Press Briefing on the Outcomes of the 5th General Assembly of IOFS

The Islamic Organization for Food Security hosted a briefing on the Outcomes of the 5^th General Assembly, in a hybrid format on October 12, 2022 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The key speakers of the briefing included, Dr. Ismail Abdelhamid, Director of the Programmes and Projects Office, Ambassador Daulet Yemberdiyev, Director of the International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Office, and Ambassador Murat Tashibayev, Adviser to His Excellency the Director General of IOFS. Journalists from 10 countries gathered at the briefing.

The report of the briefing stated that at the 5th General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, member states discussed the adoption of important programs to further develop agriculture and address food security issues in member states.

It was also noted that IOFS proclaimed 2022 as the Year of Africa for the development and implementation of relevant projects aimed at developing the continent with the support of Member States and other stakeholders, including international organizations.

The speakers highlighted that Africa has not been able to achieve the sustainable development goal of eliminating hunger and ensuring food security (SDG 2). Therefore, the organization is constantly working with African governments and relevant partners to develop the agricultural landscape of Africa, for which it has increased its activities in various member states through strategic development plans.

IOFS CEO Yerlan Baidaulet, in his speech at the 5th General Assembly (5GA), presented a report on the activities carried out over the past year. In particular, he noted that since September 2021, there has been a positive trend in the development of IOFS programs, Member States are actively involved in solving common food security issues.

During the Assembly, the Member States were able to discuss and adopt important programs for the further development of agriculture and the solution of the problem of food insecurity, especially in Africa.  The main outcomes included: OIC Food Security Reserve System (FSRs), the IOFS Secretariat, following a corresponding research study, proposed the establishment of six regional Food Reserves. The grain fund, geared towards intra-OIC economic cooperation, particularly in the field of agricultural development and food security with emphasis on funding and grain supply. The transformation and growth of the International Islamic Food Processing Association (IFPA). The Sheep Farming Fund, an investment project focused on establishing value chains and providing sustainable intra-OIC supplies of top-quality meat. The Annual IOFS Civil Society Forum, as Article 07 of the IOFS Statute provides the mandate for establishing closer collaboration with any non-governmental regional and international organizations concerned with agriculture, rural development and food security, the 5GA discussed providing the ground for the IOFS to initiate an Annual Civil Society Forum in strict collaboration and coordination with the Member States. IOFS Center for Plant and Animal Genetic Resources, the IOFS, considering the Almaty Forum Declaration, on establishing an International Center for Plant and Animal Genetic Resources, requested member states to consolidate efforts in establishing a storage facility of agricultural genetic resources within the OIC Geography. 

To conclude the report of the briefing, IOFS stated that the 5GA ministerial session welcomed Tajikistan as a full member of IOFS and expressed its gratitude to the Republic of Chad for signing the IOFS Charter, increasing the number of member states to 37. During the session, Azerbaijan stated that all internal measures are being taken to ensure that the country becomes a full member state of IOFS.

The speakers noted that the IOFS is a specialized agency of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), with a global mandate to ensure sustainable food security within the geography of the OIC through socio-economic development and the systematic promotion of targeted programs related to agriculture, science and technology, humanitarian aid, food trade and investments among the OIC member states

The briefing was concluded by a lively Question and Answer session, after which reporters were given a chance to chat and receive more information on the activities of the Islamic Organization for Food Security.

The Islamic Organization for Food Security thanks all the participants of the briefing for their support!