SESRIC has participated actively in preparing the “Action Plan for the OIC Cotton Producing Countries and the Cooperation Development Strategy (2007-2011)”, which has been adopted by the 3rd Expert Group Meeting on “Enhancing Production Efficiency and International Competitiveness”. SESRIC also participated actively in the “Forum on Enhancement and Promotion of Trade and Investment in the Cotton Sector among OIC Member Countries”, which was organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Turkey in collaboration with the OIC General Secretariat and held in Istanbul on 12-13 November 2007. The Centre participated in the preparation for the said forum through providing some technical contributions to the Forum website, preparing the list of participants and designing the questionnaire on the needs and capacities of the OIC cotton producing countries. The Centre also presented a working paper at the said Forum titled “The Cotton Sector in the OIC Countries: Problems and Possibilities of Cooperation”, which highlights the importance of cotton in the OIC countries in terms of production and trade. It investigates the challenges facing the OIC cotton producing countries and provides a brief analysis of the world cotton markets. The paper also elaborates on some possible ways of cooperation among the OIC member countries in this important sector and concludes with the recommendation of establishing an OIC Cotton Alliance among OIC cotton producers, traders and industrialists to coordinate such cooperation.
SESRIC is an active member in both the Steering Committee and Project Committee of the OIC Forum on Enhancement and Promotion of Trade and Investment in Cotton Sector among OIC Member Countries.
Cooperation in the cotton sector is an important initiative within the OIC which was vitalized after the WTO Talks collapsed at Cancun Conference in 2004 because of the disagreement on the subsidies to the cotton sector. Cotton is crucial product for some OIC Countries especially the countries in West and Central Africa.
|
The Third Meeting of the Project Committee and the Fourth Meeting of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of the OIC Cotton Action Plan were held on 27-28 September in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco. The Third Project Committee Meeting was chaired by Dr. Osman Mahjoub ELFIEL, from the IDB Group and the Fourth Steering Committee Meeting was chaired by Mr. İsmail KALENDER, General Manager, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of the Turkey.
The First Meeting of the Steering Committee for the implementation of the OIC Cotton Cooperation Programme was held on 12 May 2008 in Antalya, Republic of Turkey.
Within the framework of the implementation of the Action Plan for the OIC Cotton Producing Countries’ Cooperation Development Strategy (2007-2011), the Forum on Enhancement and Promotion of Trade and Investment in Cotton Sector among OIC Member Countries was organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Turkey in collaboration with the OIC General Secretariat and held in Istanbul on 12-13 November 2007.