The first session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ministerial conference on “Marriage and Family Institution Values” was launched on Wednesday in Jeddah. 
The Kingdom hosts the two-day conference to discuss policies and strategies to empower the family and marriage institution and protect their values at member states of the OIC. 
The first session was headed by the head of the Kingdom’s delegation, Ziad Al-Sayegh, deputy minister of Labor and Social Development. 
Experts and representatives of the International and regional NGOs working in the fields of family also participated. 
Ambassador Hesham Youssef, assistant secretary general for humanitarian affairs in the OIC, said in his statement that the meeting comes at a crucial time particularly in light of the challenges facing the institution of marriage and family, noting that practical steps will be discussed by a number of experts and ministers.
He noted that the general secretariat hopes to achieve progress in prioritizing family issues and giving it the needed attention. The general secretariat also wants to find ways to support the family and marriage institution in the states that are undergoing wars, armed conflicts, occupation, and terrorism and develop ways to follow up on implementing the conference’s recommendations. 
He added that the conference will examine the challenges faced by member states and will suggest sustainable strategic solutions on all levels. The conference also aims to develop common policies that preserve the values of marriage and family in the Islamic world as well as the role of family in achieving sustainable development. 
The conference will also discuss the issue of sexual preferences and sexual identity in light of the Islamic and rights perspectives. It will also discuss domestic violence within the Islamic laws.

Source : Arab News