Jeddah – May 15, 2025, corresponding to 17 Dhu al-Qadah 1446 AH — The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) marked World Family Day 2025 today at its headquarters in Jeddah, in an event that brought together delegates from member states, representatives of related bodies, and a number of international figures interested in family affairs and social development, as part of the organization's commitment to affirming the family's importance as a fundamental building block of society and its stability.

The celebration included a range of segments that highlighted the family's status in the Islamic world, the challenges it faces, and proposed solutions to support it and strengthen its developmental and social role.

In a speech delivered on behalf of OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, Ambassador Tarik Ali Bakheet, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, said that a sound family represents the nucleus of justice, compassion and peace, stressing that investing in the family, through education, healthcare and social support, is the path to building a more just and balanced world.

He noted that World Family Day serves as a global reminder of the importance of protecting this institution and reinforcing values of social cohesion and solidarity, especially amid modern challenges such as economic shifts, cultural changes, and armed conflicts.

Ambassador Bakheet also thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the first edition of this celebration in February 2017, and for its continuous support of family values and institutions at both the local and international levels. He also commended Turkiye's initiative in proposing the establishment of a Family Committee within the organization, as an effective step toward coordinating and integrating family policies among member states.

On the sidelines of the event, the organization also addressed the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, with the Secretary-General's remarks describing continued mass killing by Israeli occupation forces and stating that family breakdown and the loss of women and children, along with the displacement of families in Gaza, represents a tragedy that strikes at the very meaning of security and care that family embodies.

For his part, Ambassador Cenk Unal, Turkiye's Permanent Representative to the OIC, delivered his country's remarks, expressing pride in supporting family principles and commending the organization's efforts to highlight social challenges and reinforce family stability values in the Islamic world.