Ihsanoglu stresses on creating links between economic growth and social development and promotion of food security and rural development in OIC countries

Date: 16/12/2011

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, stressed on creating an appropriate link between economic growth and social development which constitutes one of the major components of the OIC economic cooperation strategy to address the spate of poverty and hunger in a number of OIC countries. Addressing the First Ministerial Review Conference of the Turkey-Africa Partnership on 16 December 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey, Ihsanoglu underscored the need for the OIC Member States to increase their collaboration to promote food security and rural development.   The Secretary General seized the opportunity to encourage all decision-makers in the OIC countries to give due priority to the implementation of the OIC Trade Preferential Scheme, which has greater potentials to expand national economies and create jobs for the increasing populations. He thanked Turkey for convening the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit which provides a practical example of enhancement through increased investments, trade and exchanges as opposed to aid donation alone.   Outlining the OIC activities and programmes in support of the poor segments of populations in the OIC countries, Ihsanoglu underlined the successes achieved by the OIC through a number of mechanisms such as the Special Programme for the Development of Africa; and the OIC Emergency Response Mechanism for Intervention in Disasters Zones through which the OIC was able to secure financial pledges amounting to USD350 million through such mechanism and has continued to play a leading role among the various international players in the relief efforts in Somalia. The Secretary General also underlined the on-going alliance between the OIC and the African Union on the execution of the OIC Dakar-Port Sudan Railway Project which will herald the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between the OIC and African Union.   On the margins of the meeting, the OIC Secretary General had substantive bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Chad, Djibouti, Guinea, Nigeria, Niger, Togo, Sierra Leone, Benin and Somalia with a view to maintaining and enhancing the existing capacity avenues between those nations and the OIC.

Other Press

No press releases assigned to this case yet.