Jeddah: The 25th regular session of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) commenced at the General Secretariat's headquarters in Jeddah. The session was inaugurated by Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the OIC, and attended by representatives from OIC member states, commission members, and experts.

According to Union of OIC News Agencies, this session is dedicated to addressing various key issues, prominently including the human rights situation in occupied Palestine, civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights in OIC member states, as well as the rights of women and children. The Secretary-General emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation, capacity building, and investment in water infrastructure, urging stakeholders to treat water as a shared human heritage and avoid its misuse as a means of coercion or conflict.

The first session titled "The International/Normal and Islamic Legal Perspective on the Human Right to Water" featured contributions from experts such as Pedro Orujo Agudo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and Dr. Mohamed El Amin Mohamed Sila from the International Islamic Fiqh Academy. Discussions revolved around the significance of water, related challenges, and human rights implications, with references to the Holy Quran.

Subsequent sessions included speeches by notable figures like Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali, Secretary-General of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee, and Ambassador Aftab Ahmed Khokhar, OIC's Assistant Secretary-General for Science and Technology. Discussions were enriched by contributions from Modford Zakaria Mutendinja of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and Dr. Nizar Zayed from the Islamic Development Bank, among others.

The session is scheduled to run for five days, concluding on July 17, 2025.