Background

The New Vision of the Organization of the Islamic Conference is a multifaceted strategy of renewed commitment and solidarity among Member States and the strengthening of multilateral cooperation with the outside world in the political, socio-economic, cultural and scientific fields.  It is a proactive, comprehensive and targeted strategy to tackle the current challenges facing predominantly Muslim nations and the Muslim Diaspora through collective initiatives commonly known as Joint Islamic Action. The brainchild of deliberations that had taken place in September 2005 among Muslim scholars and intellectuals from OIC Member States and beyond, the New Vision came to life with the adoption of the Makkah-Al-Mukarramah Declaration during the Third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Conference in December 2005. 

In the face of increasingly complex and unprecedented challenges confronting the Islamic World, the New Vision has embarked upon on a long-term path to reform to correct the limitations of the current institutional structure of the OIC. This includes the reactivation of its institutions and specialized and affiliated organs and the strengthening of ties with civil society through reinforced coordination. A high-level advisory panel led by the OIC-SG has already reviewed and recommended revisions to the OIC Charter and steps are currently underway to establish an Executive Body to follow-up on resolutions. A fully-fledged feasibility study will be undertaken to strengthen the role of the Islamic Solidarity Fund and draft elements have already been determined through the deliberations of a committee of experts. Additionally, to allow for the effective coordination of Joint Islamic Action, Member States are being encouraged to pay their dues.

The aforementioned reforms will allow Member States to participate and coordinate more effectively in all regional and international forums. Additionally, they will allow for the delineation of the duties and obligations of countries towards their fellow Member States facing socio-economic-political-cultural challenges. The ratification and implementation of the OIC Charter and existing Resolutions and Conventions represent an essential step towards advancing Joint Islamic Action and an Executive Committee was established in 2006 to monitor their implementation. The results to date have been promising as several Member States have either signed or ratified major accords in the spheres of telecommunications, standards and metrology, civil aviation, trade preferential systems, counter-terrorism, the international crescent and economic, technical and commercial cooperation.

In the arena of Joint Islamic Action in conflict resolution, major resolutions and recommendations were adopted in 2006 pertaining to the conflicts in Azerbaijan, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Lebanon and Palestine, the establishment of mechanisms for dialogue with the European Union (EU) and effective OIC participation in the UN Human Rights Council. Fact-finding missions were dispatched to Cyprus, Iraq and Somalia and Special Representatives were appointed by the OIC Secretary General for Somalia, Jammu and Kashmir and the Muslim Communities in South Thailand and South Philippines. Steps were taken to provide humanitarian assistance to Lebanon and Palestine as well as to establish strategic storage reserve facilities to tackle the food shortage in Niger. The EU and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) undertook high-level visits to the OIC headquarters in 2006 and joint statements were issued by the OIC-UN-EU (European Union) and the UN & OIC Secretary Generals in response to the publication of the blasphemous caricatures in Europe.

 

The New Vision rejects extremism and fanaticism and has unequivocally set forward strategies to combat Islamophobia in the West and address the political, economic, social and cultural root causes of extremism through development programmes and the resolution of long-standing conflicts. The New Vision places great emphasis on inter-civilizational and inter-faith dialogue - where the OIC and its specialized institutions would serve as proactive partners, promotes cooperation among Member States to develop an educational curriculum that emphasizes an understanding of all faiths and targets the greater utilization of the mass media to promote tolerance.

Terrorism is defined by the New Vision as a global phenomenon that is not related to any religion, race or country. It is consequently distinguishable from legitimate resistance to foreign occupation which does not sanction the killing of innocent civilians. In condemning terrorism in all its forms and rejecting any attempts to justify or rationalize it, the New Vision also commits the OIC to advance the introduction of comprehensive qualitative changes in the national laws and legislations of Member States to criminalize all terrorist practices including supporting, financing and instigating terrorism.

The OIC participates actively in international counter-terrorism efforts including major conferences in Cairo (July 2006) and Copenhagen (July 2006). Additionally, the OIC has partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to organize its own counter-terrorism workshop in Jeddah (April 2006) which counted upon the participation of the OIC Committee of the Thirteen States on Combating Terrorism.

In addition to implementing the recommendations of the International Convention on Combating Terrorism (Riyadh, February 2005), the New Vision purports concrete steps towards the establishment of an International Centre for Combating Terrorism. Efforts are also underway to develop an International Code of Conduct to Combat Terrorism, including the convening of a special session of the UN General Assembly to establish a comprehensive strategy that would have international consensus.

In this regard the OIC’s UN Mission in New York has played an active role in coordinating the efforts of Member States and assisting in the UN Counter-Terrorism strategy. The New Vision is also committed to advancing the ratification and implementation of the OIC Convention on Combating Terrorism (Entry into force: November 2002) which to date has been signed by 5 countries and ratified by 12 others.

The New Vision is at the forefront of confronting Islamophobia and has established an observatory at the OIC General Secretariat to monitor and report on the phenomenon as well as to cooperate with Governmental and Non-Governmental entities in countering it.   Through its UN Mission in Geneva and New York and in cooperation with the UN, European Union and the Human Rights Council, the OIC continues its efforts to promote the adoption of a draft resolution to prevent instances of religious intolerance.

Additionally, initiatives towards the adoption of an international resolution against Islamophobia by the UN are also ongoing and the OIC has encouraged all States to enact laws to counter Islamophobia and punish those who propagate it. The UN General Assembly has already issued a Resolution in its 61st Session on combating the disparaging of religions.  This Resolution places particular emphasis on the need to take effective measures to prevent tarnishing the image of any religion in general, and Islam and Muslim in particular, specifically in the arena of human rights.

Through utilizing the mass media and the internet, OIC Member States have undertaken initiatives to broadcast programs in Western States to clarify misperceptions pertaining to the image of Islam and also project the views of the Islamic Ummah on world affairs. Additionally, structured and sustained dialogue been policymakers in the Islamic World and the West, particularly Parliamentary Groups and Islamic Institutions, are also taking place to promote inter-religious and inter-civilizational dialogue and diminish mistrust and misunderstanding of Islam. Additionally, to promote the acceptance of Islam in Western countries, the ICCI has established a neutral network of Westerners with work experience in Muslim countries to propagate an unbiased understanding of the religion in their respective societies.

The promotion of Good Governance and Human Rights go hand in hand with the realization of effective democracy and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. Acknowledging the particular challenges faced by OIC Member States in this regard, the New Vision places great emphasis on broadening the scope of political participation, ensuring access to civil liberties and social justice, reducing socio-economic inequality, promoting transparency and accountability and reducing corruption.

Several OIC Member States have already undertaken serious reform efforts on their own accord. Additionally the OIC continues to evaluate and examine the roles of various inter-governmental organizations in the development of the Member States and the prospects for developing cooperative ventures with these entities. The first ever capacity building staff-exchange between the OIC and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will occur in 2007 to hone the technical expertise of the OIC Secretariat and develop their programs in line with the UN Development initiatives. 

In addition to being a regular participant in the Good Governance for Development Initiative for Arab States, the OIC has also supported recent innovative initiatives including a joint capacity building program for OIC Member States by the Government of Malaysia and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The OIC continues to support initiatives to enhance the performance of public-private institutions and promotes inter-country cooperation in this regard.  In promoting democracy through free and fair elections, the OIC sent election monitors to oversee the historic elections in Mauritania in November 2006.

The New Vision has mandated the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) – the principal OIC entity tasked with reviewing progress pertaining to the implementations of decisions - to work towards the elaboration of an OIC Charter on Human Rights. Under its new mandate, the ICFM will also evaluate the feasibility of establishing an OIC Permanent Commission on Human Rights – an independent permanent body to promote human rights in accordance with the provisions of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. The ICFM will also work with Member States to introduce changes to their national laws and regulations in order to guarantee respect for human rights. Additionally, Member States will review their educational curriculum to include the subject of human rights with the purpose of emphasizing the cultural component of the issue. 

The OIC has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OCHCR) in July 2006 and the two bodies will jointly organize a workshop to draft the Charter for Human Rights in Islam. The OIC advocates for universality, objectivity and non-selectivity in the construction of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) as outlined in the high-level meeting of the Council in Geneva in March 2007. The OIC will also work with the HRC to explore the possibility of drafting a Convention on Respect towards Religions and encourages HRC members to focus on the violation of the rights of the Palestinian people in particular and on discrimination and intolerance against Muslims in general. In combating racism, an Inter-governmental Group of Experts (IGGE) on the follow-up to the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam met in December 2006 to advance the draft OIC Covenant against Racial Discrimination.

In addition to undertaking a strategy of proactive engagement with governments of countries hosting Muslim Communities, the New Vision seeks to cooperate regularly with regional and international organizations to guarantee the rights of Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC countries that face increasing levels of persecution and profiling in defiance of their civil and religious rights.

In recent years the OIC has actively engaged with the Government of China, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand to protect the rights of the Muslim minorities in these countries. Utilizing Thailand’s Observer Status at the OIC and its membership in Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the OIC-SG has initiated dialogue with pertinent Thai authorities and Muslim Representatives from Southern Thailand in advancing necessary socio-economic reforms in the region.  Based on the findings of the OIC’s fact-finding mission to the Southern Philippines in May 2006, the OIC-SG will engage ASEAN and the Filipino authorities in a tripartite conference in Jeddah in 2007 to concretize the peace process.

In protecting the right of Muslim Minorities in Europe, the OIC has undertaken serious efforts to coordinate with regional organizations including the OSCE and the new Council on Human Rights in Geneva. The OIC Secretary General has also undertaken missions to China, Russia, UK and France to undertake dialogue with authorities on the creation of relevant structures and safeguards for Muslim minorities. Additionally the OIC will organize an international conference to resolve the challenges facing charitable Islamic organizations globally.

The New Vision places fresh impetus on the urgent need to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian and outlines clear strategies to advance the socio-cultural-political-economic rights of the Palestinian people. The OIC Secretary General has undertaken several visits to the region since taking office in 2005 and has issued numerous statements condemning Israeli aggression including the construction on new settlements, the racist separation wall, defamation to the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the imposition of collective punishment upon the Palestinian People.

 The New Vision places great emphasis on Al-Quds (East Jerusalem) as central to the identity of the Palestinian people and the meeting point for the monotheistic religions of the world. The OIC condemns all Israeli efforts to change the character of the Holy City as a direct violation of UNSC Resolutions and has a taken a united stand with the Arab League and the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) in condemning Israeli aggression against the Al Aqsa Mosque.  To promote and preserve the inherent Islamic heritage of Al-Quds, the New Vision has propelled the OIC to take concrete steps towards the establishment of the Al-Aqsa University in Al-Quds. The OIC General Secretariat has already issued a justification paper and the IDB is currently conducting a feasibility study to realize the project. The IRCICA will conduct annual workshops on the architectural heritage of Al-Quds until 2015 and additionally continues to develop its database on the heritage of Al-Quds & Palestine.

The New Vision deems as inadequate the mono-dimensional approach of viewing crises solely from the angle of security and seeking solutions exclusively through military means. Such a course does not lead to the resolution of conflicts in a lasting and comprehensive manner. Rather, it promotes short-cut and short-term solutions that increase the vehemence and complexity of ongoing conflicts. Consequently, effective, lasting and comprehensive settlements necessitate a paradigm shift in current approaches.

Peace-building, conflict and post-disaster management necessitate political engagement and the reinvigoration of the time-tested doctrine of multilateralism. They require world leaders to reject unilateral interventions in favor of respecting international legitimacy and advancing long-term solutions in the spirit of mutual recognition, cooperation and dialogue, particularly among representatives of cultures, civilizations and religions. They entail an understanding of political grievances, backwardness and the under-development of societies and their need for good-governance. 

Consequently, the New Vision has adopted a multifaceted strategy to solve the underlying reasons to these problems and is working with the international community to promote moderation, modernization and development within the Islamic World. In this regard, the OIC and the IDB will closely coordinate with the recently established UN peace–building Commission in achieving common objectives A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed between the OIC and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and OIC Troikas have become proficient in their rapid response to early warnings to neutralize potential conflicts. OIC Member States contribute heavily to UN Peace Keeping Operations and countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh rank among the largest individual contributors of UN peace-keeping troops.

The OIC has played an active role in recent and ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Somali, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Southern Philippines, Thailand, Cyprus, Jammu and Kashmir and the dispute between Sudan and Chad. Diverse initiatives have been undertaken towards the resolution of the Iraqi conflict including participation by the OIC-SG in the Iraq Compact and the 9th Conference of Iraq’s neighboring countries in Tehran, visits by the OIC Special Envoy to Baghdad, Cairo and Amman to coordinate reconciliation efforts and meetings at the OIC Secretariat among leaders of Iraq’s Sunni and Shiite Sect.  The OIC played a pivotal in mediating the conflict between Chad and Sudan resulting in a negotiated settlement in 2006.  Efforts continue in Sudan to resolve the situation in Darfur and the OIC-SG has undertaken visits to Khartoum for consultations in this regard. In addition to dispatching a number of OIC delegations to assess the situation in Somalia,  the OIC has also actively participated in the Arab League sponsored Peace Talks between the Somali government and the Islamic Courts.

The OIC’s effective and timely response to the most devastating natural disasters in recent years (Kashmir, Indonesia) has established the organization as a major player in post-disaster humanitarian relief efforts. The 2003 tsunami in Indonesia is a case in point where OIC entities and Member States provided US $1.3 billion in aid to the victims – the largest contribution by any group.  This overwhelming response is a direct consequence of the organization’s New Vision which calls for cooperation and coordination between individual relief efforts of Islamic States and Islamic civil society institutions on the one hand, and international civil society institutions and organizations on the other.

In Kashmir as in Indonesia, this strategy allowed for the greatest number of OIC Member States to contribute to the relief efforts and allowed for the OIC to coordinate its efforts with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) . These initiatives fall within the broader scheme of Islamic Relief Action and the ICCI, IDB, Islamic Solidarity Fund, Islamic Committee for International Crescent (ICIC) and other regional and national relief agencies and organizations are currently working towards developing a clear strategy to maximize coordination and cooperation.

The New Vision places the empowerment of women and children and the protection of their rights in the forefront of its activities. In this regard the OIC has placed a renewed impetus to urging Member States to sign, ratify and adhere to the provisions of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which remains to date the most comprehensive attempt at establishing international standards to protect the rights of women. Additionally the New Vision places great emphasis on Member States to continue to press on with country level efforts to harmonize national legislation with the articles and principles of CEDAW.

In its efforts to develop a comprehensive convention on women’s rights which is culturally sensitive to Islamic norms and practices and one that all OIC Member States can adhere to without reservation, the New Vision has called for the development of The Covenant on the Rights of Women in Islam in accordance with Resolution No. 60/27-P and the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. In this regard the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) will organize training seminars in collaboration with the UN High Commissioner’s Office of Human Rights and an intergovernmental group of experts will meet in March 2007 to draft the Covenant. 

In line with the New Vision and the theme of the United Nations International Women’s Day 2006 "Women in Decision-Making: Meeting Challenges, Creating Change” the OIC organized the first ever biannual conference on the “The Role of Women in the Development of OIC Member States” in Istanbul in 2006 where high-level delegations from 43 OIC Member States and 8 international organizations took part. The conference established, within the OIC framework, an open-ended government group representing the OIC Member States to ensure the development of action plans.

The New Vision places great emphasis upon inter-agency cooperation, particularly with the gender-specialized agencies of the UN. A joint OIC-UN coordination meeting in 2006 outlined areas of collaboration with the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Commission on the Status of Women and the UN International Research Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW). ISESCO and UNIFEM will cooperate on science and ICT related projects that strengthen women’s participation in the information sector while UNIFEM and the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRTCIC) will undertake cooperative projects on women’s education in the Least Developed African OIC Member States and the empowerment of women in public life.

ISESCO has also organized several regional and national workshops and training sessions on the issues of Muslim women in Egypt (Cairo, March 2006), Afghanistan (Kabul & Kandahar), Benin (Cotonou), Jordan (Amman), Mauritania (Nouakchott) and Palestine (Ramallah).  Additionally, the Islamic Fiqh Academy (IFA) will deliver a series of lectures on the topic of promoting women’s rights in Islam, culminating in the 18th Session of the IFA Conference in Malaysia in 2007 that will focus on the rights and responsibilities of the Muslim woman.

System-wide education reform in Member States, including increased gender parity and access to primary and secondary education, review and overhaul of the existing curricula to place greater emphasis on science and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), greater investment on Research and Development (R&D) to reverse brain-drain and inter-agency cooperation to elevate the standards of existing institutions at all levels constitute one of the most comprehensive undertakings of the New Vision to prepare capable leaders for the Muslim Ummah and maximise the potential for socio-economic-political-cultural development.

Despite the Koran designating the education of boys and girls as a high priority area, over 40% of children in 20 OIC Member States do not have access to primary education.  The New Vision’s impetus to reverse inequalities in education access took root with the landmark 2005 Ministerial Meeting on Children – a joint undertaking between the OIC, ISESCO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The meeting led to the launch of a major report titled “Investing in Children in the Islamic World” which provides detailed indicators for all OIC Member States that policymakers at the international, national, regional and local level can use to devise appropriate strategies to further children’s empowerment through education. 

The impetus of the New Vision to reduce gender disparities has resulted in a number of Member States enacting legislations to provide free secondary education, free school meals, uniforms, books and transportation, subsidies for girls, incentives for households, clean facilities and the creation of a safe school environment for girls. Gender sensitive textbooks are also being promoted and the educational curriculum is being tailored to promote life skills, equality and human rights. These policies are expected to increase the number of OIC Member States (currently 26) that meet the MDG targets of gender parity in primary education.

To shed light on the brain-drain of competent professionals, particularly in the sciences, from the Islamic World to the West and to coordinate actions with Muslim competencies abroad, the IDB released a report in 2006 on the trends and developmental impact of brain drain in Member States. To reverse the flow, the New Vision has set forth the exploration of strategies for the establishment of an International Islamic Centre for Scientific Research and deliberations are currently ongoing to select 20 universities from the Islamic World and promote their advancement to the echelons of the top 500 universities in the world. In this regard, the Islamic Centre for Science and Technology will be strengthened to provide research and training opportunities in hi-tech fields for emigrant and resident scientists. 

To promote R&D programs in Member States, the New Vision has outlined a strategy whereby each country will contribute at least 1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to R&D initiatives. There is also greater emphasis upon public and private national research institutions to invest in technology capacity-building and establish and extend Venture Capital Funds. Leading the way, OIC and the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) will jointly establish and manage an OIC R&D Fund, while the IDB will explore venues to effectively utilize its annual budget of US $200 million allocated for Science and Technology. Additionally, the OIC will partner with the Government of Qatar which has already designated US $2 billion for scientific research until 2010 and another $200 million for the Well of Knowledge Fund. 

Strategies toward the development of biotechnology and the acquisition of nuclear technology for peaceful uses in line with international standards and regulations are currently being explored by the six-member states of the GCC who are conducting a study to formulate a joint program in this regard. A regional conference incorporating the IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (where the OIC maintains observer status), GCC, Iran and its neighboring states will take place to discuss steps and approaches to achieving safeguards and safety agreements. 

In the realm of inter-agency cooperation to improve ICT standards and reduce the digital gap between Developed and Developing States, a series of joint programs and projects are currently underway between OIC entities including the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Islamic University of Niger (IUN), SESRTCIC and ISESCO and UN entities including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), UNDP, UNESCO and UNIFEM. Such projects incorporate the exchange of ICT related data, cooperation on capacity building and ICT indicators, joint research programs, courses and seminars, tele-education, digitalization of libraries, creation of documentation centres, support for vocational and technical education and the participation of women in ICT. 

Additionally, to improve the performance of the four OIC-affiliated universities in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Niger and Uganda, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between these institutions in 2006 to strengthen collaboration and cooperation on curriculum reform, administration reform and the enhancement of education standards and quality. IUT has additionally singed a joint MoU with universities in Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan to develop human resources in the vocational and technical field and the IDB will provide scholarships to minority students from the Muslim Diaspora to study at the IUT.  

The New Vision has precipitated the implementation of wide-ranging measures to promote the economic advancement of OIC Member States. At the very minimum, there is increasing pressure on member states to sign and ratify all existing OIC trade and economic agreements including the Protocol on Preferential Tariff Scheme (PRETAS) which has already been signed by nine countries. Promoting institutionalized and enhanced cooperation between the OIC and regional economic groups place highly among the New Vision’s priorities and in this regard avenues are currently being explored with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). 

Intra-OIC trade currently stands at 14% of overall trade volume and the New Vision projects an increase to 20% by 2015 through the establishment of a Free Trade Area that would also lead to greater South-South cooperation. Several concrete steps have already been undertaken in this regard including the establishment of the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (2007 by the IDB) and the International Islamic Company for Exploration of Investment Opportunities and Promotion of Intra Trade (2006 by the ICCI). To promote intra-OIC maritime trade, the Bakkah Shipping Company (BASCO) has recently been established by the Organization of the Islamic Ship Owners Association to advance technical cooperation and the harmonization of rules and regulations in maritime transport.

The ICCI has also set forth a Ten Year Work Plan and is currently in the process of finalizing the establishment of Human Resource Development Companies in OIC Member States. Additionally, there has been an increased impetus towards the promotion of biannual Trade Fairs and Tourism Fairs of Islamic Countries and the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers is currently preparing a Strategic Plan for Tourism Development. Annual meetings of the private sectors are also being promoted through specialized workshops and exhibitions and the facilitation of the free movement of businessmen and investors within OIC Member States is being vigorously pursued.

Accession of OIC Member States to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the promotion of a unified stand in negotiations are prioritized by the New Vision as key venues to advance their relative trading positions. In this regard the IDB and the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) are working together to develop the human and institutional capacities on Member States towards facilitating their full integration into the multilateral trading system on an equitable and fair basis and to coordinate their positions within the WTO to set up a common platform for negotiations.

To promote electronic commerce among Member States, a MoU is currently being developed between the OIC and the UN to launch joint projects for capacity building in e-commerce. Studies have already been conducted by SESRTCIC on the impact of e-commerce on intra-OIC trade promotion and the IDB, ICCI, ICDT & SESRTCIC will assist Member States in developing national strategies in this regard. Additionally, to monitor the impact of economic development on the environment, the New Vision continues to exert pressure on Member States to coordinate their environmental policies and positions in international environmental fora. To aid Member States, SESTRCIC has already published indicators on environmental sustainability and performance, including country-level data, and has presented a series of reports in this regard to the Islamic Conference of Ministers of Environment in 2006. 

Poverty alleviation is the one priority area where the New Vision of the OIC and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations are entirely in congruence. Indeed seven of the eight MDGs are directly related to poverty alleviation  while the OIC counts among least developed and developing countries for the vast majority of its membership. To achieve the MDGs, the New Vision established a Poverty Alleviation Fund within the IDB in 2006 and has to date received a collective pledge of $1,328 million, including $1 billion from Saudi Arabia and $300 million from Kuwait. The IDB is currently in the process of operationalizing the fund through the development of legal frameworks and guidelines. 

A major portion of the fund will be used to combat disease and epidemics that plague Least Developed Member States and in this regard the IDB will coordinate with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other relevant institutions to design appropriate programs. Feasibility studies have already been conducted in this regard to define the scope of the programs as well as the mode of financing and management.

As the greatest instances of poverty are concentrated among the Sub-Saharan African Member States of the OIC, the New Vision places particular emphasis on the economic development of this region and outlines a broad range of initiatives including the promotion of industrialization, energizing of trade and investment, transfer of technology, cancellation of bilateral and multilateral debts by donor Member States and the promotion of the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

In this regard, joint meetings will take place between the IDB, OIC and sub-regional African organizations to develop national, regional and local projects for the West and Central African region. SESRTCIC is currently preparing poverty index databases for the African OIC Member States to aid in the preparation of recommendations. Additionally, capacity building projects are currently being implemented to explore oil and mineral resources in Mauritania and develop the palm oil industry in Sierra Leone.