The State of Qatar participated in the meetings of the thirty-ninth session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), chaired by His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, from 2 to 5 December 2023.
Qatar’s participation in the meetings of the COMCEC reflects its commitment to continuous cooperation and the consolidation of bilateral relations with all the organization’s member states.
H.E. Mr. Sultan bin Rashid Al-Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, delivered a speech on behalf of the Arab group during his participation in the Ministerial Session of COMCEC. In his address, he praised the efforts of the Republic of Türkiye to enhance joint Islamic action and implement the COMCEC strategy and the ten-year plan of action (2016-2025).
H.E. emphasized that this meeting takes place in the context of significant geostrategic challenges, influencing the global economic landscape. These challenges require close collaboration within the Islamic community and the consolidation of economic and commercial cooperation under COMCEC to propel collective Islamic initiatives forward and support intra-trade relationships among the member states of the organization.
H.E. also expressed hope that this meeting will support the launch of initiatives and the establishment of a shared understanding to facilitate the active involvement of all member states, encompassing the implementation of the ten-year plan of action of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to elevate the proportion of intra-trade to 25% by 2025.
In the context of discussing the economic policies of the State of Qatar, H.E. emphasized that the state has achieved success through its long-standing economic diversification strategy, aligning with the Qatar National Vision 2030. This strategy has been essential in enhancing vital economic sectors, encouraging entrepreneurship, and supporting the small and medium enterprises sector, positioning Qatar as one of the world’s strongest economies.
The session included a comprehensive discussion on the implementation report of the COMCEC strategy. Additionally, the OIC implementation plan 2016-2025 (OIC – 2025: Programme of Action) was discussed, with the OIC General Secretariat presenting a detailed report on the progress achieved and recent developments.
The meeting covered global economic developments, focusing on member states of the OIC. It addressed several critical topics, including the development of financial cooperation among member states, enhancements in transport and communications infrastructure, efforts aimed at the development of the tourism sector, initiatives to boost agricultural production, ongoing measures to ensure food security, and collaborative endeavors in digital transformation. Furthermore, participants exchanged views on strategies to enhance e-commerce in the countries of the Islamic world.
Moreover, the meeting addressed various topics concerning intra-trade among the member states of the OIC. The leaders of participating delegations engaged in discussions on matters of mutual interest, exploring avenues to enhance the role of the private sector in economic cooperation among member states. In this context, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture presented a comprehensive report outlining recent developments from the private sector meetings.
The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), established in 1981, operates as the foremost platform for nurturing multilateral economic and commercial cooperation within the Islamic world.
