The Commission of the Developing-8 Countries for Economic Cooperation issued a statement of solidarity and support for the Palestinian people on Monday 23 October, 2023 in Dhaka, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

In a statement, titled: “Joint Communique of the D-8 Commission on the Situation in Palestine’, which was issued at the end of the just-concluded 47^th Session of the D-8 Commission Meeting, held in Dhaka, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on 22-23 October 2023, it called upon its Member States to, as a matter of emergency, provide humanitarian assistance, including collaborating with relevant international organizations, such as the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in The Near East (UNRWA).

 Also, in the joint communique, the D-8 Commission further expressed condolences to the Palestinian people for the huge loss of lives and sufferings that are caused by the Israeli military aggression. It further called for immediate cessation of hostilities and stopping of crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

According to the D-8 Secretary-General, Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, the Joint Communique was issued within the framework of humanitarian support, upon the overwhelming grave concern over the escalation of aggression against the people of Palestine.

“It is the least we can do to support the Palestinian people under these grave circumstances of blatant humanitarian law violations” Ambassador Imam added.

The Commission, which is the executive branch of the D-8 Organization, met for two days to deliberate on administrative and policy recommendations for the organization’s activities. The Dhaka Session was the second iteration for 2023, after the previous meeting that took place in Istanbul, Türkiye, in February 2023.

Madame Wahida Ahmed, the Director General of International Organization of the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is also the D-8 Commissioner of Bangladesh, chaired the two-day meeting, while Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, the Foreign Secretary of the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered opening remarks.

During the meeting, the Commission deliberated on issues related to the six key priority areas of cooperation of the D-8 namely Trade, Agriculture and Food Security, Industrial Cooperation, Energy, Transportation and Tourism. In addition to that, they also discussed about the possibility of mainstreaming of Climate Change, Disaster Management and economic empowerment of women in their member states.

Also, discussion centered on administrative matters, including the Organization’s budget and programs and activities undertaken by the organization in the outgoing year. Among the decisions of the 47^th Session was the recommendation for the D-8 to streamline and focus on its tangible programs and activities.  

The Commissioners unanimously agreed to expedite action on the implementation of the bloc’s D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), signed in 2006. The effective implementation of the Agreement is believed will drive other D-8 pillars of cooperation.

The D-8 Organization is an inter-governmental organization founded in 1997 by Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. The organization’s Secretariat is based in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The full text of the Joint Communique is as follows:

We, the Commissioners of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation and the Heads of Delegations from the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Türkiye, gathering for our 47th Session in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 22-23 October 2023, express our profound condolences to the Palestinian people for the huge loss of lives and suffering that are caused by the ongoing besiege and bombardment of Gaza, Palestine. We pray that Allah, the Almighty, grants the Palestinians consolation and strength in their just struggle to establish a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine.

We are deeply concerned over the blatant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Israeli military aggression in Palestine that caused immense sufferings for the Palestinians, mostly women and children. We call for immediate cessation of hostilities and stopping the crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

 We call for opening a humanitarian corridor inside Gaza to ensure humanitarian assistance and the provision of basic human needs to all Palestinians.

 We call upon all member states to provide humanitarian assistance immediately, including collaborating with relevant international organizations, such as the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).