Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will preside over a conference on 'Women in Islam' in New York on Wednesday next.

The conference is being hosted by Pakistan in its capacity as the chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women.  

The objective of the conference is to bridge the gap between perception and reality on the rights of women in Islam and celebrate the experiences and successes of iconic Muslim women.

It is also aimed at establishing an annual policy dialogue to address challenges and explore opportunities to advance the role of women in OIC countries.

The opening address of the Foreign Minister will be followed by the speeches of UN General Assembly President, Csaba Korosi; OIC Secretary General, Hissein Braham Taha; Executive Director of UN-Women, Sima Bahous and other dignitaries and representatives of OIC Member States.

The Foreign Minister is also expected to participate in a high-level UN Security Council debate on 'Women, Peace and Security', sponsored by Mozambique in its capacity as the Council's President for this month.

Later, in pursuit of the General Assembly landmark resolution designating 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the General Assembly president and the foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be co-convening a special high-level event to commemorate the day on Friday.