The 23rd Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC was held on 29-31 May 2007 in Ankara, Turkey with the participation of 11 member countries of the Committee and Azerbaijan as observer.

The OIC General Secretariat and the following subsidiary, affiliated and specialised organs (SESRTCIC, ICDT, IDB, and ICCI) attended the Meeting. The representative of the UNIDO Regional Office in Ankara also attended the Meeting. Mr. Nabil Dabour and Mr. Suleyman İslamoğlu represented the Centre at the Meeting.

The Committee reviewed and discussed the progress achieved in the implementation of the resolutions and decisions of the 22nd COMCEC Session, which was held in November 2006 in Istanbul. It also prepared the Draft Agenda of the 23rd COMCEC Session, which will be held in Istanbul in November 2007.

In so doing, the Committee reviewed and discussed a set of common economic matters with a view to enhancing economic and commercial cooperation among the member countries. These include, among others, the expansion of intra-OIC trade and investment, the results of the 2nd Round of Trade Negotiations for Trade Preferential System among the OIC Member States (TPS-OIC), Cooperation among the stock exchanges of the OIC member countries, the capacity building programme for poverty alleviation, preparation for the exchange of views on “Micro-Credit Financing and Poverty Alleviation in Member States”.

In its capacity as a coordinator institution for the exchange of views sessions of the COMCEC, the Centre presented the following two documents to the meeting: (1) Draft Proposal on “Workshop on Micro-Credit Financing and Poverty Alleviation in Member States”. (2) Draft Proposal on “A New Mechanism for the Preparation and Implementation of the Exchange of Views Sessions of the COMCEC”.

After the deliberations, the Committee proposed the following themes for the Exchange of Views Session to be held during the 23rd Session of the COMCEC, scheduled for 13-16 November 2007:

In this context, the Committee request SESRTCIC, in its capacity as the coordinator institution of the exchange of views sessions, to explore the member countries’ views on each subsequent theme through regular circulation of a special questionnaire to the member countries and analysis of their responses on the subject matter.

Theme 1: E-government (Implementation)
Theme 2: Improving Investment Climate
Theme 3: Economic Impact of Vocational Training
Theme 4: The Impact of Exchange Rate Policies and Currency Harmonisation on Intra-OIC Trade

Under Agenda Item “Any Other Business", the Centre briefed the Committee on its Proposal on Vocational Education and Training Action Programme for the OIC Member Countries.

Taking note of the said proposal, the Committee requested SESRTCIC to prepare a full-fledged report on the proposal and submit it to the 23rd Session of the COMCEC for consideration by the member countries.

Draft Proposal on “Workshop on Micro-Credit Financing and Poverty Alleviation in Member States”.

Draft Proposal on “A New Mechanism for the Preparation and Implementation of the Exchange of Views Sessions of the COMCEC”.

Final Report

List of Participants

Draft Agenda of 23rd Session of COMCEC