Under the patronage of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, the 9th Ministerial Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Food Security and Agricultural Development will begin on Sunday morning. Held under the slogan “Towards Achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in OIC Member States,” the conference will be hosted by the State of Qatar from October 1-2, with the participation of 46 countries.
At a press conference held today, Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al Marri said the State of Qatar is hosting this ministerial conference which will address a report on agricultural development and food security in the OIC member states and will also include presentations from the Islamic Development Bank and the Coordination Office of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) on financing projects in the field of agricultural development and food security.
Al Marri also indicated that the Islamic Organization for Food Security will give presentations on the strategic plan to ensure food security in the OIC member states, in addition to presentations from other institutions under the umbrella of the OIC on related activities.
For his part, HE OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs Dr Ahmad Kawesa Sengendo expressed his thanks to the State of Qatar for hosting this important meeting, which comes after a period that witnessed many crises affecting food supply chains, a matter which shows the urgent and dire need for food security.
Through this meeting, he said, they seek to ensure cooperation and coordination among the OIC countries to become food producing and exporting countries by implementing strategic plans for food security.
The conference, in which 46 countries will participate, represented by two deputy prime ministers, 26 ministers, 17 secretaries-general, head of a body, and 20 international organizations, aims to discuss the situation of agriculture and food security in the OIC member states, identify priorities and agree on how to deal with challenges related to enhancing food security in OIC member states.
The conference also reviews the activities of the Islamic Organization for Food Security and other institutions affiliated with the OIC in the fields of agriculture, rural development and food security. It discusses the status of agriculture and food security and financing agriculture and food security projects in the OIC member states, in addition to the meetings of the working group concerned with agriculture in the COMCEC and financing its projects, as well as discussing the strategic plan to ensure food security in the OIC member states.
It will consider the proposals submitted by member states to host the 10th edition of the conference in 2025. At the conclusion of the conference, the ministers of the OIC member states will take a decision on the decisions and results reached in Doha.
It is worth noting that the State of Qatar, which was elected head of the executive council of the Islamic Organization for Food Security during the 5th meeting of the General Assembly in 2022, seeks to contribute to advancing the issue of food security in the OIC countries. Its efforts in this regard has been crowned with the honor of hosting this important event.
The convening of the 9th Ministerial Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Municipality, coincides with its hosting of the International Horticultural Exhibition Expo 2023 Doha Qatar (Expo 2023 Doha), which will start on October 2 and will run for an impressive 179 days of celebrations, concluding on March 28, 2024. The event aims to attract over 3 million visitors, offering attendees the opportunity to explore exquisitely landscaped gardens and experience cultures from around the world.
The OIC is the second largest international organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The organization represents the collective voice of the Islamic world, and seeks to protect and express its interests in support of international peace and harmony and to strengthen relations between the various peoples of the world. The organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world, safeguarding and protecting the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
The 8th session of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development was held in Istanbul, the Republic of Turkiye, from October 25-27, 2021, under the slogan “Improvement of Food Systems for Ensuring Food Security in the OIC Member Countries
Source: Qatar News Agency