More than 160 COMCEC Working Group Focal Points and National Focal Points from 37 member countries participated in the COMCEC Focal Points Meeting held online on September 19-20.
During the Meeting, the latest developments regarding the COMCEC Working Groups and COMCEC Project Support Programs have been shared with the focal points and the activities carried out under the COMCEC umbrella have been discussed with the focal points. Moreover, the COMCEC working group focal points convened on the basis of different sectors such as Trade, Financial Cooperation, Agriculture, Transport and Communication, Tourism, Poverty Alleviation and discussed the work to be carried out in the upcoming period and the working group themes and research topics for the period 2024-2026.
The significance of efficient coordination at the national level by the focal points of COMCEC related activities and the related country experiences and good practices were among the issues emphasized during the meeting. Furthermore, the meeting also reviewed the progress of the COMCEC Flagship Projects such as TPS-OIC, the OIC Arbitration Center and the OIC/COMCEC International Investment Fund, and emphasized the need for more contribution and participation of the countries represented by the focal points in these projects.
Lastly, a training session was conducted towards the focal points on the basic principles, procedures and methods regarding the preparation and submission of project proposals within the framework of the COMCEC Project Support Programs and the experiences of the project host countries in previous years were briefed to the participants by the relevant focal points.
Presentations
We extend our heartfelt condolences to all those who lost their lives in the devastating earthquake in Marrakesh and pray to Allah the Almighty to have mercy on them. Our prayers are with Morocco and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured brothers and sisters.
We wholeheartedly congratulate your Eid ul-Adha. On the occasion of the Eid, we pray Allah The Almighty (S.w.T) to accept our prayers and sacrifices, grant peace, unity and prosperity to the Islamic world and the whole humanity.
The Meeting of Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) was held virtually on 6-7 June 2023. The representatives of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Iran, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, State of Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates attended the TNC Meeting. COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO) and the Islamic Center for Development of Trade (ICDT), the OIC General Secretariat and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretariat also attended the Meeting. The Meeting was chaired by Ms. Aylin BEBEKOĞLU, Deputy Director General, Directorate-General of International Agreements and the European Union, Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye.
During the Meeting the TNC Secretariat, the CCO and the ICDT, presented the recent developments regarding current status of the implementation of the TPS-OIC in the Participating States.
Afterwards, the representative of TPS-OIC Participating States elaborated on the implementation status of the System and the challenges they faced during the first implementation year of the TPS-OIC. At this Meeting, it was also underlined that the full and smooth implementation of the System is a priority for all TPS-OIC Participating States and after the full implementation of the System by all Participating States, the product coverage could be expanded and new areas such as services, trade facilitation and investment might be considered to be included in the System.
The 39th Meeting of the COMCEC Follow-up Committee was held in Ankara on 23-24 May 2023. The Members of the Follow-up Committee namely Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Qatar, Brunei Darussalam, Senegal, Pakistan, Kuwait Indonesia, Nigeria participated in the Meeting. The representatives of the OIC General Secretariat and relevant OIC organizations also attended the Meeting.
For more details on the meeting, please click here.
The 20th Meeting of the COMCEC Agriculture Working Group was held on May 11th, 2023, in a virtual-only format with the theme of “Ensuring the Sustainability of Agricultural Inputs to Combat Food Insecurity in OIC Member Countries”.
The representatives of 14 Member States, which have notified their focal points for the Agriculture Working Group, attended the Meeting. The meeting was further attended by the IFAD, SESRIC, Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO).
Representatives of the Member States and international institutions have shared their experiences and best practice examples about the sustainability of agricultural inputs to combat food insecurity. Participants have also listened to the preliminary findings of the research report which is being prepared specifically on the theme of the Meeting. The final version of the report will be submitted to the 21st Meeting of the Working Group to be held in October, 2023.
For further information on the Meeting, follow the links below:
- Agenda of the Meeting
- Program of the Meeting
- Presentations made during the Meeting
- List of Participants
