Member nations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) gather in Jakarta on March 6-7 for the organization’s fifth extraordinary summit, which will focus on providing a solution to the Palestinian crisis.

Samir Bakr Diab, the OIC’s assistant secretary-general for Palestine and Jerusalem, said the event entitled “Unity for a Just and Lasting Solution” will be looking at ways to unite the efforts of member states in the face of Israel “riding roughshod” over international treaties, agreements and resolutions.

Diab reportedly said that the summit has added significance because it was being held in Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population. It would have the effect of mobilizing the Muslim world around the Palestinian cause, particularly the “difficult and serious situation of Al-Aqsa mosque.”

Diab said the summit would reiterate that a just and lasting solution has to be based on providing Palestinians their legitimate rights, which includes the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. The first day of the summit will feature preparatory meetings between senior officials, followed by a meeting of foreign ministers. The latter will submit the outcome of the deliberations of the first day to the heads of Islamic states on March 7.

Diab said the meeting would be a key event in preparation for the 13th Islamic Ordinary Summit, which will be held in Istanbul in April. He said that there has been significant momentum created recently on highlighting the Palestinian struggle with a series of event and activities in Jakarta.

Ambassadors of the OIC member states held a meeting on Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly headquarters to prepare for the Jakarta summit.

Ambassadors of the OIC from European Union states are expected to hold another preparatory meeting at the Indonesian mission in Brussels on March 1.

A briefing will be provided by Abdur-Raheem Al-Farah, Palestine’s representative to the European Union.

Representatives of the OIC at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva will hold a similar meeting. This followed the Indonesia foreign ministry sending diplomatic delegations to several Muslim states about the Jakarta meeting.

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