The Statute of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission

Abstract

In June 2011, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) adopted the Statute of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission. According to the OIC Secretary General, the Statute attempts 'to strike a delicate balance' between international human rights instruments and Islamic ones, i.e. the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and the Covenant of the Rights of the Child in Islam. This note analyzes the provisions of the Statute while comparing its mandate and procedures to those of other international and regional human rights mechanisms. It explores the potential role of the Commission in the context-sensitive application of international human rights standards and the interpretation of sharia.