OIC Chief Welcomes "Hope For" Conference in Doha

Jeddah, November 26 (QNA) - The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has welcomed Qatar s continuing efforts to contain disasters in the world. He highlighted the Hope For international conference initiative by Qatar to be held in Doha from 27 29 November 2011 as an indication of realization by Qatar and its leadership of the need to find innovative ways to combat repeated occurrences of disasters in the world. The Secretary General stated that this important initiative can complement the efforts of the OIC with ideas, particularly in the latter's quest for an emergency mechanism to combat increasing rate of disaster occurrence in the Muslim world in recent times, whose impacts are still in dire need of being contained. Ihsanoglu called on OIC Member States, civil society institutions and the international community to take a hard look at the initiative and come up with clear ideas that can be translated into concrete steps. A high-level delegation headed by Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador Atta El-Manan Bakheet, will participate in the conference. Ambassador Bakheet is expected to deliver a speech on behalf of the Secretary General which will highlight the role of the OIC General Secretariat in combating natural disasters in many countries of the Muslim world. (QNA)