SESRIC participated in the Global Food Security Summit (GFSS), organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on 26-27 November 2024. Held under the theme “Together, for Humanity,” GFSS is part of the 3rd Global Food Week (GFW) and promotes global collaboration and innovation to create sustainable solutions for food security. The Summit brought together high-ranking officials, experts, and representatives from more than 70 countries.

The Summit commenced with the GFSS Video and proceeded with opening remarks by H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates. This was followed by the launch of the Food Cluster Program by H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, and remarks by H.E. Alaa Eddine Farouk Zaki El-Sayed, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt, H.E. Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, and HRH Princess Basma bint Ali, a FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Near East and North Africa.

At the Summit, Mr. Davron Ishnazarov, a researcher at the Economic and Social Research Department of SESRIC, participated as a speaker in the panel themed “Enhancing Food Security Resilience in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States”, alongside H.E. Azar Bayramov, Director General of the OIC Labour Centre, under the expert moderation of Mr. Abdula Manafi, Chief Multilateral Affairs Officer at the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS).

The panel focused on enhancing food security resilience and addressing the challenges through collaboration and innovation in OIC Member States, highlighting the critical need for regional, national, and local initiatives aimed at empowering smallholder farmers, who represent 76% of all farming activities in these countries. Supporting them with access to financing and incentivizing the adoption of research-driven innovations are essential for building resilience. The panel also addressed food insecurity as a multidimensional challenge influenced by economic, social, and political factors such as rapid population growth, urbanisation, geopolitical instability, and climate change. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive collaboration among OIC institutions to develop innovative policies, promote regional stability, and implement sustainable practices that protect and strengthen food systems.

SESRIC was also represented at a pavilion at the GFW Exhibition, where visitors were briefed about SESRIC’s activities and initiatives. These included statistics, analytical reports, and capacity-building programs in the field of agriculture and food security.

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