ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday pushed for greater cooperation between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations (UN) to counter rising extremism and “alarming resurgence” of Islamophobia worldwide.
As the president of the UN Security Council for July, Pakistan chaired a meeting at the multilateral forum to discuss the cooperation between the OIC and the UN. The briefing was titled: ‘Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations.’
In 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by 60 OIC members states, spearheaded by Pakistan, which designated Mar. 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
Speaking at the briefing, Dar noted that the UN-OIC engagement continues to grow, from mediation and political transition to coordinated responses in humanitarian emergency, advocacy on issues of disarmament, development, and protection of religious and cultural heritage.
“Excellencies, nowhere in this cooperation is it more necessary than in encountering the rising tide of extremism, particularly the alarming resurgence of Islamophobia,” Dar said during his address.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar addresses the United Nations Security Council while presiding over its meeting as Council President, at UN Headquarters in New York on July 24, 2025. (Photo courtesy: MOFA)
He added that religious hatred is not only “morally indefensible,” but also strikes at the very foundation of the UN Charter. The deputy premier noted that the global community’s endorsement of Pakistan’s initiative to designate 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, followed by the adoption of a resolution leading to the appointment of a UN Special Envoy on Islamophobia, are “milestones” that reaffirm the OIC and UN’s shared resolve.
“There has long been a strong voice on this issue, and we must further institutionalize its role in global efforts to promote respect, inclusion, and interfaith harmony,” Dar said.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar gestures while presiding over a United Nations Security Council meeting at UN Headquarters in New York on July 24, 2025. (Photo courtesy: MOFA)
Presidential statements are formal expressions of the Security Council’s consensus but are not legally binding. They require unanimous approval and are often preceded by complex negotiations.
Founded in 1969, the OIC includes 57 member states across four continents and serves as a platform for collaboration on political, economic and social issues affecting Muslim communities worldwide.
