Statement by Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC Briefing on UN-OIC Cooperation
Mr. Minister,
We would like to thank the Pakistani presidency in your person for convening today's meeting. We consider it very timely, inter alia, given the unprecedented spiral of violence in the Greater Middle East region that we have been witnessing recently. We are grateful to Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari and OIC Assistant Secretary-General Youssef Al-Dobeay for their assessments and comments.
With more than 10% of our population being Muslim, Russia has observer status in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and we attach particular importance to developing cooperation with Muslim countries and the body that unites them all.
Muslim countries are not just regional partners for us. We see that the Islamic world has a significant role to play in shaping a multipolar system of international relations, with equality, respect for cultural and civilizational diversity, and adherence to international law being the key elements thereof.
Mr. President,
Today, amid current extremely dangerous and very acute escalation of a long-standing regional crisis, the Islamic world is acting responsibly. It maintains its political independence and advocates a just and balanced order based on international law, dialogue, and mutual respect. This calibrated and consistent position is in sharp contrast with what is being done by Israel and its backer, the United States, who are actually undermining the very foundations of the Middle East settlement and the principles of sovereign equality of States.
We consider it important to enhance partnership between the UN and the OIC so as to resolve conflicts. In this context, we emphasize the need for joint efforts to de-escalate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, above all in the Gaza Strip, where a real humanitarian catastrophe is ongoing. The IDF's military operation in the Strip is stirring up violence in the Red Sea and Yemen, along Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria, and beyond. Just over a month ago, we witnessed a dangerous confrontation between Tehran and West Jerusalem, in which Washington was also involved and carried out a series of unprovoked air strikes on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, which were under IAEA safeguards.
In this regard, we value the shared stance of the OIC countries in rejecting the use of force to resolve conflicts, and we appreciate the efforts by Muslim states to counteract the attempts to put the Palestinian issue on the back burner. Also, we would like to praise the mediation efforts by Arab capitals aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, delivering humanitarian assistance there, preventing the exile of Palestinians from their lands. What is impossible to overestimate here is the principled position of Muslim and Arab states in support of UNRWA, which has no alternative and plays a key role in ensuring the survival of Palestinian refugees and creating an independent Palestinian state.
Russia and the countries of the Islamic world consistently advocate the implementation of decisions based on relevant UNSC resolutions and initiatives of the Arab and Muslim world. For example, Russia supported and co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution on combating Islamophobia, adopted on March 15, 2024, which emphasizes the need “to take all necessary measures … to combat religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, hatred, incitement to violence and violence against Muslims.”
Our cooperation with the OIC is not limited to politics and security. It covers a wide gamut of areas, from countering terrorism and extremism to protecting traditional spiritual and moral values and combating religious discrimination.
Mr. President,
We attach particular importance to joint work in the field of international information security, including combating digital crime, countering the imposition of destructive models of mass culture, and developing universal approaches to ethics and regulation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Relations between Russia and the OIC are steadily progressing. Following a forced pause due to the pandemic, we have resumed regular political consultations between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the OIC General Secretariat. There is also broadening cooperation between parliamentarians in education, science, and culture, including joint projects with various OIC structures such as the Research Center for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA) and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).
We would like to highlight the successful implementation of joint initiatives to study the cultural heritage of Muslim peoples in Russia. Young people from Islamic countries are actively studying at Russian universities and religious academies. In turn, students from Russia are studying at educational institutions of OIC countries.
There is fruitful interaction between institutions dealing with human rights issues. We also work together on such issues as ensuring the safety of facilities in earthquake-prone areas and developing AI technologies.
Mr. President,
On a separate note, we would like to thank the Pakistani delegation for the efforts they undertook to facilitate the adoption of a presidential statement on UN-OIC cooperation. We support the adoption of the document. We hope that reaffirming the importance of cooperation between the two organizations will give additional impetus to collective efforts to maintain international peace and security, including in the hot spots of the Middle East region.
Russia remains firmly committed to strengthening cooperation with the OIC and its member states in all areas. We are convinced that it is only through joining our forces on the basis of mutual respect that we can work out effective responses to the challenges facing humanity today.
Thank you.
