Among a series of planned meetings and visits to the relevant National Institutions in Baku on the sidelines of the 8^th OIC Coordination Committee Meeting on Tourism held on 03 May 2023, H.E. Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, visited H.E. Mr. Ulvi Ramiz Oglu MEHDIYEV, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations (SAPSSI) under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan at ASAN service center in Baku on 02 May 2023.

The purpose of the planned visit was to establish a robust partnership between SESRIC and ASAN and to promote the exchange of knowledge and insights between the two institutions. Additionally, the visit aimed to enhance collaboration and lay the groundwork for future cooperation for the benefit of the OIC Member Countries.

Upon their arrival at the Agency, a warm welcome and sincere hospitality were extended to H.E. Mrs. SELÇUK and her delegation. On his side, H.E. Mr. MEHDIYEV was accompanied by Mr. Abdul ALIYEV, Head of the International Relations Department of SAPSSI, Mr. Mahammadali KHUDAVERDIYEV, Deputy Head of International Relations Department of SAPSSI and Ms. Nazrin ALIYEVA, Leading Advisor of International Relations Department of SAPSSI.

During the visit, H.E. Mrs. SELÇUK provided an overview of SESRIC activities in its three mandated areas, namely, statistics, research and training and technical cooperation. The overview included information on socio-economic statistics and information on and for the utilisation of the OIC Member Countries as well as the regular and ad-hoc technical background reports and research studies prepared within the framework of the relevant resolutions adopted by various OIC fora in the domain of socio-economic development, particularly in the OIC Sectoral Ministerial Conferences and relevant OIC Standing Committees. She further informed H.E. Mr. MEHDIYEV and his delegation on the capacity-building and training activities organized by the Centre under its 19 different sector-specific programmes tailored to the needs and capacities of OIC Member Countries.

H.E. Mrs. SELÇUK and H.E. Mr. MEHDIYEV engaged in detailed discussions on the expectations and prospects to bring synergies to a further extent in terms of common goals and objectives. Within those discussions, they discussed issues of common concern to OIC Member Countries, such as e-public services, women empowerment, digitalization, and youth unemployment.

Mechanisms were suggested to further enhance the collaboration between SAPSSI and SESRIC by providing opportunities, building capacities and contributing to socio-economic development of the OIC Member Countries. Two sides committed to further discussions and information exchange, specifically in areas like digitalization of public services and single-window systems. Both parties agreed to strengthen their partnership, aiming to transfer of successful experience of ASAN service to other OIC Member Countries.

As the meeting concluded, both parties agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize their collaboration framework in areas of common interest.

ASAN operates under the SAPSSI and provides a range of public services to citizens, residents, and businesses in the country. The acronym “ASAN” stands for “Azerbaijan Service and Assessment Network”. ASAN was established in 2012 with the goal of improving the quality and accessibility of public services in Azerbaijan. It aims to create a “one-stop-shop” model where citizens can receive multiple services in a single location. ASAN provides a wide range of services, including the issuance of passports, identity cards, driver's licenses, and other official documents. It also provides services related to social security, taxes, and healthcare. ASAN has been recognized as a successful model for public service delivery and has received praise from international organizations such as the UNDP and the World Bank. IsDB also initiated a Reverse Linkage project on the ASAN service model between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.

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