Istanbul, 02 November 2024 – Upon instructions of His Excellency Ambassador Berik Aryn, the Director General of the Islamic Organization of Food Security (IOFS), Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Chief Multilateral Affairs Officer represented the Organization at the Senior Official Meeting Preparatory to the 40th Ministerial Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), being held in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye.
In his address, Mr. Manafi highlighted the centrality of food security issues within the economic domains and interests of all Member States. In such context and while emphasizing the excellent relationship the IOFS enjoys with COMCEC, he reported on the activities held since the last Ministerial Session, highlighting the successful implementation of i) Africa Food Security Initiative (AFSI), emphasizing the activities of IOFS that were held for the first time in Benin, Gambia, and Uganda, particularly in searching for innovative solutions for cassava post-harvest loss and waste reduction; ii) the Afghanistan Food Security Program (AFSP), with the focus on the project on Wheat Cultivation for Sustainable Development in West Afghanistan implemented in October 2024 in collaboration with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), as well the overall implementation of iii) the IOFS Strategic Vision 2031, highlighting the working groups that were established with some Member States for the development of Wheat, including with Libya and Mauritania
The IOFS Representative also requested the Meeting to support the Organization in its Gaza Appeal, thanking those Member States that have already extended their generous support accordingly, including Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Qatar, and Tajikistan.
Additionally, and taking into account that the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates (MOCCAE) has graciously invited the IOFS to be an institutional partner for the holding of the Global Food Security Summit (GFSS) on 26-27 November 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Mr. Manafi encouraged the participating Member States and relevant OIC Institutions to actively participate and contribute for the successful convening of this important gathering.
The Senior Officials are therefore expected to adopt all related documents, including the Resolutions of the 40th COMCEC Ministerial Session on 03 November 2024, and the same is to be opened on the following day under the chairmanship of the His Excellency Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Republic of Türkiye.
It should be noted that, for the first time, the IOFS Subsidiary, the International Islamic Food Processing Association (IFPA), represented by its CEO Mr. Saleh Lootah, attended the COMCEC Meeting, which was requested to include it in the periodical Trade Working Group Meetings with a view to supporting IFPA’s relevant initiatives within intra-OIC trade promotion.
