H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Osama bin Ahmed Khalaf AL ASFOOR, Minister of Social Development of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The meeting centered on enhancing the collaboration between SESRIC and the Ministry of Social Development of Bahrain in capacity building and training programmes aimed at fostering social welfare in OIC countries. The parties also exchanged ideas on ways and means to integrate individuals with disabilities into society.

At the meeting, H.E. SELÇUK underlined the importance of SESRIC's ongoing commitment to support OIC countries in advancing social welfare through focused capacity building (CaB) programmes. Since its launch in 2021, SESRIC's Social Development Capacity Building Programme (SD-CaB) has played a crucial role in strengthening the institutional and human capacities of national institutions, including ministries, statistical offices, and social development organisations. She also pointed out that SESRIC currently hosts 24 capacity-building programmes in various socio-economic areas, with social welfare being a key priority. Since the launch of the SD-CaB programme in 2021, SESRIC has organised a total of 52 capacity building activities in the field of social development, benefiting a diverse range of ministries and National Statistical Offices (NSOs) across the OIC countries. These activities, attended by 2,013 participants, have had a significant impact in enhancing technical capacity and expertise in social development within the OIC community.

For his part, H.E. Al ASFOOR expressed gratitude for SESRIC’s continuous efforts in promoting social development and emphasized Bahrain’s commitment to closely work together with SESRIC. He highlighted Bahrain's intention to organize training sessions and capacity-building programmes aimed at developing sustainable solutions for the social welfare of its citizens. Furthermore, he acknowledged SESRIC’s significant role in policy development and capacity building in OIC countries to address socio-economic challenges.

The meeting concluded with SESRIC and Bahrain's Ministry of Social Development exploring opportunities for cooperation in capacity building, research, and knowledge sharing to support the socio-economic advancement of OIC countries.