Istanbul Declaration – Adopted by the 51st Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (excerpt) – (Non-UN Document)

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22 June 2025

Istanbul Declaration

Adopted by the 51^st Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (Under the Theme: the OIC in a Transforming World)

(21 – 22 June 2025)

(25^th – 26^th Dhuʻl-Hijjah 1446H)

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Heads of Delegation of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), participating in the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), held in stanbul, Türkiye, on 21-22 June 2025,

Reaffirming our firm commitment to the purposes, objectives and principles of our Organization as well as to all the resolutions adopted by the OIC Summits and the Council of Foreign Ministers,

Determined to further strengthen the bonds of unity and solidarity among the Islamic Ummah,

1. Express the aspiration of OIC, the second largest international organization after the UN, to play an increasing role in an environment of international fragmentation, weakened international institutions and transforming world, and, the need of accelerating reforms to scale up OIC as a major international actor in terms of regional and global stability, shifting geostrategic balances, multilateralism, rule based international system,
2. Reaffirm the centrality of the Palestinian cause for the OIC, established in 1969 following the arson attack on Masjid Al Aqsa, firm support for the establishment of a sovereign, independent, contiguous Palestinian state on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital and that two-State solution is the only viable solution to reach peace and stability in the region for all,
3. Reaffirm the importance of convening, as soon as possible, the United Nations High-Level Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution and relevant United Nations resolutions, under the co-chairmanship of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic; resuming the work of the working groups established pursuant to the conference; and redoubling efforts to ensure its success; and call all UN Member States to participate actively in the conference once its new date is announced,
4. Condemn the ongoing Israeli campaign of genocide against the Gaza Strip, which has continued for over 19 months, as well as the systematic campaigns of destruction and killing in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause, including the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination; reaffirm the importance of achieving a permanent and sustainable ceasefire and of implementing Security Council Resolution 2735, with a view to ending the aggression, advancing the Arab-Islamic recovery and reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip, and ensuring the provision of political and financial support to the Palestinian Government to enable it to assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, as it does in the West Bank, including Eastern Al-Quds,
5. Support the intensive diplomatic efforts of the Ministerial Committee established by the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza to press for an immediate ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip, and the initiation of practical steps toward the implementation of the two-State solution,
6. Condemn the actions of Israel, the occupying Power, in using starvation as a method of genocide by obstructing the entry of humanitarian assistance and preventing United Nations humanitarian agencies from carrying out their mandates, with the aim of forcibly displacing the Palestinian population. In this regard, we call for the rejection of all forms of forced displacement of the Palestinian people, the urgent opening of crossings and borders, the unimpeded and adequate delivery of humanitarian aid, and the provision of protection for the Palestinian civilian population,
7. Express support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Near East for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) which plays an irreplaceable role in providing services to Palestine refugees and call on the international community to continue their support to UNRWA both politically and financially in the face of worsening humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian lands, including al-Quds,
8. Express our unequivocal rejection of any schemes aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from their land, as such action constitutes a liquidation of the Palestinian Cause and a grave violation of international law; and also reject Israel’s systematic targeting of the essential life necessities in Gaza with the deliberate intention of creating impossible living conditions and thus forcing Palestinians to leave their land,
9. Affirm our support for the Arab-Islamic Plan for Early Recovery and Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which demonstrates that it is possible to reconstruct the Strip without the need to displace Palestinians; and commend Egypt’s humanitarian efforts to ensure the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid to the Strip.
10. Express our deep concern over the Israeli attempts to alter the civilizational features of the City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, distort its Arab and Islamic character, and undermine its legal status—particularly efforts aimed at changing the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and stress the need to preserve the identity of the Holy City as a symbol of tolerance and coexistence among the three monotheistic religions, and to support its steadfast In this regard, we commend the efforts of Al-Quds Committee and its executive arm, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency,
11. Condemn destabilization policies of Israel in the region and its recent attacks on Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, constituting flagrant violation of sovereignty and security of these countries and international law; call on the international community to take deterrent measures to stop this aggression and make Israel accountable for crimes committed; decides to establish an open ended Ministerial Contact group, which will be tasked with establishing regular contacts with the relevant regional and international parties, in order to support Descalation efforts، stop the aggression against Iran and to achieve a peaceful settlement,

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