Sisi: Egypt to host OIC Ministerial Conference on Women in 2020

CAIRO – 1 June 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi announced that Egypt will host the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ministerial Conference on Women in 2020.

“I would also like to announce that Egypt will host the Islamic Ministerial Conference for Women in 2020,” President Sisi said in his speech at the 14th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca on Friday evening.

“We are looking forward to seeing this organization [Women's Development Organization in Cairo] as an important gate to the Islamic world to enhance women’s role and to support and build the capacities of the member states in this field,” Sisi added.

In his speech, President Sisi affirmed Egypt’ full support to enhance the OIC, which will celebrate its golden Jubilee in September 2019.

“Egypt is keen to continue its active participation in various initiatives launched by the organization [OIC] and in its various activities, as responsibilities and challenges that face our Islamic world require the unity,” he said.

President Sisi added that all forms of terrorism, religious extremism, and the spread of the hatred speeches are at the forefront of the challenges facing the Islamic world and humanity as a whole. He added that Egypt has asked for many years to unite against these phenomena.

President Sisi added that the OIC has a doubled effort to root out terrorism phenomenon and combat the Islamophobia, saying “It is not accepted anymore to stand silent on discrimination and hatred speech against Arabs and Muslims.”

He also said people should not be silent on accusing Islam of terrorism and extremism as Justice and preserving peace and stability are main principles of Islam.

As for the Middle East issues, President Sisi called for resuming the installed Palestinian-Israeli negotiations to end the Israeli occupation to the Palestinian territories, adding that Palestinian people have the right to have their own independent statehood with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Sisi said that conflict-stricken countries of Syria, Libya, and Yemen, beside Algeria and Sudan which suffer political turmoil need for political support and cooperation from all OIC member states to stop any international interference in their domestic affairs.