On 14-15 December 2013 Mrs. Curpedin-Balgi Alev, Executive Director of BSCSIF attended the Fifth Conference of the Civil Society Organizations in the Islamic World that was held in Istanbul.
The Conference was attended by about 400 members representing 230 civil society organizations.
H.E. Cevdet Yılmaz, Turkish Minister of Development, delivered the keynote speech at the inaugural session. He commended the role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in sponsoring and coordinating the meetings of the civil society organizations in the Muslim World. He also highly appreciated the role of these organizations in performing their respective duties towards the Muslim peoples and called for consolidating the concepts of cooperation among the countries and the civil society organizations towards the achievement of security, development and social peace. The inaugural session was also addressed by H.E. Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, OIC Secretary General, who deputized Assistant Secretary General, H.E. Amb. Atta Al-Manan Bakhit, who highlighted the efforts exerted to establish the Department of Humanitarian Assistance at the OIC and the successful steady efforts taken at all levels for the Department to commence its tasks until it has become one of the most important OIC components. In its various sessions, the Conference discussed in detail a number of themes and subjects on its agenda in terms of the issues and affairs of civil society organizations in the Muslim World. The papers submitted to the Conference covered the following aspects: most important political, economic, and social challenges that civil society organizations encounter; impact of 9/11 on the relation between humanitarian organizations and governments in the Muslim World; role of humanitarian organizations in complex emergencies; and review of some successful experiences in the area of urgent and emergency relief. The Conference also discussed the themes related to the current humanitarian situation and its challenges and the humanitarian efforts of some countries at three sessions that addressed the cases of Syria, Gaza (Palestine), and South Kurdfan (Sudan).