Shafaq News/ Iraq's Justice Minister Khalid Shwani on Thursday signed a document for Iraq to join the Statute of the International Islamic Court of Justice, according to a statement from the ministry.

The signing took place during a visit by the minister to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Hussein Ibrahim Taha, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The statement said that "during his visit to the organization's headquarters in Jeddah, he signed the accession of the Republic of Iraq to the Statute of the International Islamic Court of Justice, which is one of the judicial bodies of the organization."

"The importance of Iraq's accession of the Statute of the International Islamic Court of Justice in settling legal disputes amicably or through the court's arbitration bodies was discussed, in a way that enhances the achievement of justice and does not hinder efforts to achieve development."

The signing ceremony was attended by Ambassador Mohammed Al-Saleh Taqiya, Director General of Political Affairs at the OIC, Ambassador Hassan Ali Hassan, Director of Legal Affairs at the OIC, and the Permanent Representative of Iraq to the OIC, Mohammed Samir Al-Naqshabandi, Consul General and Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the OIC.

The International Islamic Court of Justice is a judicial institution established by the OIC in 1981. The court is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and has jurisdiction over disputes between member states of the OIC.