SESRIC and the IsDB Group Convened the 14th Session of the OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom)
Date: 01-03 October 2025
Venue: SESRIC Headquarters, Ankara - Türkiye

SESRIC, in its capacity as the Secretariat of the OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom), jointly convened the 14th Session of the OIC-StatCom with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group on 1-3 October 2025 in a hybrid format at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara.

The Session brought together 86 participants from the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of 34 OIC countries, as well as representatives from 11 international and regional organisations, namely the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS), Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-STAT), International Energy Agency (IEA), International Forum on TOSSD (IFT) Secretariat, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21), UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and the World Bank.

The opening of the Session featured statements by H.E. Dr. Yousuf Mohamed AL RIYAMI, Director General of the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI) of Oman and Chair of the 13th Session of the OIC-StatCom; Mrs. Farha RAMDZAN, Professional Officer at the Department of Economic Affairs, representing the OIC General Secretariat and delivering the message of H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Secretary General of the OIC; Dr. Areef SULEMAN, Group Chief Economist of the IsDB; and H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC.

In his address, H.E. Dr. ALRIYAMI, Director General of National Statistics of Oman, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the OIC Statistical Commission and SESRIC for the opportunity granted to Oman to chair the 13th Session. He highlighted Oman’s strong commitment to supporting OIC activities, particularly through diplomatic efforts aimed at fostering technical cooperation among member countries. Reflecting on the past year, he emphasized the remarkable progress achieved, especially in strengthening statistical capacity building through SESRIC’s flagship Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme. He also extended his thanks to the IsDB for its continued support and commended the collective efforts of OIC countries in advancing their statistical systems, reinforcing the spirit of south-south and triangular cooperation.

Delivering the message of H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Mrs. RAMDZAN underlined the pressing global challenges, including geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and climate change, which necessitate reliable and timely statistical data. The Secretary General extended his appreciation for the midterm review of the OIC-StatCom Strategic Vision 2030 as a critical step to ensure the framework remains relevant and results-oriented and the discussion on the POA for 2026-2030. He also emphasized the importance of the ongoing elaboration of the new OIC Programme of Action for 2026–2035, calling on OIC-StatCom to contribute in identifying robust indicators and strengthening Member States’ statistical capacity. He also reaffirmed the OIC General Secretariat’s commitment to support the work of the OIC-StatCom and to further strengthen intra-OIC cooperation in the field of statistics.

In his remarks, Dr. Areef SULEMAN, Group Chief Economist of the IsDB, reaffirmed the IsDB’s strong partnership with the OIC-StatCom and SESRIC. He emphasized that reliable data are foundational to sound policymaking and resource allocation, and noted that as member countries embark on implementing the new Programme of Action (2026–2030), investing in innovative data systems, strategic partnerships, and capacity building must be central priorities. He cited that investments in statistical infrastructure often yield high economic returns, especially in low- and middle-income countries. He referred to the Bank’s sectoral investments in energy and education and urged that NSOs produce high-quality data to inform policies in areas such as clean energy transitions and equitable education. He also underscored the importance of adopting digitalization, big data, and AI to modernize and lower the cost of statistical operations.

H.E. SELÇUK welcomed participants to the 14th Session, underscoring the enduring importance of the Commission as a platform for fostering high-level cooperation in the field of statistics among OIC countries. Since its inception in 2011, the Commission has embodied the spirit of solidarity and shared development. She stressed that accurate, timely, and relevant data are essential for evidence-based policymaking, especially in crisis times and in navigating complex socio-economic challenges. She further reported that since the previous session, SESRIC has organized 34 statistical capacity-building activities reaching 560 activities and more than 13 thousand participants from all 57 OIC countries, and furthermore announced the issuance of the StatCaB Questionnaire for 2026–2027 to guide future programming. The 14th Session, she noted, represents a pivotal moment with the adoption of the new OIC-StatCom Programme of Action (2026–2030), reaffirming SESRIC’s commitment, in collaboration with the OIC General Secretariat and the IsDB, to strengthening intra-OIC statistical cooperation and the resilience of national statistical systems.

In line with the established rotation system among the OIC’s official groups,  H.E. SELÇUK announced the elected Bureau Members of the 14th Session of the OIC-StatCom as follows:

  • Chair: Türkiye (OIC Asia Group)
  • Vice-Chair: Egypt (OIC Arab Group)
  • Vice-Chair: Guinea (OIC Africa Group)
  • Vice-Chair: Palestine (permanent)
  • Rapporteur: SESRIC (permanent)

Following the announcement, H.E. Dr. Erhan ÇETİNKAYA, President of Turkish Statistical Institute  (TURKSTAT) and the Chair of the 14th Session, delivered his opening address at the Session, expressing appreciation to the Members of the Commission for their confidence. H.E. Dr. ÇETİNKAYA stressed Türkiye’s readiness to cooperate with OIC countries and international organisations towards enhancing statistical capacities under the umbrella of the OIC-StatCom. Underscoring the OIC’s founding values of unity, solidarity, and justice, he reaffirmed solidarity with Palestine and emphasized that credible and timely statistics are not only essential for evidence-based policymaking but also a moral obligation to give visibility to humanitarian realities and support international accountability.

The working sessions of the 14th Session of OIC-StatCom focused on several key areas of importance for the statistical development of OIC countries. SESRIC, as the Secretariat of the Commission, delivered two presentations on: (1) the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Session of OIC-StatCom, and (2) the implementation of the OIC-StatCom Programme of Action for 2021-2025. These sessions were followed by discussions on various technical agenda items, including:

  • The OIC-StatCom Programme of Action for 2026-2030
  • Role of National Statistical Offices in Supporting Data-Driven Energy Transitions
  • Modernization of NSOs through Digitalization
  • Sustainable Development Goals: Monitoring and Reporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) Indicators

Discussions were enriched by contributions from AITRS, GCC-STAT, IEA, IRENA, PARIS21, UNESCO UIS, UNECE, UNFPA, UNSD, World Bank and participating NSOs, which shared country experiences, good practices, and capacity needs.

For the first time, the 14th Session of the OIC-StatCom featured two dedicated side events that complemented the main proceedings. The first side event, “The First Five Years of TOSSD: Tracking Support for the SDGs and Helping Monitor International Development Cooperation in All Its Forms”, was organized at the SESRIC Al-Aqsa Library in collaboration with the International Forum on TOSSD (IFT) Secretariat and the IsDB. The second side event, hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) at its headquarters, focused on presenting Türkiye’s National Statistical System, including institutional developments and recent progress in areas such as the 2025 Agricultural Census and National Accounts, offering participants an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into TurkStat’s practices and infrastructure.

At the closing session, participants discussed and adopted the Resolution of the 14th Session, outlining future priorities and guidance for the Commission’s work in the upcoming year. H.E. SELÇUK expressed sincere appreciation to all delegations, speakers, and partners for their constructive engagement and collaboration, and extended special thanks to the IsDB Group for its continued partnership in advancing the objectives of the OIC-StatCom.

Documents

Reports

Reports of the OIC-StatCom Secretariat

  • Progress Report on “Implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Session of OIC-StatCom” (English) (Arabic) (French)
  • Progress Report on “Implementation of the OIC-StatCom Programme of Action for 2021-2025” (English) (Arabic) (French)

Opening Session

  • Opening Remarks of Dr. Yousuf Mohamed AL RIYAMI, Director General for National Statistics, National Center for Statistics and Information of Oman, Chair of the 13th Session (Arabic)
  • Message of H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Secretary General, OIC (English)
  • Opening Remarks of Dr. Areef SULEMAN, Group Chief Economist, IsDB (English)
  • Welcome Speech of H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General, SESRIC (English)
  • Adress of the H.E. Dr. Erhan ÇETİNKAYA, President of Turkish Statistical Institute, Chair of the 14th Session (English)

Presentations

Reports of the OIC-StatCom Secretariat

  • Progress Report on “Implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Session of OIC-StatCom” (English)
  • Progress Report on “Implementation of the OIC-StatCom Programme of Action for 2021-2025” (English)

Role of National Statistical Offices in Supporting Data-Driven Energy Transitions

  • Role of National Statistical Offices in Supporting Data-Driven Energy Transitions: the IEA perspective, IEA (English)
  • Role of National Statistical Offices in Supporting Data-Driven Energy Transitions, IRENA (English)
  • Role of National Statistical Offices in Supporting Data-Driven Energy Transitions, UNSD (English)
  • Lebanon`s Experience in Energy Statistics, Lebanon (English)
  • Use of administrative records and artificial neural networks to improve household energy statistics in Türkiye, Türkiye (English)
  • New studies and the increasing use of administrative records in energy statistics, Türkiye (English)

Modernization of NSOs through Digitalization

  • Digital Transformation and SDG 4: GCC Statistical Centre Initiatives, GCC-STAT (Arabic)
  • Mainstreaming Digitalization in the NSDS: A Driver for NSS Modernization, PARIS 21 (English)
  • Modernization of official statistics, UNECE (English)
  • UNFPA’s engagement in modernization of NSOs through digitalization, UNFPA (English)
  • Modernization of NSOs through digitalization, UNSD (English)
  • Modernization of the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan through digitalization, Azerbaijan (English)
  • Modernization of BBS as NSO through Digitalization, Bangladesh (English)
  • Modernization of NSOs through Digitalization, Gambia (English)
  • Modernizing Official Statistics: Lessons from Indonesia’s Digital Transformation, Indonesia (English)
  • Developing the services of the Iraqi Statistical Authority, Iraq (Arabic)
  • Modernization of NSOs through Digitalization, Kyrgyz Republic (English)
  • Modernizing Malaysia’s National Statistical System through Digitalization, Malaysia (English)
  • Modernization of NSO through Digitalization: Maldives experience, Maldives (English)
  • The Sultanate of Oman's Experience in Producing Tourism Statistics, Oman (Arabic)
  • PBS’s Modernization through Digitalization, Pakistan (English)
  • Digital Transformation in Statistical Operations, Qatar (Arabic)
  • Modernization of National Statistical Offices through Digital Transformation, Türkiye (English)

Sustainable Development Goals: Monitoring and Reporting SDG 4 (Quality Education)

  • Monitoring SDG4: Quality of Education- Issues and Challenges and New Ways of Monitoring SDG4 through benchmark Indicators, UNESCO-UIS (English)
  • Progress on SDG 4: A Review of Key Targets and Challenges, UNSD (English)
  • Turning Data into Impact, World Bank (English)
  • Monitoring national efforts in improving education indicators in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Bahrain (Arabic)
  • Implementation of the SDGs in Cameroon: Monitoring and reporting on SDG 4indicators, Cameroon (French)
  • CAPMAS Efforts in Monitoring SDG’s 4: Quality Education, Egypt (English)
  • Sustainable Development Goals: Monitoring and Reporting SDG 4 (Quality Education), Malaysia (English)
  • SDG 4 Good Education for All: Progress toward achieving SDG 4, Saudi Arabia (English)
  • Quality Education in Somalia, Somalia (English)
  • TurksStat Experience on SDG 4, Türkiye (English)

Photos

All the photos of the 14th Session of the OIC-StatCom are available at this link.