IPHRC 25th Session: SG Calls for Enhanced Cooperation, Investment in Water Infrastructure

At the opening session of the 25th Ordinary Session of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), held at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah on July 13, 2025, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, addressed a gathering of representatives from OIC Member States, along with members and IPHRC Commissioners.

The session, focused on the theme "The Right to Water: A Human Rights Perspective," underscored the urgent need for collaborative efforts to enhance water resource management.

The Secretary-General emphasized the necessity for increased investment in water infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives, advocating for the recognition of water as a shared human heritage. He called on all stakeholders to refrain from using water as a means of coercion or conflict.

Furthermore, Taha emphasized the crucial role of international cooperation in water governance, infrastructure development, and the equitable distribution of transboundary water resources.

In his remarks, Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha also extended his congratulations to H.E. Dr. Hacı Ali Açıkgül on his appointment as Chair of the IPHRC, acknowledging his significant contributions towards furthering the OIC’s human rights agenda.

He commended the impactful work of the IPHRC in promoting and safeguarding human rights, as well as the dedicated efforts of the Commission's Executive Director, Professor Noura Al-Rashoud. The Secretary-General reaffirmed the OIC General Secretariat's ongoing commitment to support the Commission and its members in fulfilling their mandates effectively and efficiently.