OIC launches women's development summit

In a statement, the Azerbaijan Embassy stated that the country's President Ilham Aliyev addressed the event. It is being held under the aegis of Azerbaijan's first lady, Mehriban Aliyeva, who also delivered a speech during the opening ceremony of the event. Delegates are tackling issues on women's empowerment, eradication of poverty, enhancing participation in decision-making processes, and providing equal opportunities. This includes access to quality education, health care and elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women. The Azerbaijan Embassy said the country was proud to host the event, to review the progress made in promoting the status of women and strengthening their role in OIC member states, Arab News reports. Naeem Khan, the former Pakistan ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and now the OIC's assistant secretary general, represented OIC head Iyad Ameen Madani at the event - the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Women's Role in Development (MCWRD-2014), according to the statement. The event is taking place within the framework of the OIC's 10-year program of action for the advancement of women, and the resolutions of the Council of Ministers' fourth conference of OIC member states. Khan read out a speech on behalf of the OIC secretary general. Several heads of OIC member countries also spoke on the occasion. The speakers included Hijran Huseynova, chairperson of the Azerbaijan state committee for family. Baku also held an International Humanitarian Forum earlier this month attended by four former state presidents, 14 Nobel Prize laureates and 41 world-famous public and political figures.