Within the framework of the implementation of the relevant resolutions adopted by the 1^st OIC Ministerial Conference on Social Development held in Istanbul in December 2019 and the 48^th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Islamabad in March 2022, SESRIC and the OIC General Secretariat organised a Workshop on “Enhancing the Capacities of National Institutions in the Field of Social Development in the OIC Member States” on 02-04 August 2022 through an online video conferencing platform.

The Workshop brought together 216 experts and senior officials from the relevant national institutions in the field of social development in 26 OIC Member States and relevant OIC organs and institutions, including IsDB, ICESCO, IPHRC, ICDT, IRCICA, ICCIA, IIUM, ICYF, ISF and WDO, as well as the regional and international organisations, including Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities (AOPD), International Labour Organisation (ILO), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Workshop commenced with the opening statement of H.E. Mr. Nebil DABUR, Director General of SESRIC, who highlighted the importance of inclusive social development as a significant policy concern recognized in several global development frameworks, including the OIC-2025 Programme of Action and the Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development Goals. He stressed that a set of multiple factors, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic, has exacerbated the already existing problems faced by many vulnerable individuals, including women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities and special needs in many parts of the world, including many of OIC Member States. Therefore, achieving sustainable and inclusive social development has become an important goal worldwide, he added. H.E. Mr. DABUR also expressed his deep thanks and gratitude to H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Secretary General of the OIC, for inviting SESRIC to jointly organise this Workshop with the OIC General Secretariat and H.E. Ms. Derya YANIK, Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye, in her capacity as the Chair of the 1^st OIC Ministerial Conference on Social Development, for accepting the invitation of organisers and addressing the opening session of this Workshop.

H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), emphasized in his opening statement that the OIC attaches great importance to issues of social development in general and social protection in particular, pointing out that the promotion of policies aimed at strengthening family and social security and providing and facilitating effective and reliable social services for the family, children, the elderly, and people with special needs is one of the objectives of OIC-2025 Programme of Action. H.E. Mr. TAHA also stressed that holding this Workshop is part of the OIC efforts to support its Member States in this regard and follow up on the implementation of the resolutions of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) and the resolutions and recommendations adopted by the 1st OIC Ministerial Conference on Social Development. He thanked the Republic of Türkiye for its efforts in chairing the first session of the Conference and its continuous support for the General Secretariat in following up on the implementation of its resolutions. He also thanked SESRIC for hosting this Workshop and its close cooperation with the General Secretariat in various fields.

In her capacity as the Chair of the 1st OIC Ministerial Conference on Social Development, H.E. Ms. Derya YANIK, Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye, addressed the Opening of the Workshop by emphasizing that social development can only be achieved through the formation of a holistic social protection system which takes into account all factors on the matter such as social services, social assistance and social security. H.E. Ms. YANIK also informed the participants about the initiatives and efforts of the Republic of Türkiye in the field of social development and expressed the readiness and willingness of the Ministry of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye to share its experiences and best practices in social services as well as learn from different experiences of other OIC Member States. She concluded her remarks by expressing her hope that the Workshop will contribute to improving the lives of each and every individual in the OIC societies.

The Workshop, which was also organised within the framework of SESRIC’s Social Development Capacity Building Programme (SD-CaB), aimed to identify challenges and obstacles that national institutions face in the domain of social development, including the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable populations and social development, to present OIC strategies and plans of action relevant to social development as well as to enhance intra-OIC cooperation amongst Member States and OIC organs and institutions, particularly with a view to facilitating networking and joint action in the domain of social development.

SESRIC developed its Social Development Capacity Building Programme (SD-CaB) in 2021 with the aim of supporting and contributing to the efforts of the OIC Member States towards enhancing the institutional and human capacities of their national institutions working in the fields of social development. The programme facilitates transferring, sharing and exchanging of knowledge, experiences and best practices among the member countries in this important domain through various modalities such as training courses, training workshops and technical study visits. For more details about SESRIC’s SD-CaB and its activities, please visit: https://www.sesric.org/sd-cab.php

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