SESRIC participated in the Ministerial Session of the 7^th General Assembly of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) held virtually on 14 May 2026 in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. The high-level gathering brought together OIC Ministers of Agriculture, senior policymakers, representatives of relevant OIC institutions and international organizations to strengthen cooperation on food security across OIC member countries.

SESRIC, as the Executing Organ of the Vocational Education and Training Programme for Member Countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-VET), organised a Webinar on “The Roadmap for Facilitating Digital Transition in National VET Systems in OIC Member Countries” on 14 May 2026.

SESRIC participated in the 10^th International Occupational Health and Safety Conference held on 12–13 May 2026 in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye, under the theme “Shaping the Fu-ture Together: Sustainable Occupational Health and Safety for All”. The conference was or-ganised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Türkiye and brought together representatives from public institutions, international organisations, academ-ia, social partners, and relevant stakeholders to discuss recent developments and future per-spectives in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH).

SESRIC participated in the 42^nd Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the OIC (COMCEC), which convened to review recent developments under the COMCEC framework, including progress in the implementation of the COMCEC Strategy. The deliberations focused on the outcomes of the COMCEC Working Group Meetings and the status of projects planned for implementation in 2026 under the COMCEC Project Funding mechanism. Discussions covered key cooperation areas, namely intra-OIC trade, private sector development, financial cooperation, transport and communications, tourism, agriculture, poverty alleviation and digital transformation. Relevant OIC institutions also briefed the Committee on their ongoing activities in support of these cooperation areas.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Statistical Training Course on “Tourism Statistics” with the attendance of 81 experts from the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and Ministries of Tourism of 32 OIC Member Countries on 12-13 May 2026 through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC and Al-Mujadilah Center signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the World Decolonisation Forum, held in Istanbul on 11-12 May 2026, to further strengthen collaboration efforts.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK convened a bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz bin Muhareb AL-SHIBANI on the margins of the 5^th Istanbul International Water Forum.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Rustam Djurayevich QARSHIEV, Deputy Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan, on the margins of the 5^th Istanbul International Water Forum.

SESRIC participated in the 7^th International Culture Day organised by OSTİM Technical University on 6 May 2026 at its campus in Ankara. The fair served as a platform to explore diverse cultures, discover unique traditions and celebrate the University’s global community, bringing together students, academicians, and representatives of diplomatic missions.

Within the scope of the 5^th Istanbul International Water Forum, held under the theme “Strengthening Water Resilience: From Innovation to Action”, Dr. Atilla KARAMAN, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation, participated as a speaker in Session 1.3 titled “Strengthening Capacities for a Water-Resilient World”. The session brought together policymakers, experts, and development partners to discuss capacity-building strategies for enhancing water resilience amid growing climate and resource challenges.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK addressed the High-Level Panel on Water Efficiency during the 5^th Istanbul International Water Forum.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Prof. Dr. Hani Atif Nabhan SWEILAM, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt, on the margins of the 5th Istanbul International Water Forum.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Cheikh Tidiane DIÉYE, Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation of Senegal, on the margins of the 5th Istanbul International Water Forum.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Zaur MIKAYILOV, Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, on the sidelines of the 5^th Istanbul International Water Forum, held on 5–6 May 2026 in Istanbul.

H.E. Ms. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK delivered remarks on behalf of H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Secretary General of the OIC, during the Ministerial Closed Session held within the framework of the 5^th Istanbul International Water Forum with the theme “Strengthening Water Resilience: From Innovation to Action” on 5-6 May 2026. The closed session brought together Ministers responsible for water from various countries to exchange views on strategic priorities for strengthening water security and resilience.

SESRIC participated in the 5^th Istanbul International Water Forum (IIWF), jointly organized by the Turkish Water Institute (SUEN) and General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, on 5-6 May 2026. Under the theme “Strengthening Water Resilience: Innovation to Action”, the event served as a high-level platform for 9 ministers, 8 deputy ministers, and global experts to address escalating water challenges driven by climate change and rapid urbanisation.

SESRIC participated in the virtual meeting of the Steering Group of the International Forum on Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) held virtually on 5 May 2026. The meeting, convened by the Secretariat of the International Forum on TOSSD (IFT), brought together Steering Group members to deliberate on and approve the IFT Budget and Work Plan for the period 2027–2030.

SESRIC participated in the 48th Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). Held virtually on 5 May 2026, the meeting aimed to review and coordinate the contributions of OIC institutions to the implementation of the COMCEC Strategy and its Ministerial Policy Recommendations.

As part of its Statistical Experience Sharing Webinar Series, SESRIC, in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), organised a Webinar on “Integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into Population and Housing Censuses: Latest Trends” on 30 April 2026.

H.E. Özgür ARSLAN, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Republic of Niger, paid a courtesy visit to the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries headquarters in Ankara. He was received by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK.