ISLAMABAD, May 20: The second and final meeting of the Commission of Eminent Persons (CEP) will begin here on May 28 to finalise recommendations for restructuring and revitalizing the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. The two-day meeting is part of the OIC plan to implement a Pakistan sponsored resolution entitled “Islam and Muslim World in 21st Century: The Path of Enlightened Moderation”.

The recommendations finalized by the meeting would be presented by the chairman of the summit conference (Malaysia) to the extraordinary OIC summit to be held in November in Saudi Arabia. The recommendations are aimed at making the pan-Islamic body dynamic, credible and forward-looking to enable it to respond to the multiple challenges and opportunities that the Muslim world faces.

Another key objective is to increase its visibility for effective articulation of the concerns of the Muslim world at this critical juncture in history. At a time when two OIC member states are under foreign occupation and others are being threatened with the same fate, the meeting acquires special significance.

The meeting expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will be chaired by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar. Secretary General of the OIC Professor (Dr) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu will also participate in the meeting. Announcing the dates of the meeting here on Thursday a foreign ministry statement said: “Pakistan’s representative to the OIC CEP Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed has underlined the need to transform the OIC into an effective representative of the Islamic Ummat and in this context suggested focus on media and establishment of a think tank.

President Pervez Musharraf has been taking personal interest in initiatives taken by his country for restructuring of the body and believes that given Pakistan’s geo-strategic position, it is uniquely poised to show the way forward to the Muslim Ummat. There has been wide and scathing criticism of the OIC for not living up to the high objectives and principles as a global Islamic body representing about a fourth of the world’s population. That despite the institutional platform, the OIC has failed to take a unified stand on challenges facing the Muslim world, particularly to effectively counter the attempt to isolate and demonize the Muslim world in the aftermath of 9/11 terror attacks on the US.

Analysts underline the need to make the OIC a credible interlocutor with the UN, US and West and for it to engage constructively with the rest of the world.