The world’s biggest Islamic body, the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), is holding a summit on Thursday and Friday in Senegal.

Here are some details about the OIC:
* The OIC, which seeks to act as the collective voice of the Muslim world, was established following a meeting of Islamic countries’ leaders in Rabat, Morocco in September 1969.
* It has 57 members and the secretary-general is Turkey’s Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who succeeded Morocco’s Abdelouahed Belkeziz in January 2005. About 30 heads of state from the Middle East, Africa and Asia are expected in Dakar.
* The OIC’s 1972 charter aims to strengthen ties among member states, promote cooperation between the group and other countries and safeguard Islamic holy places. The charter also lends specific support to the Palestinians.
* The OIC has three main sections:
- The Conference of Kings and Heads of State and Government, which meets every three years to discuss OIC policies. It is the highest authority within the organization;
- The Conference of Foreign Ministers, which meets yearly to review the progress of its decisions and policies;
- The General Secretariat, which oversees the implementation of decisions laid down by these two bodies.
* The latest member of the OIC is Ivory Coast, which joined in 2001.
* The OIC is the world’s second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations.
(Source: Reuters/OIC)