The 9th Meeting of the OIC Standardisation Experts Group
Date: 16-18 April 2008
Venue: Ankara - Türkiye

The 9th Meeting of the OIC Standardisation Experts Group, which was entrusted by the 23rd Session of the COMCEC with the task of studying and developing the OIC Halal Food Standards, was held in Ankara, Republic of Turkey on 16-18 April 2008 at the Headquarters of the Turkish Standards Institution (TSI).

The Meeting was attended by the representatives of 24 OIC member countries, the COMCEC Coordination Office, ICCI, ICDT and SESRIC. The representative of Bosnia Herzegovina attended the Meeting as observer. The OIC General Secretariat was represented by the SESRIC and ICDT. The objective of the Meeting was to discuss modalities of cooperation and structure for establishing an OIC system for Halal food certification based on acceptable base of general guidelines on food standards agreed by its beneficiaries within the OIC community.

Mr. Kenan Malatyalı, President of the Turkish Standards Institution (TSI), inaugurated the Meeting and Mr. Yavuz Mollasalihoğlu, Director General of Standardisation for Foreign Trade of the Under-secretariat for Foreign Trade of the Republic of Turkey, was elected as the Chairman. After the adoption of the Agenda and the Work Programme, a Drafting Committee was set up comprising the representatives of Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Sudan, Turkey and ICCI.

The representatives of the following OIC member countries and Bosnia Herzegovina as observer made presentations on the institutional structure of standardisation and standardisation practices in their countries: Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Morocco, Sudan, Uganda and Turkey. The representatives of the ICCI and ICDT also expressed their views and comments on the subject.

The Meeting unanimously agreed to establish a committee for preparing Halal Food Standards. The Committee on Halal Food Standards was then approved by the Meeting and consisted of the following members: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sudan, Turkey, COMCEC Coordination Office and the ICCI.

The Committee on Halal Food Standards convened in the morning session of the second day of the Meeting and designated Turkey as the Rapporteur or the coordinator for preparing the draft text on OIC Halal Food Standards. In so doing, Turkey will, within a time-table set for the planned work ending on 1 February 2009, collect all the necessary information on current Halal Food Standards available in the OIC member countries and in other relevant sources and communicate and discuss with the other members of the Committee all the related issues. The final text will be submitted to the 10th Meeting of the OIC Standardisation Experts Group for approval. In its capacity as the Rapporteur of the Committee, Turkey will present an interim report on the subject to the 24th Session of the COMCEC in October 2008.

The Meeting also agreed to establish another committee for determining the methodology for certification and accreditation procedures. The Committee on Certification and Accreditation Procedures for Halal Food Standards was then approved by the Meeting and consisted of the following members: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sudan, Turkey, Uganda, COMCEC Coordination Office and the ICCI.

The Committee on Certification and Accreditation Procedures for Halal Food Standards convened in the afternoon session of the second day of the Meeting and assigned Turkey, within a time-table set for the planned work ending on 1 February 2009, to collect all necessary information regarding the current certification and accreditation procedures and practices of all OIC member and to prepare by merging inputs, in collaboration with the other members of the Committee, proposals on OIC-based certification and accreditation scheme or system.

The Report of the Meeting, including the time-table set for the planned work of the Committee on Halal Food Standards and that of the Committee on Certification and Accreditation Procedures, was prepared by the Drafting Committee and adopted by the Meeting. The 10th Meeting of the OIC Standardisation Experts Group, which will be hosted by the ICCI, has been decided to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in February 2009.