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Abstract

This article examines the potential of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to contribute to mediation of conflicts in the Muslim world. Based on interviews with OIC senior officials and government officials from Iraq and the Philippines, as well as research involving other primary and secondary sources, the author analyzes four cases in which the OIC participated in mediation efforts: the Philippines, Thailand, Iraq, and Somalia. The article concludes with an assessment of the advantages and challenges of including the OIC in such mediation efforts, as well as recommendations related to capacity-building and inter-organizational partnerships that might enhance the potential for the OIC to play a constructive role in conflicts involving the Muslim community.

Author Bio(s)

Ibrahim Sharqieh is a Foreign Policy Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Deputy Director of the Brookings Doha Center. Sharqieh previously served as senior project director at AED (2006-2010), where he managed international development projects in several Arab countries including Yemen and Qatar. He also served as an academic advisor to the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, D.C. and taught International Conflict Resolution at The George Washington, George Mason, and Catholic universities. He has published extensively on Conflict Resolution and Mediation in the MENA region and is a frequent commentator on news channels, including NPR, CNN, Aljazeera (English & Arabic), BBC, France24, and CCTV. Email: isharqieh@brookings.edu

Keywords

capacity-building, conflict mediation, conflict resolution, inter-organizational partnerships, Iraq, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Philippines, Somalia, Thailand

Publication Date

11-2012

DOI

10.46743/1082-7307/2012.1139

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