Kazakhstan as one of the largest countries of Asia is gradually becoming a center of political transformation of the Islamic world. As head of the 38th Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the country is making every effort to resolve the pressing problems of the Islamic community.

Nowadays organization of Islamic Cooperation (Organization of the Islamic Conference) is the largest and the most influential official governmental international Muslim organization. It integrates 57 countries with a population of about 1.2 billion people. The main purpose of the organization - cooperation among Muslim states, joint participation at the international arena, the achievement of sustainable development of member countries. So, Kazakhstan's role in these processes is very important. Astana, being situated at the geopolitical junction of European and Islamic civilizations, is an excellent moderator of the OIC.

As the 38th Chairman of the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Kazakhstan has identified its main task   -  effective solution to actual problems of the Islamic community. As well as consolidating of the capacity of organization to strengthen international security, economic ties, promote a process of dialogue among civilizations.

The chairmanship was inherited by Kazakhstan in tough times. The deepening economic crisis in the world, frequent interreligious clashes, continued political conflicts in Africa and the Middle East. Astana took over the task to build a system of open and honest dialogue between Muslim and Christian world.  Astana hosted the summit of the OSCE in 2010.So, this city is currently one of the leaders of the integration processes in Central Asia, a member of the SCO, CSTO, EurAsEC. Actually, Kazakhstan is successfully integrating itself to the organization of European cooperation and the organization of the Islamic world. Thus, this country is a kind of bridge that establishes cooperation between Ummah and non-islamic world.
 
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But the complexity of Kazakhstan's chairmanship exacerbates the process of modernization of the entire organization. Renaming of the OIC actually marked the beginning of a new phase of cooperation among Islamic world countries.

Today, 22 out of 57 member countries of the organization belong to the least developed countries. Kazakhstan calls to pay much more attention for their needs and requirements. Also, nowadays even trade links within the member countries are not established - members of the OIC prefer to cooperate with the West rather than with their neighbors in OIC. "We should develop trade and technical cooperation on South-South line, that is, between the states of the Islamic Ummah and broader - in the whole developing world" - calls on Kazakhstan.  It also proposes measures to stimulate the development processes of mutual investment between the members of the organization.

Kazakhstan President NursultanNazarbayev within the Kazakhstan presidency of the Council of Ministers initiated the OIC changes in economic orientation of the Islamic world. Thus, he suggested for the countries of Islamic Cooperation Organization to proceed to the development of industrial innovations. Nazarbayev initiated the development of a joint action plan in the energy sector, as well as the creation of an international center of innovations.

In addition, Nazarbayev's initiative was also aimed at improving the efficiency of investment and political cooperation among member states of the organization.

In particular, it is being worked out a proposal to establish a system of food security fund to support small and medium enterprises. Integration processes of cooperation are also supported by overall health policy in the member states of OIC.

On the fifth meeting of the Steering Committee of OIC on health care held in Jeddah which was initiated by Kazakhstan party, it was decided to accelerate the preparation of the Strategic Action Programme in the field of health for the 2013-2022 period. This program should become a "road map" for actions taken by countries of OIC at the national level. It will also become a platform for cooperation among OIC member states as well as with international partners on health issues. For example, in a joint initiative of the OIC, IDB and IAEA on the establishment of Centers for radiotherapy of cancer in the Member States of OIC located in Africa.

One of the key issues of the member states of the organization is water supply. In early March, at the Conference of Ministers of Water Resources of OIC Member States, it was adopted the Water concept.

An important role in promoting multicultural cooperation of the Ummah within the organization, as well as with non-islamic world is given for the work on human rights in the OIC. During the 38th session of the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs held in Astana in June 2011 it was decided to establish the Permanent Commission on Human Rights of OIC. The Commission consists of 18 members representing the leading figures in the field of human rights in Muslim countries. The participants of the first meeting of the Commission that took place in Jakarta (the Republic of Indonesia) stated that members of the OIC are firmly committed to promoting human rights in their countries. They also noted the absence of conflict between Islamic values and the common universal human rights and freedoms.

In general, the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the OIC occurred in a difficult period of the reformation of the organization. But, as was stated by Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu - the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation - Kazakhstan has managed to make a meaningful contribution to solving the problems of the Islamic world.
 
 
World media monitoring
 
 
11.05.2012