The Model OIC International Relations Academy Conference was held on October 29-31 in Karachi, Pakistan, in the building of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, under the joint organization of the Eurasian Regional Center of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF-ERC) and the National MOIC Pakistan.
At the opening ceremony of the event, guest speakers, Fsahat Ul Hassan, the Board member of ICYF-ERC, Yunus Colak, MOIC Student Clubs Project Coordinator, and Astrid Nadya Rizqita, President of the OIC Youth Organization in Indonesia, delivered a speech and wished success to the participants of the event. A. N. Rizqita emphasized in her speech that, in recent years, ICYF-ERC has played a leading role in the successful organization of this project in the Eurasian geography.
40 young leaders from Pakistan represented Pakistan, Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Tunisia and other OIC countries and joined the discussions under the theme of “Post COVID Global Economic Recovery” during the simulation event that lasted for three days. The debates also provided an opportunity for Pakistani youth to develop critical thinking, decision-making, and diplomatic skills.
The representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan gave an overview of the outcomes of the Patriotic War that took place during the pandemic and emphasized the significance of the implementation of infrastructure projects in Karabakh, which was destroyed during the Armenian occupation, as well as the involvement of OIC institutions and member countries in reconstruction projects.
During the closing ceremony of the event, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Khazar Farhadov, delivered a speech on Azerbaijan’s role in the OIC, mutual cooperation with OIC member states, and its achievements in the organization. Vusal Gurbanov, Acting Director General of ICYF-ERC, spoke about the importance of the events held within the framework of the Model OIC, held both nationally and internationally for the past 10 years, and the role played by this program in strengthening the leadership ability of young people in the OIC geography. He also emphasized the importance of supporting such measures aimed at unity among Muslim youth and increasing their diplomatic skills in the future.
At the closing ceremony, Qaisar Nawab, Assistant Director of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, Abdul Badih Al-Dada, Events Coordinator of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, and Syed Mohammad Habibullah, the Assistant Director of Sport and Youth Affairs Directorate, Government of Sindh region of Pakistan, Tantan Taufik Lubis, Vice President of ICYF expressed their satisfaction with the successful conclusion of the event and the importance of such a program that covers the entire OIC area.
In the resolution adopted as the final document of the event, the OIC member countries, international development agencies, and international financial institutions were called to invest in the liberated Karabakh, which includes the support of the Azerbaijani government in the restoration of the territories destroyed by the Armenian occupation.
The main goals of the Model OIC International Relations Academy Conferences are to support the strengthening of international cooperation among young people in the OIC space, to help young people, as well as the leaders and members of youth organizations gain new knowledge and experience in the field of diplomacy, governance and communication.
During this year, the program was successfully implemented at the local level in the Republic of Tatarstan (RF), as well as in several countries of Central Asia.