Our History
On June 8, at the 7th World Islamic Economic Forum and subsequently during the 38th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, put forth a proposal for the establishment of a food assistance system within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) region. This visionary initiative encompassed the creation of a regional fund, akin to the Food and Agricultura Organization (FAO), under the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB), and a food pool comprising the OIC Member States. Kazakhstan was suggested as the ideal host for the headquarters of this initiative, given the country's active pursuit of developing its food exports potential.
The Resolution on the Establishment of an OIC Food Security Institution in Kazakhstan was officially adopted at the 39th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (Session of Solidarity for Sustainable Development), which was held in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti, from November 15-17.
From June 11-12, the Intergovernmental Experts Meeting of OIC Member States convened in Astana with the responsibility of finalizing the constituent instrument of the OIC Food Security institution in Kazakhstan. During this meeting the experts from 30 Member States collaborated to harmonize the draft Statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), a new specialized institution of the OIC.
This IOFS Statute received approval and was formally signed by 19 countries during the 40th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, occurred in Conakry, Guinea from December 9-10.
On April 15, the Ambassador of Libya to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed the Statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah. This marked a significant milestone as Libya became the twentieth country to officially sign the Statute.
On January 12 and March 15, respectively, the State of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia officially joined the IOFS by signing the Statue of the IOFS at the Headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah.
In conjunction with the 7th Ministerial Conference on Food Security, the IOFS General Assembly met in Astana from April 26-28. They elected the first Executive Board, approved key documents (the IOFS Rules of Procedure, Financial Regulations, and Personal Regulations), and the 5-Year Plan. New member countries, including Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Mozambique, Tajikistan, and Qatar, joined the IOFS.
On 10-11 July, the Republic of Senegal became the 33rd member of the Islamic Organization for Food Security by signing the Statute.
On February 19, the IOFS Statute came into force, following the ratification by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the State of Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. This ratification marked a significant milestone as it completed the required number of 10 ratifications for the Statute to be effective.
The 3rd meeting of the IOFS Executive Board took place on July 3 in Astana, with representatives from Saudi Arabia (Chairman), Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Niger, Sudan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. Key decisions included approving the agenda for the upcoming 2nd General Assembly, designing the IOFS logo, and formulating a 5-year budget.
The 2nd IOFS General Assembly took place in Jeddah from August 27-29, during which Nigeria joined IOFS as the 34th member. At this Assembly, Mr. Yerlan Baidaulet was appointed as the Director General of IOFS for a four-year term.
The 4th Session of the IOFS Executive Board was held on December 25 in Astana, Kazakhstan, with participation from all eight members.
On April 22, the 5th Executive Board was held online.
On October 28, the 6th Executive Board Meeting convened.
On 2-3 December, Ankara hosted the Third General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) online under the topic “Sustainable Development of Food Security in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Region”.
On February 25 and March 14 2021, respectively, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Tunisia signed the IOFS Statute at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah, to become members of the IOFS.
On June 7, the 7th session of the IOFS Executive Board was held.
The 4th General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), led by the Republic of Kazakhstan, took place online from September 8 to 9, 2021, under the theme: "Food Systems of the OIC in a Post-Pandemic World."
On December 8, the 8th session of the IOFS Executive Board reviewed “IOFS Vision 2031”, the 10-year Strategy document which was adopted by the 4th IOFS General Assembly.
The 17th Extraordinary OIC CFM on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan, held in Islamabad on December 18-19, approved a resolution initiating the "Afghanistan Food Security Programme." The IOFS was designated to carry out the required efforts for implementing this mandate.
The 17th Extraordinary OIC CFM on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan, held in Islamabad on December 18-19, approved a resolution initiating the "Afghanistan Food Security Programme." The IOFS was designated to carry out the required efforts for implementing this mandate.
On June 10, the 9th IOFS Executive Board was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
On July 27, the Republic of Chad signed the Statute of the IOFS, became the 37th member country.
The 5th General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) was held online on October 10 and 11 in Tunis, Tunisia. Under the theme "Fostering Sustainable Food Security Partnerships: Africa within the OIC Geography." During the assembly, new members were elected to the IOFS Executive Board, with Qatar as the Chair, the UAE, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Cameroon, The Gambia, Kazakhstan (Permanent Member), and the IOFS Director General. Saudi Arabia was welcomed as the Executive Board Honorary Chair.
On December 13, the 10th Meeting of the IOFS Executive Board was held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
On June 23, the 11th Meeting of the IOFS Executive Board was held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
During the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development on October 2, four new Member States, namely the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Yemen, the Republic of Gabon, and the Republic of Iraq, signed the Statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security.
The 6th General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) took place in Doha, State of Qatar, on October 2 and 3. Representatives from over 40 Member States elected the new Director General of the IOFS, His Excellency Ambassador Askar Mussinov.
On April 22, the First Extraordinary General Assembly, held online in Doha, elects His Excellency Ambassador Berik Aryn as the new Director General of the IOFS.
