Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), participated in the 23rd session of the Independent Permanent Commission for Human Rights of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Saudi Arabia. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary General of the OIC, and Ambassador Talal Khaled Al Mutairi, Chairman of the Independent Permanent Commission for Human Rights of the OIC, and a number of experts from relevant international and regional organisations, attended the meeting. The GCC Secretary General said that the leaders of the GCC countries, attach great importance to human rights, by protecting basic rights and ensuring economic, social and cultural rights. At the beginning of his speech, Albudaiwi referred to some aspects of cooperation between the GCC and the OIC in the field of protecting human rights, which derive from the noble values of the Islamic religion. Specifically, he highlighted the signing of a cooperation agreement in 2008 to strengthen bilateral rela tions and combat terrorism, occupation, and Zionism. Additionally, he mentioned the signing of an executive work programme for the years 2021-2022, aimed at coordinating efforts and consultation in areas such as human rights, continuous political coordination to resolve crises and conflicts in the Islamic world, and cooperation in international forums. The Secretary General emphasised the cultural, media and human rights cooperation between the GCC and the OIC focuses on combating hatred and intolerance, and spreading a culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. He commended the prominent role played by the OIC in the field of human rights since its founding in 1969, affirming that this was embodied in the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in 1990, which affirmed the commitment to protecting human rights in accordance with tolerant Islamic Sharia. Albudaiwi expressed the aspiration of the GCC General Secretariat to work on signing a Memorandum of Understanding between its Human Rights Office and the O IC, which will frame cooperation between them and bring together and realise the interests of both parties. He also praised the independent and integral role of the Independent Permanent Commission for Human Rights of the OIC, and its work to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Secretary General expressed his aspiration to signing a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation between the Commission and the Human Rights Office of the GCC General Secretariat. He said that the GCC countries are concerned with issues related to combating discrimination, empowering women, and protecting children, people with disabilities and the elderly, reiterating the Cooperation Council's belief in the values of tolerance, coexistence and human rights, and its keenness to pursue consolidating them through legal and legislative frameworks as well as specific initiatives. Albudaiwi also touched on the current and future challenges to human rights, stating that these challenges represent a thre at, both directly and indirectly, to our countries. He mentioned that some countries and organisations are trying to impose agendas that are not related to human rights, in addition to the rapid development in technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, which has an impact on privacy and digital rights. He added that it has become necessary for all of us to combine our efforts to confront these challenges, including moving quickly to enact appropriate legislation to achieve a reasonable and fair balance between protecting rights and technological progress. At the conclusion of his speech, Albudaiwi pointed to the crime that continuously violates human rights and international human rights law, namely the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people on a daily and systematic basis, especially what is happening in the Gaza Strip, reiterating that these crimes have played a major role in exposing the weakness of the international community and its failure to deal with it an d protect the rights of those who are in dire need of protection of their human rights. The Secretary General also said that all international agreements, instruments, and treaties related to human rights have become mere ink on paper, and those principles and values have become empty slogans used unjustly, calling on international officials concerned with this matter to convey the true picture of what is happening on the ground in the Palestinian territories, and hold those responsible for these crimes accountable for their actions and their consequences. He added that this is crucial to say that there is indeed an international law to protect human rights, which works effectively, and is impartial, fair, and guarantees and preserves the rights of those whose rights are being violated, and holds those responsible for this violation accountable. Source: Bahrain News Agency