JEDDAH – The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) launched a joint appeal on Sunday for a ceasefire in embattled Syria during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.



The heads of the Arab League and the OIC, Nabil Al-Arabi and Iyad Madani, urged “all fighting military parties in Syria to commit to a total ceasefire and all acts of violence and fighting in all its forms on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan,” a statement said.



“The appeal is to stop the bloodshed of Syrians and alleviate their suffering and allow relief organizations to carry out their duties and provide urgent humanitarian assistance,” they said.



The statement was timed to coincide with the start of Ramadan, a month during which Muslims are also encouraged to be more charitable and provide for the needy.



Arab League and OIC also urged regional and international powers to back their appeal and deploy efforts to persuade Syrian regime forces and rebels to lay down their arms during Ramadan.



The war in Syria, now in its third year, first erupted in March 2011 as a peaceful movement calling for reforms but quickly turned deadly after a regime crackdown on dissent.



The UN says that more than around nine million Syrians have fled the country or have been displaced internally because of the war, while a Syrian monitoring groups puts the death toll at more than 162,000.



Meanwhile, OIC Foreign Ministers Council, which held its 41st session in Jeddah recently, approved the setting up of permanent headquarters for the OIC Independent Permanent Commission for Human Rights in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.



In his speech before the Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal welcomed this decision. He confirmed the Kingdom’s full support for the commission.



The commission expressed thanks to the Kingdom for hosting its headquarters.



The Council elected nine members for the commission for a period of three years beginning in February 2015. Five members were re-elected for a second term while the four new members will join the commission as of February next year.



The 18 members of the commission are carrying out their work in their personal capacity to support the efforts of the member countries in boosting human rights for all with independence and on the basis of the OIC charter and the basic system for the commission. – Agencies