the affected women.
24. Calls for the elaboration of an action plan to support women’s participation in the decision-making process in the Member States and to build their capacities in all areas.
25. Recognizes that health is a precondition for and an outcome of sustainable development, and urges Governments to provide women and girls with equal access to adequate health-care services, in order to achieve the realization of the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health.
26. Expresses deep concern that maternal health remains one area constrained by some of the largest health inequities in the world, and over the uneven progress in improving newborn, child and maternal health, in this context calls upon States to implement their commitments to preventing and reducing newborn, child and maternal mortality and morbidity as well as national, regional and international initiatives contributing to the reduction in the number of maternal deaths and deaths of the newborn and children under 5 years of age.
27. Calls on the OIC in cooperation with WHO to create a mechanism for taking care of psychological, mental and physical health, and rehabilitation of women and children who have suffered the agonies of destructive wars.
28. Strongly condemns human right violations perpetrated by DAESH and the other terrorist groups for their humiliation of women.
RESOLUTION No.3-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
EXPLOITING WOMEN IN COMMODITY PROMOTION
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani, 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Stressing that Islam firmly establishes dignity and the freedom of humankind from all forms of exploitation and humiliation. The Holy Quran in Al Israa 70 says "Verily We have honoured the children of Adam. We carry them on the lands and the sea, and have made provisions of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom we created with a marked preferment"
Emphasizing that Islam has dedicated many specific provisions to women in order to protect their human rights, chastity and dignity;
Highlighting the increase in the level of exploiting women in commodity promotion through commercial advertisement which is considered as a violation of the human rights of women and violence directed against them through humiliation of their purity and dignity;
1. Requests the Sates of PUIC Member Parliaments to take all measures to halt this practice which is considered as violence against women and violation of their dignity and rights.
2. Calls on the states of the Islamic World which have not enacted laws proscribing the exploitation of women and abusing their dignity to do so and to devise the necessary mechanisms for their implementation.
3. Calls on the Sates of PUIC Member Parliaments to promote accountability regarding mass media authorities in case of not practicing commercial sexual exploitation.
4. Recommends the mass media of Sates of PUIC Member Parliaments to present the important role of the woman in family in contexts of commercial advertising programs.
5. Notes with concern that exploiting women through commercial advertisements can result in negative effects on the Muslim family institutions.
RESOLUTION No.4-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE DELEGATIONS OF THE PUIC CONFERENCES
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani, 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Re-emphasizing that the Islamic view of the participation of women is based on the conception of succession which qualifies them to carry out their various obligations, whether at the family or national level, just like the man because they share in the mandate and succession and their submission to the normal practices;
Stressing that Islamic thought views the humanness of women and men with one perspective as regards the issue of development and responsibility and calls both of them to create the movement of Islamic civilization in the life of peoples;
Referring to the growing role which women play in all aspects of life and the resulting gains and achievements as well as the positive results which they have achieved and which necessitate change in the lives of people and development of Muslim communities;
Referring to the fact that states hostile to Islam still take the issues of Muslim women as a gate way for vilifying Islam;
Observing the weakness of the participation of women in the delegations to the PUIC Conferences and the reflection of weakness in addressing issues and decisions that are of concern to women;
1. Requests all the Member Parliaments to represent women parliamentarians in the formation of the delegations participating in PUIC Conferences and standing committees at the rate of not less than 30% of the participating delegation, whenever possible.
2. Requests States of Member Parliaments enable women’s external communication through their participation in international and regional conferences to gain and exchange experiences with the others.
RESOLUTION No.5-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
PROMOTING THE STATUS OF YOUTH IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani, 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Recalling the resolutions of the Islamic Summit Conferences and the Third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, the 35th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the 5th Session of the Islamic conference of the Ministers of Culture and the 8th Session of the Islamic Standing Committee for information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC) on youth qualification and care in the Islamic World;
Reaffirming the importance of the youth’s foremost role in national development in the Islamic world;
Referring to the danger posed by some programmes which are beamed by mass media, websites and some satellite channels, considered as an easy access for changing Islamic behaviour and identity of youth;
Emphasizing the role of youth in the Islamic World in promoting dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions, highlighting the true image of Islam and in the dissemination of its values and principles which call for peaceful coexistence, cooperation, moderation, dialogue, tolerance and the respect of the others;
Affirming the importance of deepening the authentic Islamic teachings on the family institution in order to preserve its safety and cohesion to face ethical and intellectual challenges threatening its identity and existence;
Also recognizing that while youth today are better placed than ever before to participate in and benefit from global development, many young people in the Islamic world remain marginalized, disconnected or excluded from the opportunities that globalization offers;
Aiming to maximize young people’s contribution to the building of the Islamic society, especially in all areas which concern them, to encourage new forms of youth participation and organization, and to train Muslim young people to assume responsibilities;
Taking note that the UN Post-2015 Agenda overlooks the family in the post-2015 plan, and that the family institution has weakened in some parts of the world, thus requiring that utmost attention be given to all members of family including youth in the Islamic world;
Recognizing the positive impact that youth participation in the local, regional and global economy and in social and economic development can have on the eradication of poverty and hunger, and on socially unacceptable and/or deviant behavior;
Under scoring that the involvement of young people in public decision-making processes in the Islamic world offers important opportunities for strengthening young people’s social responsibility and developing their communication capacities, negotiating skills and ability to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and critical thinking;
Recognizing youth parliaments, national and local youth councils, or their equivalent bodies as effective channels of cooperation and information exchange between young people, parliaments, national governments, local councils and other decision-making bodies;
Stressing the critical role of both formal education and non-formal learning in the empowerment of young people for the Islamic Ummeh, and recognizing the importance of informal learning;
Taking into consideration the needs and aspirations of internally displaced Muslim young people and disabled youth;
Recognizing that children and young people are capable of forming their own views and should be assured the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting them, the views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, as set forth in Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989);
Stressing the importance of enhancing young people’s awareness of and commitment to the Islamic human rights, the promotion of intercultural dialogue and understanding in a spirit that is respectful of diversity, and the struggle against all forms of violence and extremisms; and considering the importance of young people’s contribution to social cohesion, especially their activities to combat exclusion and prevent the ills affecting them in particular;
1. Urges States in the PUIC Member Parliaments to pay attention to raising the awareness of youth through information which advocates enlightened Islamic values and principles by enacting laws to protect children and youth.
2. Urges also the States of the PUIC Member Parliaments to pay attention to education for all and establish research centers devoted to the issues of Muslim youth in order to prepare them to confront the negative impacts of globalization, and in such a way as to preserve their Islamic identity.
3. Calls on the Member Parliaments and their governments to ensure participation of youth in their political agenda and to boost the efforts aimed at realizing appropriate representation and participation of youth in decision-making centers.
4. Requests the Member parliaments to increase efforts to raise awareness and fight drug abuse by improving the role of family and NGO’s advice centers.
5. Calls on the Member parliaments to establish coherent and mutually reinforcing national policies to combat youth unemployment and boost long-term growth and job creation.
6. Praises the governments of PUIC Member Parliaments which have taken important steps on youth care and protection.
7. Recommends that the importance of the institution of marriage in Islam requires developing approaches by Member States to facilitate marriage among youth in the Islamic Societies.
8. Calls on the PUIC, parliaments, States and non-governmental organizations to scale up investments in youth and encourage youth-led contributions to parliamentary debates through strong partnerships and financial support, and by keeping youth participation high on the political agenda.
9. Encourages parliamentarians and appointed officials at all levels to give maximum support to young parliamentarians and young appointed officials, thus helping to create a youth-friendly and accessible environment.
10. Welcomes the participation of young members of parliament in national parliamentary delegations and urges PUIC Member Parliaments to systematically include young members of parliament in their delegations to PUIC Assemblies and other IPU meetings.
11. Urges the PUIC to establish mechanisms for monitoring, analyzing, evaluating and exchanging information on parliamentary action in the context of the promotion and implementation of youth issues.
12. Invites parliaments to set up, if they have not yet done so, specialized bodies entrusted with mainstreaming youth issues in parliament’s work.
13. Invites parliaments to facilitate the meaningful participation of young people in issues that affect them through consultation processes when drafting laws and during parliamentary hearings, to ensure that they contribute to debates on policy and law-making.
14. Calls on the PUIC and its Member Parliaments to form caucuses of young parliamentarians in order to promote youth participation, making young persons in politics more visible and reflecting the youth perspective in the developing agenda.
15. Calls on all States to take appropriate steps to develop holistic and integrated national youth policies in consultation with youth organizations.
16. Calls on States, parliaments, parliamentarians, political parties, the PUIC and youth organizations to take targeted action to enhance the participation of young people in political parties and elections at the local, national and regional levels.
17. Invites States to set up contact points for young people in ministries and other government agencies so as to provide young people with information, listen to their problems, offer advice and encourage them in their quest for services and participation.
18. Encourages political parties to increase the number of young people in their membership and enhance young members’ participation in party life and decision-making.
19. Encourages also States to ensure adequate funding for formal education and non-formal learning, including programmes aimed at fostering the acquisition of the skills required for the employment of youth.
20. Invites States to promote student participation, initiative and creativity as valuable resources in teaching, learning and other school activities, and to stimulate active membership of Islamic world via the education system.
21. Encourages States to ensure special training for teachers and other persons working with children and youth.
22. Encourages also States to support voluntary service by youth and internship programmes at all levels, whether locally, nationally or internationally, to recognize and evaluate the skills and knowledge gained through different activities.
23. Calls on parliaments to establish and promote coherent, overarching youth information strategies which, in a youth-friendly way, address all issues relevant to young people, to develop special web-based information and information centers for young people, and to facilitate access to information for young people with fewer opportunities.
24. Urges the PUIC and its Member Parliaments to collect, on a continuous basis, youth-specific data disaggregated by age and sex in order to create comprehensive databases related to youth.
25. Takes note of the need for the Member States to encourage media and Social curricula to promote family values and traditions among youth.
26. Calls on parliaments to promote youth awareness of and participation in the developing process by using modern information and communication technologies (ICTs).
27. Urges States, parliaments, parliamentarians, political parties, and the PUIC and youth organizations to promote greater participation by young women by taking measures aimed at promoting the Islamic role models and facilitating better reconciliation of work and family life.
28. Calls on parliaments to ensure that young people with disabilities and those who are socially and economically underprivileged are afforded equal opportunities to participate fully in society.
29. Invites the States of PUIC Member Parliaments to hold specialized conferences on the youth issues including education, health, employment and marriage.
RESOLUTION No.6-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
CHILD CARE AND PROTECTION IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani, 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Recalling the provisions of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam which stresses the importance of the rights of the child;
Welcoming the Rabat Declaration on the issue of children in the Islamic World, adopted by the 1st Islamic Conference of Ministers in charge of Children's affairs, which was held in Rabat on 7-9 November, 2005, and the conclusions of the 2nd Islamic Conference of Ministers in Charge of Children’s Affairs, held in Khartoum, Sudan from 2 – 4 February, 2009, and appealing for their implementation;
Recognizing that the family has the prime responsibility for nurturing and protecting children as well as for full and harmonious development of their personality;
Emphasizing the importance of ensuring access to quality education for all children from their early childhood;
Recognizing the primary role and responsibility of the State in the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, including child protection;
1. Requests Member Parliaments to urge their respective governments to disseminate Islamic values relevant to family, women and children, through the media, and to project the radiant image of Islam in improving child condition in the Islamic World and to enhance Islamic states’ solidarity on all child-related issues.
2. Commends the role of UNICEF in improving child conditions in the Islamic World and hails the distinguished, fruitful and continuous cooperation between the specialized organization in the Islamic World and UNICEF for the benefit of the child's survival, protection and development in the States of the Member Parliaments.
3. Welcomes the hosting by an august Member Parliament of a meeting with the participation of the Committee on Human Rights, Women and Family Affairs, to which representatives of Specialized Agencies e.g. UNESCO and ISESSCO are invited in order to draw up a conception for establishing an Islamic Organization for bringing up, educating and caring for children.
4. Calls on the PUIC Member Parliaments to urge their respective governments to act, with the assistance of the International community, to improve the conditions of children, especially those who live under difficult circumstances such as those who live in regions under occupation, violent disputes, natural disasters, famine areas, victims of conflicts, children who suffer from the impacts of the siege and the economic sanctions imposed on their countries, children with special needs, children without guardians and children in conflict with the law, as well as refugee and displaced children, by providing their physical and moral needs, and by taking interest in their education, helping them to return to normal lives , and organizing visits to the areas of refugees and displaced persons to take stock of their conditions and provide them with moral and material support.
5. Urges the States of member parliaments to criminalize trafficking in children in all its forms and to condemn and penalize traffickers and facilitators; to devise, enforce and strengthen effective gender- and age-sensitive measures to combat and eliminate all forms of trafficking, especially in women and children, including for sexual and labour exploitation, as part of a comprehensive anti-trafficking strategy that integrates a human rights perspective, and to draw up, as appropriate, national plans of action in this regard.
6. Calls for creating appropriate mechanisms to protect children, and observe their special position as regards the stages of investigation, interrogation and trial in cases relating to physical or sexual violence.
7. Urges the States of member parliaments to give full effect to the right to education and to guarantee that this right is recognized and exercised without discrimination of any kind; and also to ensure that primary education is free, compulsory, and accessible to all.
8. Calls again on the Member Parliaments to ratify international agreements on banning trafficking in children or pushing them to work at an early age.
9. Recommends the Member States to ratify the OIC Convention on the Rights of the Child in Islam, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Children and the attached optional protocols, and to develop necessary mechanisms to activate these conventions and to be guided by them in addressing issues of Muslim children by UN commissions.
10. Calls for judicial prosecution of Zionist Israeli authorities for their abuse of Palestinian children including jailing and torturing them physically and psychologically.
11. Calls again on the Member Parliaments to urge their respective governments to provide obligatory health insurance services for children.
12. Commends the governments of the august Member Parliaments who have made laws and important decisions on child care and protection in the Islamic World.
13. Calls for non-exploitation of children in political conflicts, and stresses that it contradicts divine religions and international laws. It also calls for enacting laws to protect children and incriminate their exploitation.
14. Calls for including family education as a sound approach to maternity, which is both a religious duty and a social function, for recognizing that children’s upbringing is a responsibility shared by both parents, and for preventing any attempts to separate the child from the family.
15. Calls on the Member States to provide the necessary protection for female children against inhuman and immoral practices which target them, especially those who are forced into migration and dispersion- such as marriage to old men and other practices that are not approved by our true religion.
16. Calls also on the Member States to put in place a mechanism for monitoring the mass media and social networking as well as their materials and programs because many of these are harmful and encourage violence and deviation.
17. Calls for action to rehabilitate and educate children who have fallen under the control of DAESH and the other terrorist organizations and to enable them to get rid of the deviant thoughts which they have received in the curricula which were imposed on the areas controlled by these organizations and not to prosecute those children before the law or through security action.
RESOLUTION No.7-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
THE ROLE OF THE ISLAMIC PARLIAMENTS
IN PROMOTING BASIC HEALTH AMONG STATES OF PUIC MEMBER PARLIAMENTS
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani, 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Recalling the resolution 1/41ICHM on the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action (2014-2023) and strengthening health cooperation and resolutions adopted by the Islamic conferences of Health Ministers held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 12-15 June 2007; Tehran, Iran, 1-4 March 2009; Astana, Kazakhstan, 29 september-1 October 2001 and Jakarta, Indonesia 22-24 October 2013 respectively;
Calling for the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Islamic Conferences of health ministers;
Recognizing efforts undertaken by PUIC Member Parliaments in implementing the resolutions of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers;
Recalling that achieving health-related development goals, including those identified in the MDGs, is essential to socio-economic development;
Noting with deep concern the rising number of morbidity and mortality among the Islamic countries due to communicable and non-communicable diseases;
Commending the governments of the states of Member Parliaments, and the other states and organizations which have extended, and continue to extend, medical and in-kind assistance in order to eliminate fatal diseases, as well as take care of sick people;
Convinced that global and regional health challenges require concerted and sustained efforts to promote a global policy environment supportive of global health and sustainable development;
Welcoming the WH announcement on the elimination of Ebola disease in West Africa which has claimed the lives of 2500 persons;
Recalling with appreciation and gratitude the hundreds of doctors, medical staff and volunteers who have lost and continue to lose their lives while offering the necessary services to those afflicted with fatal and fast-spreading diseases such as Ebola;
Noting with deep concern the negative effects on health conditions in some member states as a result of unilateral actions imposed on them which deprive them from obtaining some basic medicines because of these sanctions.
Reaffirming the right of every human being to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, without distinction as to race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition, and the right of everyone to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond one’s control;
Recognizing that many in the Islamic world lack access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medicines and that such access is an important part of a health system;
Noting with particular concern that for millions of Muslims the right to the enjoyment of the highest standards of health is becoming increasingly remote;
Recognizing the supportive role of the parliamentarians in strengthening basic health systems at a national level and promoting respective cooperation among Member States:
1. Urges PUIC Member Parliaments to give high priority to health-related issues in the formulation of their national legislations, including allocation of adequate human and financial resources during discussion and adoption of their annual budgets.
2. Affirms the importance of immunization as one of the most cost-effective interventions in public health, and requests Member States to contain immunization as a core component of their health policies.
3. Reaffirms the importance of primary health care and social protection mechanism, and calls on Member States to provide access to health services for all, in particular the poorest segments of the population. In this regard, requests Member Parliaments to share their experience and best practices for the means of strengthening health care networks.
4. Requests Member Parliaments, in coordination with their governments, to promote, establish or support and strengthen national multi-sectorial policies and plans for the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
5. Urges the PUIC Member Parliaments to extend assistance in the field of health to needy states, especially in the region of West Africa and the Horn of Africa and the Palestinian occupied territories as well as Palestinian refugee camps, and refugees in other states as well as Syrians, Iraqis and Yemenis, in terms of health clinics, health centers, and to send health teams, equipment and medicines to these states and camps.
6. Calls on doctors and their professional organizations (trade unions, unions and societies) in the States of Member Parliaments to hold joint meetings in order to energize cooperation and exchange experiences to serve the causes of the Islamic Ummah in the health field.
7. Calls for establishing an Islamic Health Center for research in endemic and fast-spreading diseases, such as Ebola, AIDS, Malaria, Cancer, etc. The Center shall carry out research and studies on these diseases and devise ways to limit their spreading and eliminate them.
8. Requests the governments of Member Parliaments, especially rich Member States, to cooperate in extending the necessary material and in-kind support to establish the proposed Islamic Health Center, and finance it in such a way as to manufacture vaccines and medicines; also to offer hosting the headquarters.
9. Welcomes the offer the National Assembly of the Republic of Sudan to host the Islamic Health Center and request the august Assembly to prepare a full study on establishing the center and submitting it to the Committee in its next meeting in preparation for presenting it to the 12th Session of PUIC Conference.
10. Call on the Member States to seriously seek lifting the sanctions which are imposed on some Islamic states so as to enable them to provide the services pf vaccination and the other necessities for children.
RESOLUTION No.8-HWFA/11-CONF
ON
CUSTODY PROBLEMS OF MUSLIM MIGRANT FAMILIES IN EUROPE
The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, in its 11th Session, held in Baghdad, Republic of Iraq 14 - 15 Rabi ul Thani, 1437 corresponding to 24 - 25 January, 2016,
Recalling that Article 8 “Right to respect private and family life” of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms regulating everybody’s private and family life must be respected;
Underlining that children are taken away from their families for very simple and trivial reasons;
Emphasizing that thousands of children are, especially in Germany and Netherlands, taken away from their parents, and given to children’s shelter or to families with no similar cultural backgrounds;
Reminding that the youth care agency experts negatively evaluate certain attitudes and behaviors that occur between parents and children due to the fact that the youth care agency experts lack the knowledge on the culture of immigrant families or are distant to that culture;
Reminding also that some attitudes and behaviors that are only meant as jokes are assessed as sexual harassment;
Observing that there have been cases where such points were not taken into consideration, even in situations where there are close relatives who could take the custody of the children;
Remarking that both the foster family and the youth care agencies are primarily obliged to prepare for the child an environment in accordance with all his/her cultural and social living conditions including religion that he/she had been experiencing within his/her real family and to provide the child with all the values that are important to his/her family;
Deeply concerned that foster families and youth care agencies have not been adequately providing the necessary opportunities and facilities regarding children’s development and care as per these provisions;
Reminding the report published by the European Parliament Petition Committee in the beginning of 2009 which stated, “The right of custody of the children who were taken away from immigrant families are rapidly taken away from their families and given to German families. Precautions are taken for the prevention of taking these children outside of the country. These children who were given to German families or put in to the Youth Care Agency Home are prevented from practicing their own language and culture”;
Reaffirming the conclusion of the European Court of Human Rights in the Case of Gorgulu v. Germany that it is a violation of human rights to divorce a child from his/her roots by giving his/her up for adoption to a German family, and that it could be possible only under extraordinary situations;
Alarmed by the fact that the custody of Nurgul Azeroglu’s children were given to a (homosexual) Dutch family in 2004;
Drawing the attention to the fact that there is a very small number of experts among the ones hired by the youth care agencies with an immigrant origin;
Drawing the attention also to the failure of the youth care agencies to provide immigrant families with sufficient legal and financial support in the resolution of the problems between the parents and children;
Deeply concerned by the impacts of crises including the war, insecurity, poverty, hunger and other negative factors on the situation of the family and its members, especially children as vulnerable members which cause the new wave of migration;
1. Invites the PUIC Member Parliaments through their respective legislative mechanisms to monitor the implementation of actions taken by European Union governments regarding custody policies for the benefit of the Muslim youth.
2. Expresses its hopes that the main goal of the youth care agencies in Europe should be towards preserving the unity of the family.
3. Calls upon countries of origin, transit and destination to facilitate family reunification as an important objective in order to promote the best interest of migrant children in conformity with the provisions of the convention on the right of the child and to provide child-friendly consular and legal assistance.
4. Calls for the respective European Union Member States, in the event of taking the child away from the family, to give him/her to the closest relatives or families whose culture and life style are closer to the child.
5. Demands the Member Parliaments of PUIC to raise the awareness of the families against the implementation of youth agencies and about their rights and responsibilities.
6. Invites PUIC Member Parliaments to play an influencing and encouraging role to their communities, living in Europe, to become foster families especially for Muslim youth.
7. Decides to remain seized of the matter.