Brainstorming Session on ‘Enhancing Economic and Commercial Cooperation among the Member Countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)’
Date: 20-21 July 2009
Venue: Istanbul - Türkiye

Istanbul,TurkeyThe Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a brainstorming session on 20-21 July 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey, within the framework of the research project entitled "Enhancing Economic and Commercial Cooperation among the Member Countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)". This project was initiated by the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the OIC and is being under implementation by the SESRIC.

The aim of the project is to activate and enrich the Agenda of the COMCEC annual Ministerial Sessions with a view to enhancing and accelerating the pace of economic and commercial cooperation among the OIC member countries and achieving more tangible end-results.

The main objective of this project is to develop new concrete, feasible and practical proposals for increasing and enhancing commercial cooperation and investment among the OIC member countries besides focusing on potential areas of cooperation in trade and investment including, but not limited to, agriculture and tourism sectors. These proposals will be prepared in light of the current state and level of cooperation among the OIC Member Countries in these areas while considering the current and prospected global developments and challenges as well as the relative agenda of other intergovernmental and international organisations.

The proposals will be based on data analysis, findings of research and outcome of field activities such as surveys and interviews. Finally, the outcome of this brainstorming session was one of the main inputs of the proposal development process.

The session brought together a number of experts and eminent figures from the OIC member countries and relevant international and regional institutions.