OIC Model - 2023 program in Pakistan discusses global climate change program

The “Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Model Simulation" conference was held for three days at the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan, organized by the Eurasian Regional Center of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF-ERC) and the National ModelOIC Pakistan in partnership with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), Azernews reports.

After reciting a verse from the Holy Quran at the event's opening ceremony, Rutaba Tariq, Project Country Coordinator of ICYF, declared the event open and gave detailed information about the program's objectives and the OIC Model events held in this country so far.VusalGurbanov, Acting Director General of the Eurasian Regional Center of ICYF, Aygul Gabdrakhmanova, Board Member of ICYF-ERC, and Astrid NadyaRizgita, Chairman of the OIC Youth Indonesia, welcomed the participants and wished the event a success. Ambassador Bilal Akram Shah, Director of the OIC Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, and Ambassador NadimNiyaz, President of the Institute of Regional Studies, who acted as keynote speakers, talked about climate change, which is currently a global problem and the role that young people can play in this process as well as the problems faced by OIC countries in the post-Covid era.

V. Gurbanov noted: “According to the final decision of the 5th conference of OIC Labor Ministers held in Baku, the OIC Labor Center was established. The hosting of ICYF-ERC and the recent inauguration of the Labour Centre of OIC in Baku reaffirm the Azerbaijani government's profound commitment to fostering strong relations and collaboration with the OIC and its member states." V. Gurbanov also brought to the attention of the participants that the member organizations of the ICYF strongly condemn Israel's military aggression against the Palestinian people.

About 50 Pakistani young leaders from various universities and cities of Pakistan, as well as a special delegation of Indonesian youth, participated in the “Model OIC" conference, which simulated OIC meetings, and the main topic discussed was “Charting a Greener Future: OIC’s Role in Combating Climate Change and Protecting the Environment". Emphasizing that climate change is a priority issue in the OIC countries, the participants expressed the importance of young people's more active participation in this process in the future. Regarding this topic, V. Gurbanov stated that the production of green energy in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan is a priority, and noted that the OIC countries are also participating in the process of reconstruction and ecological restoration in these territories together with Azerbaijan.

On the first day of the program, academic sessions and training were held on the topics “In the Trenches of Diplomacy: Real Approaches for Real Results” by Amb. Nadeem Riyaz, President of the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad, and “Impact of Political Conflicts on the Environment: A Case Study of Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Nagorno-Karabakh” by Amb. Altaf Hussain Wani, Chairman of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, and Zaman Bajwa, Executive Director of the Youth for Kashmir Forum.

On the second day of the program the academic session titled “Youth Entrepreneurship and Agri-tech Innovation for Sustainable Food System in the OIC Member States” was delivered by Prof Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Director of Programs and Projects at Islamic Organization for Food Security, Astana.

The "OIC Model" program was implemented in Azerbaijan for the first time in 2011 at the initiative of the Eurasian Regional Center of ICYF. Since then, this program has been successfully implemented annually in more than 40 OIC member countries, both at the national and international levels, based on the experience of Azerbaijan. The main goal of the program is to contribute to the leadership abilities of young people operating in the OIC countries, and to communication and representation skills in the international arena.

It should be noted that during 2023, the OIC Model program was held at the national level in Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Tatarstan (Russian Federation), Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan with the support of the Eurasian Regional Center of ICYF.