The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation founded in 1969 has 57 members, 56 of which are also

member states of the United Nations The United Nations member states are the sovereign states that are members of the United Nations (UN) and have equal representation in the UN General Assembly. The UN is the world's largest intergovernmental organization. The criteria ...

with 49 countries being Muslim majority countries. Some, especially in West Africa, are – though with large Muslim populations – not necessarily

Muslim majority countries The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. In ...

. A few countries with significant Muslim populations, such as

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, sit as Observer States. The collective population of OIC member states is over 2 billion as of 2022.

Member states

Observer states

Withdrawn

Observer organisations and communities

Observer Islamic institutions

Observer international organisations

Membership attempts

* - Requested observer status in 2010. * - Requested observer status in 2011. * - Requested full membership in 2002. * - Requested observer status in 2012. * - Requested observer status in 2008 and full membership in 2011. * - India, where Muslims are a minority had shown an interest in joining the OIC as a member state at the time of its formation.Mustafa El-Feki
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/730/in1.htm An Indo-Arab blunder?
''Al-Ahram,'' February 17–23, 2005. However, it was opposed by Pakistan. India has never made a formal application to join OIC as an observer or as a member state.Iran to view favourably India's entry into OIC

''The Hindu''July 21, 2000. While India's potential candidacy is supported by some OIC members, Pakistan's strong opposition and threat to boycott the OIC has effectively led to India's inclusion in the OIC being blocked. The Pakistan Foreign Office has argued that India's inclusion in OIC would violate the rules of the OIC, which require that an aspirant state should not have an ongoing conflict with a member state. * - Requested full membership in 2011. * - Requested full membership in November 2016. * - Requested full membership in 2002. * - Requested observer status in 2008. * - Requested observer status in 2008. The Philippine government has made attempts to join the OIC, but this is opposed by the Moro National Liberation Front, an OIC observer located in the Philippines. The MNLF claims that Philippine membership is unnecessary. In 2009, the country's bid received stronger support and has been advocated by

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

, and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...

, among others. In 2019, one of the leaders of the MNLF, Nir Misuari, was appointed as a special envoy to the organization. * - Requested observer status in 2008. * - Requested observer status in 2002. * - Requested observer status in 2008.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Member States Of The Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation