Resolution No13/26-C
on
The Dialogue among Contemporary Civilizations

The Twenty-sixth Session Of The Islamic Conference Of Foreign Ministers (Session Of Peace And Partnership For Development), Held In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, From 15 To 18 Rabi'ul Awal 1420h (June 28 - July 01, 1999), 

Reaffirming Its Deep Faith In The Commonness Of The Human Fate And In Full Equality Among Individuals And Peoples, Regardless Of Their Colours, Languages, Dialects, Ethnicities, Cultures And Creeds;

Renewing Its Faith In That The Diversity Of Cultures And Civilizations Of The Human Race Was And Still Is Its Effective Vehicle Conducing To Welfare And Progress Towards A Better Future For The Humankind;

Expressing Its Absolute Respect And Appreciation Of Those Sublime Principles And High Morals Produced By All Those Human Civilizations Through Their Profound Evolution From The Dawn Of History To Our Present Day;

Expressing Its Unshakeable Faith In Those High Principles And Morals Combined To Constitute A Solid Ground For Constructive Cooperation Among The Peoples Of The World And Their Adequacy For Becoming A Moral Reference (Or Code) For International Behaviour In The Third Millennium;

Proclaiming Its Absolute Rejection Of The Suspicious Theories And Doctrines That Call For Accepting The Conflict Of Civilizations As A Scientific Fact; And Warning Against The Obnoxious Consequences Of Following Such Ideas Detrimental To Peace Among Nations And Jeopardizing Peoples' Security, Human Rights As Well As The Values Of Tolerance And Compassion Between The Powerful And The Weak, And The Rich And The Poor;

Rejecting As Well The Attempts, On The Part Of One Civilization, To Impose Cultural, Economic, Political Or Military Hegemony On Others, For All The Severe Trampling On The Notions Of Justice, Equality, Tolerance, Cooperation And Mutual Confidence Which Such Attitudes Is Conducive To; Along With The Reactions Emanating From Peoples' Feelings Of Injustice And Oppression And Deprivation Of Their Natural Right To Defend Their Distinct Cultural Identities, Independent Will And Equitable Share Of Overall Development It Generates;

Expressing Its Deep Anxiety Over The Failure By The International Community And Its Institutions, So Far, To Have Peace And Justice Replace Wars And Injustice, Nay The Escalation Of Individual And Collective Violence And The Mounting Ratios Of Conventional And Mass (Destruction) Armament, The Aggravation Of Economic Problems, The Decreasing Development Rates, The Deterioration Of The Environment, The Spread Of Terrorism, The Increase In Organized Crime And The Pandemic Of Narcotics And Drug Abuse -- All Because Of People Being Confined To Purely Material Researches And Consequent Thinking As Well As The Admission Of Notions Such As The Balance Of Power, The Areas Of Influence, The Hegemony And The Policies Of Egoistic Interests On The Pretext Of Realism And Pragmatism;

Welcoming The Positive Results Of The " Symposium On The Dialogue Among Civilizations, " Held In Tehran, From Muharram 17 To 19, 1420h (May 3-5, 1999), Particularly The Document Titled " The Tehran Declaration On Dialogue Among Civilizations; "

Having Reviewed, With Greater Appreciation, The Report Of The Oic Secretary-general On The Issue Of The "Dialogue Among Contemporary Civilizations;"

The Conference:

DECLARES That Dialogue Among Contemporary Civilizations Is The Only Available Outlet For Humanity To Join Hands In The Quest For A New World Order Based On Their Sublime " Common Ethical Values. "

HIGHLY PRICES The Decision By The Un General Assembly To Proclaim 2001 As The Year Of Dialogue Among Civilizations.

URGES Member States To Work Closely With The Oic Secretariat General To Harness The Intellectual Potentialities Inside And Outside The Islamic World And In Coordination With The Un Secretary-general And The Director General Of The United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (Unesco), To Prepare A Draft Universal Declaration On Dialogue Among Contemporary Civilizations Sanctioning Their Shared Principles And Ethical Values To Be Adopted As A Term Of Reference For International Conduct In The 21st Century. Stemming From Such A Declaration Would Be An Implementing Ten (10) Year Work Program. Subsequently, Negotiations Would Be Held About The Above Two Documents Within The Framework Of The United Nations, With A View To Their Ratification By The 56th General Assembly In 2001, The Un Year Of Dialogue Among Civilizations.

EXPRESSES To His Excellency And Eminence Muhammad Khatami, President Of The Islamic Republic Of Iran And Chairman Of The Eighth (8th) Islamic Summit, Its Deep Appreciation For His Excellency's Initiative Proposing That The Oic Call For A Dialogue Among Civilizations. It Also Expresses Its Sincere Thanks To His Excellency For His High Patronage Of The Symposium On Dialogue Among Civilizations, Hosted By His Government In Tehran, From 17 To 19 Muharram 1420h (May 3-5, 1999).

DECIDES To Ratify The Tehran Declaration On Dialogue Among Civilizations, Issued By The Aforementioned Symposium, Together With The Recommendations Therein. It Also Endorses The Report Of The Said Symposium And Requests The Secretary-general To Add Those Two Documents To The Documents Of The Conference.

DECIDES To Set-up A High Level Open-ended Inter-governmental Experts' Group And Calls On The Group To Meet As Soon As Possible To Prepare The Above Mentioned Two Draft Universal Documents And To That Effect, To Cooperate And Co-ordinate Action With Utmost Transparency, On All Matters Pertaining To The Dialogue Among Civilizations, With Relevant Non-governmental Organizations And Institutions, And In Close Cooperation With The Permanent Representatives Of Oic Member States At The Un Headquarters In New York.

CHARGES The Secretary-general To Appoint A Focal Point At The Secretariat-general For A Strict Monitoring Of The Dialogue Among Contemporary Civilizations.

ALSO CHARGES The Secretary-general To Convey The Present Resolution To The Un Secretary-general And The Director General Of Unesco And To Kindly Circulate It To Member States Of Those Two Organizations.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CHARGES The Secretary-general To Submit A Report To The 27th Icfm On The Latest Development In Regard To The Issue Under Consideration.