Organization of the Islamic Conference

Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),; organization of 57 countries whose inhabitants are mainly Muslim, est. 1969 and headquartered in Jidda, Saudi Arabia. Its member states are spread out over Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, and represent some 650 million people. It promotes cooperation among member nations in economic, social, scientific, cultural, and spiritual matters and is dedicated to creating Islamic solidarity and safeguarding Islam's holy places and the rights of Muslims and ending racial discrimination and colonialism. The OIC also has pledged to restore Jerusalem and the occupied territories to Palestinian control, and since 1981 has supported an economic boycott of Israel (some members nonetheless have economic ties with Israel).

The OIC's main bodies are the Conference of Heads of State, its supreme body, which meets every three years; the Conference of Foreign Ministers, which meets once a year and in special sessions; the General Secretariat, which manages the OIC's affairs and is headed by a secretary-general; and the International Islamic Court of Justice. The wide geographic dispersal of the OIC's members and their varied, sometimes clashing political philosophies and religious views have tended to constrain the organization's overall effectiveness, and it often has been unable to implement its resolutions.

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Publication information: Article title: Organization of the Islamic Conference. Encyclopedia title: The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. © 2012 The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. Used with the permission of Columbia University Press. All Rights Reserved. Publisher: The Columbia University Press. Place of publication: Not available. Publication year: 2013.

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