STATEMENT BY H.E. Dr. ABDELOUAHED BELKEZIZ, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISIAMIC CONFERENCE AT THE FIRST CONFERENCE OF DONORS TO THE TRUST FUND FORTHE URGENT RETURN OF THE REFUGEES AND THE DISPIACED TO BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA DOHA - STATE OF QATAR 21 SAFAR 1422H (15 MAY 2001)

It is a great honor indeed for me to address you this morning as we meet in this beautiful city of Doha to announce the creation of the Trust Fund for the Urgent Return of the Refugees and the Displaced to Bosnia and Herzegovina,
On this occasion, I have great pleasure to start my statement with the expression of my deep appreciation to the government and people of the State of Qatar under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jaber Al Thani for their warm welcome and generous hospitality and also for the meticulous organization of this meeting, Since assuming the Chairmanship of the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference, the State of Qatar has accorded great care and attention to following up, and resolving the causes of the Islamic Ummah, prompted by its realization of our heavy burden and onerous responsibility and driven by the sincere desire to assume that responsibility as entrusted to it. by the Kings and Heads of State of Member States. We at the General Secretariat should like to pay tribute to the full cooperation and continuous coordination which has been extended to us from every official in the State of Qatar starting from the Summit until today, As we give them our, heartfelt thanks for their positive response, we reaffirm that the General Secretariat will lend its utmost support to the State of Qatar in fulfilling the lofty mission that has been entrusted to it by the Islamic Ummah,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,The closing stages of the last century have seen momentous geopolitical, changes which have given rise to a new reality in humanitarian and international relations, Nowhere is this, reality more obvious than it is in the Balkan region where regional interests and narrow ethnic greed have impeded the peaceful sharing of the legacy of the former, Soviet Union, which left the door wide open for a bloody, turbulent conflict to develop with the harshest and most unjust chapters of the tragedy unfolding in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
That, is why the Organization of the Islamic Conference rushed to be among the first of those extending a helping hand to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as it has made its presence felt both in the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance and the search for a lasting political settlement,
In affirmation of this role, the Organization of the Islamic Conference instituted a specialized group to mobilize aid and assistance for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been able to fulfill its mission ably and competently, As the Organization of the Islamic Conference fully appreciates the depth of the historical
and cultural ties which bond it with the people of Bosnia, the Ninth'islamic Summit Conference decided to adopt a new vision of the Assistance Mobilization Group for Bosnia and Herzegovina which goes far beyond the goal of urgent humanitarian assistance to target partnership and multilateral cooperation, where such cooperation seeks to encompass in its scope developmental projects, economic programs, trade exchanges, investment, transfer of technology, and the deepening of common intellectual, social, and cultural ties'. and such partnership seeks to further reconstruction and rehabilitation and to support, foster, and energize the institutions of the modern state in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
As m an is the center of development and progress, the Ninthlslamic Summit Conference decided to address the issue of the refugees and the displaced and secure their return to their homes as early as possible. In this regard, it also decided to set up a Trust Fund for the Urgent Return of the Refugees and the Displaced and to help them settle down so that they may contribute to the reconstruction drive and the rehabilitation effort of their society.
The Assistance Mobilization Group for Bosnia and Herzegovina held its ninth meeting at the end of last April in Sarajevo and adopted the program for the new terms of reference for the, group and discussed the adoption of the Statute of the Trust Fund for the Urgent Return of the Refugees and the Displaced with a view to making it the mechanism for following up and addressing this issue.
As we meet today in Doha to announce the establishment of this fund, we must recall some key facts related to this project:
First: rhe Statute of the Trust Fund before you, makes it clear that it is subject to
the same rigorous and transparent administrative and financial control that
other funds, instituted under the auspices of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference are subjected to, and that the funds raised will be spent under
the terms of reference of the Fund.
Second: Despite more than six years having passed since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accord that ended the war and endorsed the, establishment of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, political and social stability have not been fully restored, since the institutions of the state still need to be supported and energized and social relations between the various ethnic groups are still troubled by tension and turmoil, The events that took place as the foundations of the Banja Luka Mosque were being laid down on the fourth of this month are the clearest evidence yet of that fact, Such and similar events,confirm that the people of Bosnia still need our support, aid, and assistance,
Third: The return and stability of the refugees and the displaced are a crucial and vital requirement for achieving peace and development as figures show that over one million refugees and displaced persons are still living away from their homes yearning to go back and that the majority of them are concentrated in eastern Bosnia, Such a figure represents a sizable one for a country with abundant resources, a small population, and huge challenges,
Fourth: We are linked to the majority of the refugees and the displaced of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the bonds of history and culture and that is why helping their return and stability is not just a humanitarian duty but also a responsibility imposed by the religious fraternity and a common human destiny, Such assistance would consolidate the foundations of the democratic, inultieffinic State of Bosnia and Herzegovina where each individual enjoys freedom of thought and expression and a life of dignity and honor,
Finally, let me repeat my appreciation to the people and government of the State of Qatar and let me thank your for your response and participation in this meeting, hoping that your contributions to this fund will be generous and unstinting.
May Almighty Allah reward you with the greatest recompense!

Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatu.