The 39^th Ministerial Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) was held in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye. High-level representatives from the Member and Observer States of the OIC, relevant OIC institutions, as well as other international organizations attended the Session. SESRIC participated in the Session with a delegation led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK.

The 4-day Session commenced on 2 December 2023 with the Senior Officials Meeting. During the Meeting, delegations engaged in discussions on various agenda items that pertain to the improvement of economic and commercial cooperation among the OIC Member States.

During the Session, under agenda item 4: “World Economic Developments with Special Reference to the OIC Member Countries”, in light of the relevant decision of the 12^th Ministerial Session of the COMCEC, SESRIC presented findings of its report titled “OIC Economic Outlook 2023: The Rise of the Digital Economy and Bridging the Digital Divide”. The report provided an overview of global and regional economic and financial developments as well as several policy recommendations for promoting the integration of digital technologies in economic activities and bridging the digital divide in access to digital services and infrastructure in the OIC Member States. Additionally, under agenda item 11: “Alleviating Poverty”, SESRIC briefed the Meeting on the implementation progress of the OIC-TVET Strategic Roadmap 2020-2025, detailing its capacity-building training activities in the field of TVET and presented its report on the progress towards achievement of the SDGs in the OIC Member Countries since the 38^th Ministerial Session of the COMCEC.

The Ministerial Meeting commenced on 4 December 2023 with the opening speech of H.E. Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, the President of the Republic of Türkiye and the Chairman of the COMCEC. In his Statement, H.E. President ERDOĞAN drew attention to the dire situation in Gaza and the increasing prevalence of Islamophobia. He emphasized the necessity for all OIC Member States to adopt a cohesive stance in order to address the current challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah. He also stressed the significance of implementing the Trade Preferential System among OIC Member States, as well as providing support to the OIC Arbitration Centre and fostering the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and halal industries. These efforts aim to promote sustainable socio-economic growth within the OIC Member States.

Following H.E. President, the Secretary-General of the OIC, H.E. Hissein Brahim TAHA, delivered his address at the Opening Ceremony. H.E. TAHA commenced his remarks by acknowledging the enduring support of H.E. ERDOĞAN, the Chairman of COMCEC, towards the realization of various economic programmes and projects of the OIC. Addressing the tragic massacres taking place in Gaza and Palestine in general, the Secretary-General implored the international community to intervene expeditiously to bring an end to Israel’s criminal aggression and killings of Palestinians. He underscored the necessity of further strengthening intra-OIC cooperation in vital sectors of the economy, particularly the food and agriculture sector, to build more resilient food systems and share knowledge and best practices to assist in the development of domestic production capacities within OIC Member States.

Furthermore, the Opening Ceremony featured addresses from Ministers in charge of trade from Qatar, Senegal, and Kazakhstan in their capacities as representatives of Arab, African, and Asian groups.

During the Ministerial Working Session, Ministers from the OIC Member States engaged in comprehensive discussions on a variety of topics pertinent to economic and commercial cooperation. This year's COMCEC Ministerial Exchange of Views Session focused on “Improving the e-Commerce Capacities of the OIC Member Countries”, facilitating the sharing of experiences and consideration of cooperation opportunities. These in-depth discussions not only revolved around this central theme but also contributed to finalizing the agenda for the forthcoming Ministerial Session of the COMCEC scheduled for 2024.

The documents of the 39^th Ministerial Session of the COMCEC are available on the COMCEC website at www.comcec.org/history/comcec-ministerial-sessions/39th-ministerial-session-of-the-comcec/

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