Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) elected His Excellency Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed as the new Secretary-General of the Organization during the 23rd Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
His Excellency Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed took the oath of office as Secretary-General, succeeding His Excellency Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, the outgoing Secretary-General, in the presence of Their Excellencies the Foreign Ministers of the OIC member states.
In his address, delivered in Arabic, English, and French, the three official languages of the OIC, His Excellency the newly elected Secretary-General, Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, stated, “Your election of me today is the greatest honor of my career and the highest distinction I have received after more than three decades of international, regional, and national service.” He added that his profound pride in this trust was unparalleled, as was his sincere determination to live up to the expectations of the Organization’s member states and to prove through actions, not just words, that his selection as Secretary-General was justified.
For her part, Her Excellency Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine, thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its invitation to convene the meeting and for its steadfast support of the Palestinian cause. She pointed to the attacks by Israel, the occupying power, on the countries of the region, and emphasized that Israel, the occupying power, has become emboldened to act against the countries of the region because it has enjoyed impunity for decades.
The Minister called on member states to take practical, political, and legal measures to hold accountable the perpetrators of settler crimes and those who stand behind and finance them. She stressed that the incursions, violations, and attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque constitute a direct threat to peace and stability in the region.
