Doha, August 04 (QNA) - The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has participated in two Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-level committee meetings held via video conferencing.

These were the 43rd meeting of the Standing Committee of Experts in Islamic Affairs and Endowments in GCC countries, and, the 14th meeting of the committee tasked with studying the presentation of the true image of Islam and confronting campaigns of hatred, intolerance, extremism, and sectarianism.

The meetings saw the participation of representatives of GCC member state ministries and bodies dedicated to Islamic affairs and endowments.

Director of the Department of Islamic Affairs Mohammed Jabr Al Mannai led the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs' delegation at both meetings, with the participation of the head of the Ministry's Islamic relations unit Majid Al Mansouri.

The meetings came within the framework of ongoing efforts to strengthen GCC cooperation, exchange expertise, and develop initiatives aimed at advancing Islamic and endowment work while promoting moderation and tolerance.

The 43rd meeting of the Standing Committee discussed a number of proposals and initiatives designed to enhance the endowment sector and strengthen its role in community development.

Chief among these was a proposal to establish a national index to measure the social impact of awqaf, aimed at developing quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess the impact of endowment institutions and their contribution to economic and social development.

The proposal also sought to enhance transparency and governance in the awqaf sector and provide decision-makers with accurate data and measurable, comparable indicators.

Participants reviewed member states' proposals and perspectives on the index, its methodology, and implementation mechanisms.

This aims to establish a unified GCC framework for measuring the impact of awqaf, maximize the benefits of endowment resources, strengthen the contribution of awqaf to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and support development across GCC countries.

Participants also emphasized the importance of drawing on member states' successful experiences in the fields of Islamic outreach, religious guidance, public awareness, mosque administration, and community programs, in order to improve service quality and facilitate the exchange of successful practices across the Gulf.

The meeting also explored the prospects of developing joint cultural initiatives to boost Islamic civilizational discourse and highlight the Islamic civilization's contributions in promoting dialogue, tolerance, and openness.

Participants also reviewed the progress made in implementing previous meetings' decisions and recommendations, thereby supporting the sustainability of joint projects, improving institutional performance, and promoting the exchange of expertise and knowledge.

Meanwhile, the 14th meeting of the task committee examined a number of case studies concerning intellectual and media monitoring.

Participants considered working with specialized academic institutions and research centers to strengthen joint Gulf action in addressing misinformation campaigns and hate speech.

They also discussed a GCC General Secretariat memorandum regarding establishing a Gulf scientific observatory concerned with monitoring manifestations of defaming Islam, hate speech, and extremist narratives across media outlets and digital platforms.

The memorandum seeks to benefit from relevant international and regional experiences in developing monitoring and analysis tools to respond to contemporary challenges effectively.

Both meetings reaffirmed the importance of GCC member states continuing to coordinate and cooperate in the fields of Islamic affairs, awqaf, and intellectual security.

Participants emphasized the need to further develop joint initiatives and projects that promote endowment-based development, reflect the true image of Islam, and counter hate speech and extremism, in line with contemporary developments and in support of greater Gulf integration. (QNA)