The Twenty-second Session of the COMCEC
Date: 21-26 November 2006
Venue: Istanbul - Türkiye

The Twenty-second Session of the COMCEC convened in Istanbul on 21-24 November 2006 with the participation of delegates from 43 member countries, the COMCEC Coordination Office, the OIC General Secretariat, and its subsidiary, specialized and affiliated organs, namely, the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRTCIC), Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT), Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Organisation of Islamic Shipowners Association (OISA) and Association of National Development Finance Institutions (ADFIMI). The Session was also attended by the representatives of some international institutions such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), Federation of Consultants from Islamic Countries (FCIC), Federation of Contractors from Islamic Countries (FOCIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Developing Eight (D-8), and West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). The Centre was represented thereat by Dr. Savas Alpay, Director General, Mr. Ilhan Ugurel, Adviser, Dr. Mehmet Barca, Adviser, Mr. Nabil Dabour, Senior Researcher, and Mr. Yakup Karaca, Senior Researcher.

A meeting of senior officials was held on 21-22 November to discuss and deliberate on the various items on the agenda of the COMCEC to which the Centre contributed four reports and background documents, namely “Annual Economic Report on the OIC Countries, 2006”, “Review of the Agreements and Statutes in the Field of Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation among the OIC Member States”, “Review of the Mechanism of the COMCEC Exchange of Views Sessions”, and “The Possibility of Establishing a Free Trade Area among the OIC Member Countries”.

The Ministerial Session was held on 23 November where the Ministers and Heads of Delegation reviewed and adopted the draft resolutions prepared by the senior officials on several matters related to economic cooperation among the OIC member countries as well as to the economic assistance to some member countries. The Ministers also decided that “Micro-Credit Financing and Poverty Alleviation in the Member States” be the theme of the exchange of views at the next session of the COMCEC, designated the SESRTCIC to take full responsibility as the coordinator institution for the exchange of views, and requested the Centre to organise, in collaboration with the IDB, the OIC General Secretariat and the other relevant OIC and international institutions, a workshop on the topic and submit its report to the Twenty-third Session of the COMCEC.

The Ministers also agreed that the Twenty-third Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC convene on 22-24 May 2007, and the Twenty-third Session of the COMCEC on 13-16 November 2007.