28th COMCEC Confab Starts In Istanbul

Ankara, Oct 9, IRNA – Iran is attending the 28th session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), that started in Istanbul on Monday. The 28th session of COMCEC, chaired by the Turkish president is being held in Istanbul from 8-11 October 2012. The session is attended by delegations from the OIC member states, representatives of the OIC General Secretariat and its institutions working in the field of economy and trade, as well as representatives of some international and regional organizations. The 28th Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC was held from 9-10 May 2012 in Ankara, with the participation of the member countries of the Committee (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Palestine, Senegal, Kuwait, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Mali and Cameroon). Representatives of Malaysia and Iraq also attended the meeting as observers. The OIC General Secretariat and the following subsidiary, affiliated and specialised organs (SESRIC, ICDT, IDB, ICCIA, IUT, and SMIIC) attended the Meeting. A representative of UNIDO has also attended the meeting. The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) is one of the four Standing Committees which the OIC has formed to advance issues of critical importance to the Organization and its Member States. This ministerial committee was established pursuant to resolution 13/3-P (IS) adopted by the 3rd Islamic Summit Conference held in Makkah al Mukarammah and Taif in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in January 1981. COMCEC follows up the implementation of resolutions in the economic and trade fields, explores possible means of strengthening cooperation among the Member States, and prepares programmes and proposals capable of improving capacities in these areas. COMCEC is chaired by Turkish President. COMCEC has been convening annually at the Ministerial Level in Istanbul since 1984. During the annual sessions of the COMCEC, the delegations of the Member States and the OIC institutions consider and deliberate on a number of agenda items related to various issues of enhancing economic and commercial cooperation among the Member States. These issues ranged from enhancing intra-OIC trade and investment to cooperation among the key economic and policy institutions such as the stock exchanges, central banks, etc. Also, during the annual sessions of the COMCEC, the Ministers of Economy and Trade of the OIC Member Countries exchange their views and elaborate on specific issues with the aim of enhancing and strengthening economic and commercial cooperation among the Member Countries in the face of the global economic challenges. Prior to the annual sessions of the COMCEC, the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC convenes with the participation of a number of the Member Countries, who are member in this Committee, together with the relevant OIC institutions. Since 1984, SESRIC has been actively participating in the annual sessions of the COMCEC and its Follow-up Committee meetings through submitting and presenting various background reports and studies on various important agenda items of the COMCEC. The 27th Session of the COMCEC convened in Istanbul on 17-20 October 2011 with the participation of delegates from 48 OIC member countries. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russian Federation, Kingdom of Thailand and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus participated in the Session as observers. The OIC General Secretariat, subsidiary, specialized and affiliated organs of the OIC also participated in the Session. A number of international and regional organizations, including GCC, ECO, ECOBANK, UNIDO, FAO, ITC, WAEMU, and D-8, attended the Session. The SESRIC was represented thereat by Savaş Alpay, Director General; Nabil Dabour, Director of Economic and Social Research Department; and Kenan Bagci, Researcher. COMCEC Capital Markets Regulatory Authorities Conference and Roundtable was held on 16 September 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey. The meeting was hosted jointly by the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMBT) and the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE). Representatives from 13 regulatory authorities of the OIC member states and 4 related institutions, including SESRIC, attended the meeting. The 26th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (COMCEC), which is chaired by the President of the Republic of Turkey, convened in Istanbul, Turkey on 5-8 October 2010 with the participation of delegates from 45 OIC member countries, five observer countries, one invited country, 13 OIC organizations, and six international/regional organizations. The 26th Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC was held on 10-12 May 2010 in Antalya, Turkey, with the participation of 11 OIC Member Countries of the Committee (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Palestine, Senegal, Kuwait, Iran, Cameroon, Pakistan, Qatar, Indonesia and Sierra Leone). The OIC General Secretariat and the following subsidiary, affiliated and specialised organs; namely, SESRIC, ICDT, IDB, ICCI, ITFC, and OISA; attended the Meeting. Representatives of ECO and FAO have also attended the meeting. The Centre was represented at the meeting by its Director General; Nabil Dabour, Director of Research Department; Mr. Mehmet Fatih Serenli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department; Nader Abdulhamid, Researcher and Murat Ilkin, Researcher. The 25th Session of the COMCEC convened in Istanbul on 5-7 November 2009 with the participation of delegates from 52 OIC member countries. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russian Federation, Kingdom of Thailand and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus participated in the Session as observers and Republic of Macedonia as a guest. The OIC General Secretariat, subsidiary, specialized and affiliated organs of the OIC also participated in the Session. A number of international and regional organizations, such as ECO, ECO Bank, FAO, D-8, and the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) attended the Session. The 25th Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC was held on 12-14 May 2009 in Izmir, Turkey, with the participation of 11 member countries of the Committee (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Palestine, Senegal, Kuwait, Iran, Cameroon, Pakistan, Qatar, Indonesia and Sierra Leone). United Arab Emirates also attended the Meeting as observer. The OIC General Secretariat and the following subsidiary, affiliated and specialised organs (SESRIC, ICDT, IDB, ICCI, IUT, ITFC, OISA and ICYF-DC) attended The 24th Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC was held on 13-15 May 2008 in Antalya, Turkey with the participation of 10 member countries of the Committee. Iraq, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Yemen also attended the Meeting as observers. Malaysia attended the Meeting as the Chairman of the 10th Islamic Summit. The OIC General Secretariat and the following subsidiary, affiliated and specialised organs (SESRIC, ICDT, IDB, ICCI, IUT, ITFC, OISA and ICYF-DC) attended the Meeting. The Twenty-third Session of the COMCEC convened in Istanbul on 14-17 November 2007 with the participation of delegates from 46 OIC member countries and a number of related international and regional organizations. The Ministerial Meeting of the Twenty-third Session of the COMCEC was held on 16-17 November and started, in the opening ceremony, with the inaugural address of H.E. Abdullah GŰL, President of the Republic of Turkey and Chairman of the COMCEC. The 23rd Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC was held on 29-31 May 2007 in Ankara, Turkey with the participation of 11 member countries of the Committee and Azerbaijan as observer. The OIC General Secretariat and the following subsidiary, affiliated and specialised organs (SESRTCIC, ICDT, IDB, and ICCI) attended the Meeting. The representative of the UNIDO Regional Office in Ankara also attended the Meeting. The 22nd Session of the COMCEC convened in Istanbul on 21-24 November 2006 with the participation of delegates from 43 member countries, the COMCEC Coordination Office, the OIC General Secretariat, and its subsidiary, specialized and affiliated organs, namely, the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRTCIC), Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT), Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Organisation of Islamic Shipowners Association (OISA) and Association of National Development Finance Institutions (ADFIMI). The Session was also attended by the representatives of some international institutions such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), Federation of Consultants from Islamic Countries (FCIC), Federation of Contractors from Islamic Countries (FOCIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Developing Eight (D-8), and West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)./end