28 Countries To Attend OIC Meeting In Jakarta

Jakarta, Nov 27 (ANTARA) - Twenty-eight countries have confirmed their participation in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation`s 4th Conference on the Role of Women in Development, which will be held from December 4 to 6 in Jakarta. "The ministerial meeting of OIC will discuss the role of women in the development of OIC member countries," Secretary to the Indonesian Ministry for Women`s Empowerment and Child Protection Sri Danti told the press here on Tuesday. "However, 28 other OIC member nations, including Libya, Yemen and Qatar, have not yet confirmed their participation in the upcoming meeting," she said. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open the conference on December 4 at the Presidential Palace. Among the speakers at the opening ceremony will be Women`s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and Under Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet, who was a former president of Chile. The conference is convened biennially, with previous conferences being held in Turkey, Egypt and Iran. Linda will chair the conference and will be assisted by Vice-Chairs representing OIC member states from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The theme of the 4th conference is "Strengthening Women`s Participation and Roles in Economic Development in OIC Member States". During the conference, the member states attending will share their views on the role and participation of women in economic development and review the progress made on the implementation of the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW), which was adopted in Cairo in 2008. At the event, Indonesia is expected to focus on an area of common interest, under the framework of OPAAW. This year, Indonesia has proposed to discuss the issue of economic development on grounds that most OIC member states are developing countries which face similar challenges with regard to the role and participation of women in the field of economy - particularly on economic opportunity for women in employment, access to financial and productive resources, as well as in the context of migration. Besides, women have been increasingly contributing to the economy as well as to the welfare of their families and communities. Women are also excelling in other fields such as education, health and politics.