VZCZCXRO4108
RR RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHJI #0121 0891528
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 301528Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1264
INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8314
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0021
RUCNDTA/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0069
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0174

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000121 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, IO, DRL, IRF, GTIP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2014 
TAGS: PREL KISL OPDC OIC SA KTIP KIRF KWMN PHUM
SUBJECT: OIC PONDERS CREATION OF NEW HUMAN RIGHTS ORGAN, 
FINAL FORM UNCLEAR 
 
Classified By: CG Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Organization of the Islamic 
Conference(OIC) is in the process of establishing a new human 
rights organ, but it is far from certain whether member 
states will ratify the proposal during meetings in April and 
May and what form the new body will take. Several OIC 
declarations mandate the creation of a human rights organ, an 
issue personally supported by OIC Secretary General 
Ihsanoglu. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) PRESS STATEMENT ON ESTABLISHING HUMAN RIGHTS BODY: A 
February 18 newsletter from the OIC notes: "An informal 
advisory panel appointed by the Secretary General Ekmeleddin 
Ihsanoglu held its first consultative meeting on February 15, 
2009 at the OIC General Secretariat's headquarters in Jeddah. 
Establishment of an independent human rights body by the OIC 
Member States is considered to be one of the major steps in 
the transformation process of the OIC and as concrete 
evidence of the commitment of the Organization to promote and 
uphold the universal values of human rights." 
 
¶3. (C) OIC OFFICIAL ON LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS: Ufuk Gokcen, a 
top advisor to the Secretary General commented to post about 
the road ahead for the creation of this new human rights 
body:  "It is completely 50/50.  There is a big possibility 
that it will pass, but with modifications.  It will be very 
interesting to see the reaction of the member states." Gokcen 
was optimistic about the continuing debate:  "Nobody can stop 
the process!  It's in the charter, and it is an initiative of 
the Secretary General." 
 
¶4. (SBU) THE MISSION OF THE NEW HUMAN RIGHTS ORGAN: Gokcen 
enumerated several charges for the new human rights body: 
supporting OIC positions with respect to human rights, 
enhancing international human rights, enhancing the role of 
human rights institutions and civil society, providing 
capacity building and institutional development, and 
advancing women's issues. The new institution will also 
pursue research on OIC priorities, serving in an advisory 
capacity to the Secretariat, while promoting 
information-sharing on human rights. 
 
¶5. (U) OIC OBLIGATION TO CREATE A HUMAN RIGHTS BODY: The OIC 
has two binding agreements ratified by its member states to 
establish a human rights organ: 
 
A)    "Ten-Year Program of Action to Meet the Challenges 
Facing the Muslim Ummah in the      21st Century in 
Makkah"(December 2005 document). Section VIII, Human Rights 
and Good          Governance, states: 
 
"Call upon the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers to 
consider the possibility of establishing an independent 
permanent body to promote human rights in the member states, 
in accordance with the provisions of the Cairo Declaration on 
Human Rights." 
 
B)    Revised charter of the OIC ratifed March 2008). Article 
15 states: 
 
"The Independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights shall 
promote the civil, political, social and economic rights 
enshrined in the organization's covenants and declarations 
and in universally agreed human rights instruments, in 
conformity with Islamic value." 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT: The creation of an OIC human rights organ has 
the potential to become a tool to promote basic human rights 
among member states.  However, given OIC's tendency to focus 
on anti-defamation and Islamophobia, it is also possible that 
the new body will not stray far from this agenda. Next steps 
include a meeting of an experts group from member states in 
April, which if consensus is reached (probably difficult and 
may require more than one meeting) will be followed by 
presentation for adoption at the OIC Foreign Ministers' 
meeting in Damascus in May.  END COMMENT. 
QUINN