Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Training Course on “International Trade Statistics” on 14-15 May 2025. The course brought together 47 statisticians and experts from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and responsible authorities for the foreign trade statistics of 14 French-speaking OIC countries.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK was received by H.E. Prof. Numan KURTULMUŞ, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.

SESRIC participated in the 41^st Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). The meeting reviewed the outcomes of working group meetings and the projects being implemented in 2025 under the COMCEC Project Funding concerning the cooperation areas of intra-OIC trade, private sector development, financial cooperation, transport and communications, tourism, agriculture, poverty alleviation, and digital transformation. The meeting was also briefed by the relevant OIC institutions concerning their activities relevant to the above-mentioned cooperation areas of the COMCEC Strategy.

SESRIC hosted the third session of the SESRIC Talks series under the theme “Mind the AI Gap: Shaping the Future-Ready Work.” The event brough together experts to discuss the development and implementation disparities of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, while exploring different strategies to ensure equitable opportunities.

SESRIC, in collaboration with the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT), successfully organised a workshop on “Developing Pertinent Marketing Strategy for the Destination Senegal” on 6-7 May 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC participated in the 46^th Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). The meeting aimed to review and coordinate the contributions of OIC institutions to the implementation of the COMCEC Strategy and its Ministerial Policy Recommendations.

SESRIC participated in the Saudi Maldives International Forum on Integrity with the theme “Strengthening Integrity and Combating Corruption in the Tourism Sector,” held on Lankanfinolhu Island on 6-7 May 2025. In pursuance to the Resolution No. 2/50-LO of the 50^th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in 2024 in Yaoundé; the Forum has been organised by the Republic of Maldives and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the participation of more than 180 delegates from 40 OIC countries and 11 international and non-member country organisations.

SESRIC participated in the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit (INRES), held on 2 May 2025 at the Lutfi Kirdar Congress Centre in Istanbul, Türkiye, under the theme “Securing Resources, Rebuilding Future.” The event was organised by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Türkiye.

SESRIC and the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution (TKDK) of the Republic of Türkiye held a coordination meeting on 30 April 2025 at SESRIC HQs to strengthen their ongoing collaboration.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Training Course on “Information Society and Digitalization” on 29-30 April 2025. The course brought together 61 statisticians and experts from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and relevant ministries of 18 OIC countries.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organized an online Training Course on “Environment Statistics” on 29-30 April 2025. The course brought together 120 statisticians and experts from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and relevant ministries of 14 Arabic-speaking OIC countries.

Within the framework of the Transportation Capacity Building Programme (Transport-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT), organised a Training Course on “Enhancing Efforts for Facilitating Transportation in Landlocked OIC Member Countries” on 29-30 April 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC held a technical meeting with representatives from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) on 28 April 2025, as a follow up to the bilateral meeting held between H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and H.E. Navid HANIF, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development at UNDESA, which took place in New York on 13 March 2025.

SESRIC held a meeting with representatives from the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye and the Faculty of Agriculture of Ankara University (AÜZF). The meeting took place at SESRIC HQs and aimed to explore potential areas of collaboration in the field of agricultural water management.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a productive bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Fahad ALDOSSARI, President of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the side-lines of the Saudi Statistics Forum on 28 April 2025.

Under the patronage of H.E. Faisal bin Fadhel Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of GASTAT’s Board of Directors, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has successfully organised the first-ever Saudi Statistics Forum on 27-28 April 2025, in Riyadh, under the theme “Statistics for Sustainable Opportunities”. The Forum brought together high-level participants, including ministers, leaders and representatives of international organizations, statistical office experts, and both local and international specialists working in the field of statistical development.

SESRIC participated in the 24^th Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Poverty Alleviation Working Group, held on 24 April 2025, under the theme “Decent Housing for the Poor in the OIC Member Countries.”

SESRIC participated in the 24^th Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Transport and Communications Working Group, held virtually on 24 April 2025. The main theme of the meeting was “Enhancing and Sustaining Rural Accessibility in the OIC Member Countries”. It brought together 42 representatives from relevant national public and private institutions of OIC countries, as well as international and regional organisations.

SESRIC participated in the 23^rd Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Financial Cooperation Working Group, held on 22 April 2025. The meeting focused on the theme “Promoting Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Islamic Financial Instruments to Combat the Adverse Effects of Climate Change and Natural Disasters in the OIC Member Countries.” It brought together 58 representatives from relevant national public and private institutions of OIC member countries, as well as international and regional organisations.

SESRIC participated in the 6^th Meeting of the Steering Committee for the OIC STI Agenda 2026, which was held in a hybrid format on 22–24 April 2025 at COMSTECH Headquarters in Islamabad, Pakistan.

SESRIC participated in the 24^th Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Agriculture Working Group, held virtually on 22 April 2025. The meeting focused on the theme “Strengthening the Resilience of Family Farmers and Small-Scale Producers in the Agriculture and Food Sector in OIC Member Countries,” with the participation of relevant national public and private institutions from OIC Member Countries, as well as international and regional organizations.

SESRIC participated in the 24^th Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Trade Working Group, held virtually on 21 April 2025. The meeting focused on the theme “Improving Export Strategies in the OIC Member Countries”. It brought together 72 representatives from relevant national public and private institutions of OIC Countries, as well as international and regional organisations.

SESRIC participated in the 24^th Meeting of the COMCEC Tourism Working Group, held on 21 April 2025. The meeting brought together 38 representatives from the relevant national institutions of 19 OIC countries, as well as representatives from the OIC General Secretariat, SESRIC, COMCEC Coordination Office, and IRCICA. It focused on the theme “Improving the Quality and Sustainability of Heritage Tourism in OIC Countries.”

SESRIC, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), successfully organized a Technical Workshop on “Marriage and Divorce Registration and Vital Statistics Production in Central Asia” on 18 April 2025 at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye.

SESRIC hosted a delegation of diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Islamic Republic of Pakistan at its Headquarters in Ankara on 16 April 2025.

Within the framework of the Social Development Capacity Building Programme (SD-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia, organised a Training Course on “Developing Effective, Reliable, and Affordable Social Protection Services for Women in OIC-Africa Countries” on 15-16 April 2025.

SESRIC, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), organized the Meeting of Central Asian Civil Registrars from 15 to 17 April 2025 at its Headquarters in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye.

Within the framework of the Social Security Institutions Capacity Building Programme (SSI-CaB), SESRIC organised a Workshop on “Extending Social Security Coverage to Informal Workers” on 15-16 April 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

A SESRIC delegation, led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, participated in the 47^th Session of the Islamic Commission for Economic and Social Affairs (ICECS) held on 15-17 April 2025 at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah. The 47^th Session of the ICECS was attended by the delegates from the OIC countries and representatives of the relevant OIC institutions, working in the domains of economy, education, health, science and technology, culture, social, family and youth affairs.

Within the framework of SESRIC Disaster Risk Management Capacity Building Programme and in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB Indonesia) and the Ministry of Environment of Tunisia, SESRIC organised a Workshop on “Multi-sectoral Mechanisms for Regular Evaluations on Disaster Risk Reduction” on 14-15 April 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC and the Technical Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the margins of the Human Capability Initiative Conference, held in Riyadh, to foster the collaboration between the two institutions. H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and H.E. Dr. Adel ALZENEDY, Acting Governor of the TVTC, signed the MoU on 14 April 2025, aiming to further strengthen collaboration between SESRIC and TVTC in training and education.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK participated in a panel discussion titled “No Sustainability Without Women” during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

SESRIC held a meeting with the Inter-Arab Union of Hotels and Tourism to discuss potential areas of collaboration in promoting and developing the Islamic and Arab tourism industry.

SESRIC organised a virtual Training Course on “Safety and Health in the Use of Chemicals at Work” on 9-10 April 2025, in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) of the Ministry of Human Resources of Malaysia. The training was held within the framework of SESRIC’s Occupational Safety and Health Capacity Building (OSH-CaB) Programme and in line with the OIC Occupational Safety and Health Network (OIC-OSHNET) Work Plan 2024-2025.

SESRIC welcomed a delegation from the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) of the Republic of Indonesia to explore potential areas of collaboration on Disaster Risk Management (DRM) across OIC countries.

Within the framework of the Public Audit Capacity Building Programme (PAU-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Turkish Court of Accounts (Sayıştay), organised a Training Course on “Auditing Local Governments” on 8-9 April 2025.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mekan ISHANGULIYEV, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Türkiye in Ankara. The meeting focused on enhancing collaboration between SESRIC and Turkmenistan, with particular emphasis on capacity-building initiatives and strengthening partnerships with national institutions in Turkmenistan.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Ahmed BEN SGHAIER, Ambassador of Tunisia to the Republic of Türkiye in Ankara. The meeting served as a platform to further strengthen the longstanding cooperation between SESRIC and Tunisia, with a particular focus on SESRIC’s capacity-building (CaB) programmes.

SESRIC organised a virtual Workshop on “Key Challenges and Opportunities in the Utilisation of Emerging Technologies,” in collaboration with the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), on 25-26 March 2025 within the framework of Digital Transformation Capacity Building (DIGI-CaB) Programme.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a virtual meeting with Dr. Najat Maalla M’JID, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, on 25 March 2025.

SESRIC participated in the Workshop on the Development of the ASEAN-OSHNET Work Plan 2026-2030, held on 24 March 2025. The workshop brought together key stakeholders to shape the future of occupational safety and health (OSH) collaboration within the ASEAN region and beyond.

To commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, SESRIC hosted the second edition of SESRIC Talks Series, bringing together high-level representatives of the diplomatic corps, distinguished experts and participants from international and Turkish national institutions.

Within the framework of SESRIC’s Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme (Agri-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), organised a Workshop on “Eco-Friendly Livestock Production Practices for Sustainable Agriculture” on 18-19 March 2025.

SESRIC held a technical meeting with the Ministry of Economy of the Sultanate of Oman on 17 March 2025 to discuss potential areas of cooperation in the economic sector.

Within the framework of the Vocational Education and Training Programme for the Member Countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-VET) and in line with the OIC-TVET Strategic Roadmap 2020-2025, SESRIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education of Türkiye, the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), and the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation, organised a webinar on "Encouraging Green Skills for Youth towards Sustainable Development" on 13 March 2025.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Amb. Hameed Ajibaiye OPELOYERU, Permanent Observer of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to the United Nations, on the margins of the 69^th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, USA.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Ilze BRANDS KEHRIS, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), on the sidelines of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York.

On the sidelines of the 69^th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York, H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Navid HANIF, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

Within the framework of its Cotton Capacity Building Programme (Cotton-CaB), SESRIC organised an online Training Course on “Sustainable Cotton Production in OIC Countries: Strengthening Farmer Resilience and Economic Growth” on 11-12 March 2025.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Training Course on “Forecast Modelling” for the benefit of the 19 statisticians, financial analysts, accountants and HR specialists working at the Agency for Sustainable and Operative Social Provision (DOST Agency) of Republic of Azerbaijan on 11-13 March 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC participated in the 69^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) on 10-21 March 2025 at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York. The event brought together representatives from UN member states, UN entities, International Organisations, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from different regions worldwide.

SESRIC, in collaboration with the OIC Permanent Observer Mission to the UN and the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, organised a side event titled “Baku Climate Coalition for SMEs’ Green Transition: Women Empowerment” on the margins of the 69^th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on 10 March 2025 in New York, USA.

SESRIC participated in the 3^rd Steering Group Meeting of the International Forum on TOSSD held on 10-12 March 2025 in hybrid format - in Paris at the OECD Boulogne premises and online.

SESRIC, in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), organized a side event titled “Harnessing Technological Developments for Modernizing National Statistical Systems in OIC and ESCWA Member Countries” on 6 March 2025 in the margins of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) at the Turkish Mission (Türkevi Centre) in New York.

SESRIC, in its capacity as the Secretariat of the OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom), organised the Follow-up Meeting of the 13^th Session of the OIC-StatCom on 5 March 2025 as a side event of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission in New York, USA. 30 delegates from 18 OIC countries, as well as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) attended the meeting.

The 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) took place from 4-7 March 2025 in New York, bringing together representatives from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and international organizations.

Within the framework of Water Resources Management Capacity Building Programme (Water-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), organised a workshop on "Exploring the Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus for Sustainable Development in OIC Countries" on 3 March 2025, through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC participated in the 45^th Session of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA), held on 3 March 2025 in New York, in the margins of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC). The meeting brought together representatives from international and supranational organizations to enhance inter-agency coordination and cooperation on statistics.

Within the framework of the Competition Authorities Capacity Building Programme (CA-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), has successfully held a Webinar on “Improving Consumer Protection Regulation on Standards and Safety” on 27 February 2025.

SESRIC paid a courtesy visit to the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and held a meeting with Mr. Murat KAZANCI, Deputy President of YTB, to discuss ongoing cooperation and future collaboration opportunities.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Tasnim ATATRAH, WHO Representative and Head of the Türkiye Country Office. The meeting aimed to enhance collaboration of both institutions in key public health areas by exploring avenues for strengthening cooperation in common member countries of the OIC and WHO.

As part of its Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building (Agri-CaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Webinar on “Prospect for Bioenergy Production from Sugar Palms” on 26 February 2025, with the facilitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.

SESRIC participated in the Workshop on “Membrane Technologies for Desalination and Wastewater” organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) on 26 February 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Over 130 participants from OIC countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Senegal, Türkiye, and Yemen participated in workshop.

Within the framework of its Stock Exchanges Capacity Building Programme (SE-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with Borsa Istanbul, the Secretariat of the OIC Exchanges Forum (OICEF), organised an online Training Course on “Sustainable Growth and Climate Resilience: Islamic Green Finance in OIC Capital Markets.”

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Training Course on “SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth) Indicators” with the attendance of 56 participants from 26 National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of the OIC countries on 25-26 February 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK addressed the “First Meeting for Networking of Water Centres of Excellence in OIC Member Countries,” organised by OIC General Secretariat and COMSTECH in Islamabad, Pakistan. The meeting brought together experts, researchers, and policymakers to address critical challenges related to water security within OIC community.

SESRIC participated in the First Meeting for Networking of Water Centers of Excellence in OIC Member States organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and OIC General Secretariat on 24-25 February 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. SESRIC also provided technical content to enrich the relevant sessions of this meeting.

SESRIC held a meeting with the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye to discuss ways to strengthen existing cooperation efforts.

Within the framework of SESRIC Halal Capacity Building Programme and in collaboration with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), SESRIC, co-organised a Training Course on “Advanced Halal Food Processing Techniques: Ensuring Safety and Quality” on 19-20 February 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

In collaboration with AITRS, ESCWA, IEA, TURKSTAT, and UNSD, SESRIC organised a virtual side event titled “Accelerating Data-Driven Energy Transitions through Collaborative Data Ecosystems” in the margins of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC).

SESRIC held a meeting with the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) to explore potential new areas of collaboration in promoting women’s economic empowerment within the business sector across the OIC countries.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK addressed the Workshop on the Dissemination of the Jeddah Declaration on the Rights of Women in Islam, held in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 17-18 February 2025. The event, organized by the OIC Office in Afghanistan in collaboration with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), marked the first anniversary of the Jeddah Document on Women's Rights in Islam.

Within the framework of the OIC Public Employment Service Network (OIC-PESNET) and Public Employment Services Capacity Building Programme (PES-CaB), SESRIC successfully organised a webinar on “AI’s Impact on Labour Market Matching: Insights and Strategies” on 12 February 2025. The webinar was provided by competent experts from, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Türkiye, and International Labour Organisation (ILO), and brought together 107 participants from 32 OIC Countries.

SESRIC participated in the online Regional Consultations for Reviewing the Draft Strategic Plan for Ensuring Food Security in OIC Member States (Arab, African and Asian) organized by the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) on 11-13 February 2025. These consultations aimed to review the draft Strategic Plan for Ensuring Food Security in OIC Member Countries and gather feedback from representatives of the African, Arab, and Asian groups. The discussions were held in line with the outcomes of the 9^th Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development, which took place in Doha, Qatar, in October 2023.

SESRIC took part in the Annual Meeting of the Global Network of Institutions for Statistical Training (GIST) hosted virtually on 10 February 2025 from New York. The meeting brought together GIST members, the Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAG), and National Statistical Offices (NSOs) to review the progress made over the past year and set strategic priorities for 2025.

SESRIC held a meeting with the representatives of the Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Türkiye to discuss their ongoing cooperation under the OIC-OSHNET initiative.

SESRIC welcomed a delegation of public officials, diplomats, academics, and researchers studying the Turkish language and culture in Ankara as part of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB)’s KATIP Programme. The delegation included 16 participants from 16 countries and three experts from YTB.

SESRIC welcomed a group of Nigerian students studying at Turkish universities to its headquarters.

SESRIC welcomed representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye to discuss potential areas of collaboration on environmental issues across OIC countries.

Within the framework of the Social Development Capacity Building Programme (SD-CaB), SESRIC successfully organized an online Workshop on “Developing Inclusive Education Programs in the Domain of Science and Technology in OIC-Africa Countries” on 4 February 2025.

SESRIC launched its new programme series “SESRIC Talks” hosting H.E. Amb. Cenk URAZ, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Türkiye to the OIC, as the inaugural guest speaker on the topic “Türkiye as a Member of the OIC” on 4 February 2025 at its Headquarters in Ankara.

SESRIC held a technical meeting with the Agency for Development of Public Service of Uzbekistan (ARGOS), with the facilitation of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the OIC, to explore potential areas of cooperation between the two institutions.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK addressed the Sustainable Tourism Forum in Karachi, Pakistan, highlighting the immense potential of the OIC countries in advancing sustainable tourism. The Forum, jointly organized by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD), the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), provided a vital platform to discuss innovative strategies for sustainable tourism growth.

The SESRIC delegation, led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, participated in the Second Meeting of the OIC Intergovernmental Expert Group held at the OIC General Secretariat Headquarters in Jeddah Saudi Arabia on 26-29 January 2025 to discuss the draft Programme of Action for the period 2026-2035.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK signed the Declaration on the Baku Climate Coalition for SMEs’ Green Transition on 23 January 2025, recognising that the Declaration’s goals and strategies align with SESRIC’s mandate, South-South and triangular cooperation mechanisms, and its commitment to sustainable development and collaborative efforts at the OIC level.

The 48^th Meeting of the Board of Directors of SESRIC convened on 23 January 2025 at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, with the participation of representatives from the newly elected member countries of the OIC for the three-year term spanning January 2025 to January 2028. The meeting included Dr. Ola AWAD (State of Palestine), Mr. Alpha Bacar BARRY (Republic of Guinea), Mr. Salih TANRIKULU (Republic of Türkiye), Ms. Wafa ALYAHYA (State of Kuwait, virtual participation), Mr. SARPONO (Indonesia), Mr. Abdirahman Omar DAHIR (Republic of Somalia), Mr. Muhammad Humair KARIM (Islamic Republic of Pakistan), Mr. Nendjot PATRICE (Gabonese Republic) and Mr. Abbas DARBOE (Republic of The Gambia).

Within the framework of the Public Employment Services Capacity Building Programme (PES-CaB) and in line with the OIC Public Employment Services Network (OIC-PESNET) Work Plan 2024-2026, SESRIC, in collaboration with the National Agency for Employment and Independent Work of Tunisia (ANETI), organised a Training Course on “Entrepreneurship and Business Creation” on 21-22 January 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

Within the framework of its Competition Authorities Capacity Building Programme (CA-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and, the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC), organised a Training Course on “The Role of Competition Policy in Enhancing Intra-OIC Trade” on 21-22 January 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Mr. Saif ANJUM, Federal Secretary, Ministry for Industries and Production Division of Pakistan.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. SHAH at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Islamabad.

A fruitful bilateral meeting took place between H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and Dr. Naeem Uz ZAFAR, Chief Statistician of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK participated in the International Conference on “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities,” held on 10-12 January 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. This event was organized by the Muslim World League in collaboration with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training of Pakistan.

SESRIC and the National Institute of Statistics (INS) of the Republic of Guinea have formalized their collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) as part of the project titled “Integration of Tobacco Questions for Surveys (TQS) into the National Surveys in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member Countries”. The MoA was signed by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, and H.E. Dr. Makan DOUMBOUYA, Director General of INS of Guinea.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a courtesy visit to the recently appointed Ambassador of Kuwait in Ankara, H.E. Abdulaziz ALADWANI, to discuss strengthening ties between SESRIC and Kuwait.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Amb. Abdulhamed HAMZA, Representative of the League of Arab States to Türkiye.

SESRIC held a technical cooperation meeting with the University of Respati Indonesia (URINDO), with the co-facilitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (MoFA-Indonesia), to explore potential areas of cooperation between the two institutions.