Training Workshop on Data Collection and Analysis of Trade-in-Services among the OIC Member States
Date: 23-25 March 2021
Venue: Virtual-SESRIC, Ankara and ICDT, Casablanca - Morocco

SESRIC in collaboration with Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group organised the “Virtual Training Workshop on Data Collection and Analysis of Trade-in-Services among the OIC Member States” on 23-25 March 2021. Around 200 participants from the National Statistical Offices, Central Banks, and Ministries of Trade of 36 OIC Member Countries as well as representatives of international organisations including Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and World Trade Organisation (WTO) attended the workshop.

The Training Workshop aimed to introduce the new methodologies of collecting, harmonizing and analysing trade-in-services data to the participants and to help negotiators in trade-in-services approach new markets by using these data with a view to boosting the intra-OIC services trade while achieving the relevant goals of the OIC-2025 Plan of Action and related SDGs.

In his speech at the opening session, H.E. Mr. Nebil DABUR, Director General of SESRIC, highlighted the important role of the services sector in the global economy and the growth and development of OIC countries. He also underlined that services sector is a crucial component in poverty reduction policies where access to basic services, including education, water and health services is a basic requirement. H.E. Mr. DABUR also briefed the participants on the various activities of SESRIC in the domain of trade statistics. In particular, he highlighted examples from SESRIC training activities on international trade statistics within the framework of SESRIC Statistical Capacity Building Programme (StatCaB) as well as the OICStat Database which currently hosts around 1200 socio-economic statistical indicators including 121 indicators on trade.

In her welcoming remarks, H.E. Mrs. Latifa ELBOUABDELLAOUI, Director General of ICDT, emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation among the OIC countries as well as collaboration with the relevant international organisations with regards to techniques for dealing with data on trade-in-services which has become a necessity to achieve successful economic partnerships that increase the sector’s contribution to overcome the economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Virtual Training Workshop on Data Collection and Analysis of Trade-in-Services among the OIC Member States covered the following topics:

  • Importance of Trade in Services Statistics and Relevant Classifications;
  • Experiences of Regional Institutions on Collection of Trade-in-Services Data;
  • Challenges in Measuring Trade-in-Services;
  • Experiences of OIC Member Countries on Trade in Services Data Collection and Analysis; and
  • Trade in Services Data Analysis.

During the Training Workshop, SESRIC chaired the session on the “Importance of Trade in Services Statistics and Relevant Classifications” and delivered a presentation during the session on the “Experiences of Regional Institutions on Collection of Trade-in-Services Data”.

All the documents, reports, and other related materials of the Training Workshop are available at this link .