H.E. Mr. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Commerce and Industry, chaired Qatar’s delegation to the 36th Ministerial meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), which was held through video conferencing technology.

The meeting, which took place on November 25 and 26, was chaired by H.E. President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The meeting featured discussions on the report relating to the implementation of the COMCEC Strategy and the OIC 2016-2025 Program of
Action. The OIC General Secretariat reported on the progress and recent developments in the implementation of the OIC 2025: Program of Action.

The 36th COMCEC meeting also touched on global economic developments, with a special focus on the social and economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on OIC Member States. In this context, the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries, presented its annual report on global economic developments while Member States highlighted their views and shared their experience with regards to recent economic developments.

The meeting also featured discussions on a number of topics relating to intra-OIC trade. The heads of participating delegations discussed issues of mutual concern, including efforts to improve the contribution of the private sector to economic cooperation among member of the OIC. In this regard, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture presented its report on the latest developments of the private sector meetings while the COMCEC Coordination Office shared a summary of the outcomes of the working groups meetings on transport and communication, the development of a sustainable and competitive tourism sector, increasing agricultural productivity and sustaining food security.

Established in 1981, COMCEC is the main forum for multilateral economic and trade cooperation in the Islamic world and acts as a central platform through which development challenges facing the Islamic world are addressed.