OIC appoints Azerbaijan first lady as its special envoy for humanitarian affairs

Veramalla Anjaiah , The Jakarta Post , Baku | Thu, 06/12/2008 7:35 PM | World

The announcement was made by the 57-member OIC Secretary- General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu during the closing ceremony of an international forum on the "Expanding the Role of Women in Cross- Cultural Dialogue" in Baku.

Ihsanoglu said Islamic world needs a person to raise funds and help those who have suffered from famine, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis.

"We and I in the OIC thought we can not get a better special envoy (for humanitarian affairs) than you (Mehriban)," Ihsanoglu told the popular and charismatic first lady of the oil-rich Azerbaijan.

Mehriban humbly accepted the honor.

"It's an honor for me to receive OIC award (assignment)," Mehriban said.

Working for humanitarian causes is not new for Mehriban who devoted her life to activities like charity, promoting women's education, helping poor and promoting sports and women's rights.

As a recognition of her work to promote oral and musical traditions, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2004 appointed Mehriban as its goodwill ambassador.

Two years after UNESCO, the OIC's specialized institution the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) honored Mehriban, the president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, by appointing her as its goodwill ambassador.

Heydar Aliyev Foundation is a social and humanitarian forum based in Baku.

Early this week Mehriban in her capacity as the head of Heydar Aliyev Foundation organized the international forum on the Role of Women in Cross-Cultural Dialogue in Baku. (****)

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