The PUIC Council held its 12th session under the chairmanship of His Excellency Dr. Ali Larijani, head of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran and PUIC chairman. In his opening address, H.E. welcomed the convening of the 12th session of the PUIC and expressed his kindest wishes for the success of the proceedings. He noted the important developments taking place in the international arena and commended the successful initiatives and steps taken by the General Secretariat to face them. He referred, in particular, to the barbaric Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, to the organization by the Secretariat of an extraordinary meeting of the PUIC Executive Committee, in Istanbul on 14 January 2009 that was attended by 18 heads of member councils out of the 34 PUIC member delegations, and the important resolutions the committee issued in face of the aggression, which were referred to as “ the Istanbul Declaration.” H.E. said that the Palestinian people still need help and called for the preservation of Islamic unity.
After the draft agenda was endorsed, H.E. the Secretary General  presented an exhaustive report on the activities of the PUIC and the General Secretariat during the period between the PUIC 11th Conference, held in Niamey, Niger, in February 2009 up to the present session. This included a report on political and administrative affairs, and the updating of the agenda. The Secretary General’s report was endorsed.
In regard to financial affairs, the financial committee elected by the PUIC 11th Council  held in Niamey submitted its report, in which it commended the financial performance of the General Secretariat and issued a directive clearing the Secretary General’s responsibility for the accounts of the financial year 2009. The report of the financial committee was endorsed, as was the PUIC General Secretariat’s budget for financial year 2010.
Mrs. Claudia Serge gave a lecture on the importance of the Islamic organization in the era of financial crises.
The session was adjourned, to resume its proceedings the following day, on 29 January 2010, at 5 pm.