The Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC) stressed the importance of the efforts the government of Afghanistan is exerting to promote peace, security and reconciliation among the Afghan people. At a meeting held at the request of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, permanent representatives reiterated their support to President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani’s initiative for direct, peaceful and unconditional dialogue with the Taliban. Delegates also expressed strong support for the efforts of the Supreme Council for Peace to involve all Afghans in peace-building initiatives. The meeting called on member states and the international community to support the Afghanistan-led comprehensive peace and reconciliation process that is aimed at finding a political solution based on the principles of non-violence, severing ties with all terrorist groups, preserving Afghanistans democratic achievements and respecting the country’s constitution. The meeting recognized that lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan can only be ensured through a comprehensive approach on security, development, governance and reconciliation. While terrorism is a serious growing threat, mutual understanding and cooperation are urgently needed through the adoption of necessary regional mechanisms. This should be backed by strong commitment from regional and international concerned parties to take the necessary measures to counter the threat. The permanent representatives of the OIC member states strongly condemned the recent wave of terrorist acts in Afghanistan and strongly condemned the attack on the Loya Jirga Conference in Kabul, as well as the rocket attacks on the Republican Palace on the Eid al-Adha holiday. They urged all member states and the international community to support the Afghan government in its response to this phenomenon and encouraged all Muslim scholars to strongly condemn terrorism by issuing religious fatwas and directives and organizing international events in this regard. They called upon donor member states and Islamic development and financial institutions, namely the Islamic Development Bank, to provide financial assistance to Afghanistan. OIC Secretary General Yousef al-Othaimeen stressed the importance for the Afghan government to crystallize what it considers appropriate to establish sustainable peace, security and reconciliation among the Afghan people. Othaimeen indicated that this meeting comes in wake of the International Conference of Ulama on Peace and Security in Afghanistan that was held by the OIC in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and Makkah in July. He added that the said conference laid the foundations for reconciliation, stressing the need for everyone to engage in this political process. He urged member states to harness their political and diplomatic influence to bring all factions in Afghanistan to the table of peace negotiations.