Opening the OIC session, Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani stressed the need to set up a fund for the assistance of the Afghani people under the umbrella of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. In this regard, he announced Qatar's donation of U.S. $10 million. He also called on the international community led by the United States of America, the Russian Federation, and all other influential parties, to shoulder responsibility and provide security for the Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli war machine. He went on to note the recent statement of U.S. President George W. Bush concerning the establishment of a Palestinian state, and expressed the hope that the U.S. will put this into effect and ensure a just, lasting and comprehensive peace for the countries and the peoples of the region.
The session was attended by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who in his address commented on the joint stance of the Islamic states in condemning "blind terrorism", and regretted Israel's attempt to hold Islam accountable for these terrorist acts. He praised those countries and peoples who had come forward to stand against Israel's military escalation and aggression against the defenseless Palestinian people.
In his speech, OIC Secretary-General Abdulwahid Belkaziz deplored the sufferings of the Afghani people and the real dangers they face, particularly since Afghanistan has become "a region of international attraction with ambiguous political developments". He emphasized the responsibility of Islamic states to support the Afghani people in these uncertain times, and highlighted the need to implement OIC decisions clearly stating that the future of Afghanistan must be decided by the Afghani people alone without any foreign intervention.