IOFS and IFAD Explore Areas of Common Interest

On 03 March 2022, a technical virtual meeting was held between a Team of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and Mr. Abdelkarim Sma, Lead Regional Economist for the Near East, North Africa and Europe division at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to explore areas of common interest for potential joint projects in near future. The IOFS was represented by Dr. Ismail Abdelhamid, IOFS Director of Programmes & Projects Office, Ambassador Daulet Yemberdiev, Director of Cooperation & Protocol Office, Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo, IOFS Senior Liaison Officer, along with Mr. Sofian Ben Mouaddeb, Senior Manager at the Cooperation & Protocol Office.

 

During the meeting, the two Institutions exchanged details of their main work and strategic frameworks in the field of food security and agriculture. Considering that 50% of IFAD’s annual budget is dedicated to Sub-Saharan African countries, the meeting agreed that the initial point of convergence would be the involvement of IFAD within the projects and activities celebrating 2022 as “IOFS Year of Africa”.

 

Separately, IFAD showed interest in understanding better IOFS’s Afghanistan Food Security Programme (AFSP) so as to study the possibility of rendering a helping hand for the successful implementation of the aforesaid Programme.

 

In this context, both Institutions are to continue consultations remotely and/or in-person towards defining the best modality on how to strengthen bilateral coordination within the agreed areas of common interests.