Establishment of the OIC Food Security Institution
Date: 11-13 June 2013
Venue: Astana - Kazakhstan

In order to finalize the constituent instrument of the approved OIC Food Security Institution in Kazakhstan, the Intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting (EGM) has been held in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan during 11-13 June 2013. The meeting followed the decision of the 39th Session of the OIC CFM, which was held in Djibouti on 15-17 November 2012 and the 12th Session of Islamic Summit, which took place in Cairo, Egypt on 2-7 February 2013.

The meeting attended by more than 50 experts from 30 OIC member countries. The representatives of OIC institutions including General Secretariat, SESRIC, ICDT and IDB as well as regional and international organizations, namely ECO and IFAD, also attended the meeting. The Centre was represented by Dr Kenan Bagci, Senior Researcher.

In the opening session, Mr. Muslim Umiryayev, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan underscored the importance of the meeting in devising strategies of the OIC member states to tackle the challenges in the domain of agriculture and food security as well as building a more prosperous future for Muslim nations. After briefing the participants on the agricultural potentials of Kazakhstan, he emphasized his country’s keenness in promoting rewarding intra-OIC cooperation in the domain of food security.

In his statement, Mr. Kairat Sarybay, Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, stated that the initiative of Kazakhstan was aimed at transforming the current challenges facing the Muslim Ummah into opportunities through fostering the culture of competitiveness and assisting OIC member states to realize their full potentials in the food security sector. While delivering the message of the OIC General Secretariat, Amb. Hameed Opeloyeru, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, emphasized the urgent need to address the institutional and operational gaps in the cooperation framework of OIC countries in the domain of agriculture, rural development and food security.

The meeting listened to the background report presented by the OIC General Secretariat on the extent of the work so far accomplished towards establishing an OIC Food Security institution, in particular the compilation of the views of OIC member states on the initial draft of the constituent instrument of the proposed institution and subsequent elaboration of the harmonized text of the constituent instrument in the form of draft Statute of the proposed institution.

The meeting exhaustively examined the Draft Statute and made several amendments to its provisions. It, thereafter, adopted the Statute of the new institution and recommended the document for consideration and adoption by the Council of Foreign Affairs of OIC. The meeting adopted the name for the institution as: Islamic Organization for Food Security.

The meeting expressed appreciation for the offer by the Government of Kazakhstan to cover the running cost of the Secretariat of the Organization for the next three years with effect from the entry into force of the Statute.

The meeting also took note of the provision of the Resolution No. 3/39-E adopted by the 39th session of the OIC CFM held in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti, on 15-17 November 2012, regarding the offer of the Republic of Djibouti to host a Centre for OIC Food Security Reserve for East, Central, Southern and Horn of Africa in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti.