H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with Dr. Dhyaa Awad KADHUM, President of the Commission of Statistics and GIS of the Republic of Iraq, to discuss avenues for deepening cooperation in the field of official statistics.

The discussions focused on enhancing knowledge exchange and technical collaboration across several priority areas, including the digitalisation of statistical production, civil registration systems, geographic information systems (GIS), and the measurement of Multidimensional Poverty Indicators (MPI). Dr. KADHUM emphasized Iraq’s commitment to modernising its statistical infrastructure to better inform policy formulation, monitor development goals, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making. He also underlined the significance of international cooperation in building institutional capacities and ensuring data quality and comparability with global standards.

H.E. SELÇUK commended Iraq’s efforts to advance its statistical system and reiterated SESRIC’s readiness to support the Commission through tailored training programs, technical assistance, and South-South cooperation initiatives. She particularly stressed the importance of leveraging digital transformation and innovative methodologies to enhance the efficiency, timeliness, and reliability of statistical production in OIC countries.

The meeting concluded with both sides expressing their commitment to fostering closer collaboration, with a view to implementing joint activities and projects that will strengthen Iraq’s statistical capacity and contribute to promoting sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and informed policymaking across the OIC region.