The Gambia is one of the earliest members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation having ratified the charter in 1974. The Gambia has since positioned itself as a formidable member of the organization championing critical causes such as mediating in conflicts and fighting for justice on behalf of the organization.

In the wake of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, The Gambia played a prominent role in mediating and attempting to end the conflict both under the auspices of the Islamic Peace Committee of the OIC and through bilateral engagements with the warring parties. The Islamic Peace Committee was established to stop the war between these two major Muslim countries. The Gambia was one of the founding members and at one point served as the chair.

Fast forward to 11th November 2019, The Gambia, on behalf of the 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, filed a case of genocide against Myanmar at the International Court for Justice accusing it of failing to prevent and punish acts of genocide against the Muslim Rohingya communities.

Additionally, The Gambia, in keeping with the OIC charter, regularly acts in unison with OIC member countries in championing the cause of the Palestinians as they fight for their legitimate and inalienable rights for self-determination. At the UN, the country supports resolutions that condemn Israeli aggression and occupation, the latest being a strongly worded statement calling for an end to Israeli’s genocidal war in Gaza.

The Gambia maintains a full and permanent diplomatic representation at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Gambia’s current permanent representative is the highly respected veteran diplomat His Excellency, Amb. Omar Gibril Sallah, who is the current Vice Dean of the Consular and Diplomatic Corps in Saudi Arabia.