During the course of the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the OIC-15 Dialogue Platform, which took place in Tehran from 17 to 19 May, 2025, Iran also put an accent on the significance of self-reliance in the strides achieved in the field of AI technology. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, the coordinator general of COMSTECH, added, “Iran is among the wonderful members of the OIC. A country that is self-sufficient in all fields by relying on its indigenized technology sector. Despite sanctions, the country keeps developing and is supposed to play a very important role in AI.”
Tehran Declaration: A Unified Vision for AI in the Islamic World
The summit culminated with participants adopting the joint statement “Tehran Declaration,” which remains the primary document reinforcing the commitment of the OIC states towards a collaborative framework for the advancement of AI. Member States are urged to collaborate on AI education and research, infrastructure creation, as well as governance and transfer of technology.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, who headed the COMSTECH delegation, noted that AI has enormous potential for advancing comprehensive science, education, and economic growth for the Muslim world. Besides, the declaration places great emphasis on the adoption of responsible practices in AI, PPPs, and the global competitive position of OIC countries in AI.
Exhibition on the cutting-edge technologies developed in Iran and the achievement of AI Technologies
Alongside the ministerial conference, there was an exhibition showcasing the Iranian technologies in aerospace, medicine, robotics, electric vehicles, UAVs, and AI. Dr. Gholamreza Jian, the medical advisor for COMSTECH’s Inter-Islamic Network on Virtual Universities, stated that the purpose of this exhibition was to highlight the new developments that the universities have made, which aid the scientific, research, and education collaboration among the Islamic world, which is the aim of this Islamic initiative.
Strategies to promote cross-border AI innovation through cooperation
During the conference, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref proposed 5 initiatives to assist the development of artificial intelligence in Islamic countries:
- Creating a high-level steering group to monitor global AI trends.
- Creating medium- and long-term roadmaps for strategic cooperation in science and technology based on AI.
- Connecting the research and academic institutions for collaboration, joint ventures, and exchange of knowledge and resources in AI.
- Jointly sponsoring AI’s research, technological projects, and infrastructure.
- Creating an Islamic charter on the ethics of AI, based on Islamic law, human dignity, and social justice principles.
With successful implementation of these proposals, Islamic countries will better coordinate their efforts towards the advancement of AI and harness the swiftly evolving technological landscape.
Strengthening Scientific Diplomacy and Future Collaborations
The OIC-15 Dialogue Platform serves as an avenue for fostering scientific diplomacy among Islamic countries. With the focus on fostering collaboration among member states as well as tackling common problems within the technology industry, the platform intends to improve the scientific and technological capabilities of its member states. The next meeting is scheduled for ministers from the member states, which shall take place in Saudi Arabia, thus continuing the discussion and collaboration that began in Tehran.
In the context of the ongoing transformation of economies and societies across the world due to AI innovations, the collaborative work of the OIC member states and initiatives like the Tehran Declaration take global leadership to a whole new level in terms of the realization of unity, ethics, and universal advancement in artificial intelligence.
