To commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, SESRIC hosted the second edition of SESRIC Talks Series, bringing together high-level representatives of the diplomatic corps, distinguished experts and participants from international and Turkish national institutions.

Within the framework of SESRIC’s Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme (Agri-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), organised a Workshop on “Eco-Friendly Livestock Production Practices for Sustainable Agriculture” on 18-19 March 2025.

SESRIC held a technical meeting with the Ministry of Economy of the Sultanate of Oman on 17 March 2025 to discuss potential areas of cooperation in the economic sector.

Within the framework of the Vocational Education and Training Programme for the Member Countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-VET) and in line with the OIC-TVET Strategic Roadmap 2020-2025, SESRIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education of Türkiye, the Islamic Community Youth Forum (ICYF), and the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation, organised a webinar on "Encouraging Green Skills for Youth towards Sustainable Development" on 13 March 2025.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Amb. Hameed Ajibaiye OPELOYERU, Permanent Observer of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to the United Nations, on the margins of the 69^th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, USA.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Ilze BRANDS KEHRIS, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), on the sidelines of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York.

On the sidelines of the 69^th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York, H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Navid HANIF, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

Within the framework of its Cotton Capacity Building Programme (Cotton-CaB), SESRIC organised an online Training Course on “Sustainable Cotton Production in OIC Countries: Strengthening Farmer Resilience and Economic Growth” on 11-12 March 2025.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Training Course on “Forecast Modelling” for the benefit of the 19 statisticians, financial analysts, accountants and HR specialists working at the Agency for Sustainable and Operative Social Provision (DOST Agency) of Republic of Azerbaijan on 11-13 March 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC participated in the 69^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) on 10-21 March 2025 at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York. The event brought together representatives from UN member states, UN entities, International Organisations, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from different regions worldwide.

SESRIC, in collaboration with the OIC Permanent Observer Mission to the UN and the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, organised a side event titled “Baku Climate Coalition for SMEs’ Green Transition: Women Empowerment” on the margins of the 69^th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on 10 March 2025 in New York, USA.

SESRIC participated in the 3^rd Steering Group Meeting of the International Forum on TOSSD held on 10-12 March 2025 in hybrid format - in Paris at the OECD Boulogne premises and online.

SESRIC, in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), organized a side event titled “Harnessing Technological Developments for Modernizing National Statistical Systems in OIC and ESCWA Member Countries” on 6 March 2025 in the margins of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) at the Turkish Mission (Türkevi Centre) in New York.

SESRIC, in its capacity as the Secretariat of the OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom), organised the Follow-up Meeting of the 13^th Session of the OIC-StatCom on 5 March 2025 as a side event of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission in New York, USA. 30 delegates from 18 OIC countries, as well as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) attended the meeting.

The 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) took place from 4-7 March 2025 in New York, bringing together representatives from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and international organizations.

Within the framework of Water Resources Management Capacity Building Programme (Water-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), organised a workshop on "Exploring the Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus for Sustainable Development in OIC Countries" on 3 March 2025, through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC participated in the 45^th Session of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA), held on 3 March 2025 in New York, in the margins of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC). The meeting brought together representatives from international and supranational organizations to enhance inter-agency coordination and cooperation on statistics.

Within the framework of the Competition Authorities Capacity Building Programme (CA-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), has successfully held a Webinar on “Improving Consumer Protection Regulation on Standards and Safety” on 27 February 2025.

SESRIC paid a courtesy visit to the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and held a meeting with Mr. Murat KAZANCI, Deputy President of YTB, to discuss ongoing cooperation and future collaboration opportunities.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Tasnim ATATRAH, WHO Representative and Head of the Türkiye Country Office. The meeting aimed to enhance collaboration of both institutions in key public health areas by exploring avenues for strengthening cooperation in common member countries of the OIC and WHO.

As part of its Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building (Agri-CaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Webinar on “Prospect for Bioenergy Production from Sugar Palms” on 26 February 2025, with the facilitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.

SESRIC participated in the Workshop on “Membrane Technologies for Desalination and Wastewater” organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) on 26 February 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Over 130 participants from OIC countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Senegal, Türkiye, and Yemen participated in workshop.

Within the framework of its Stock Exchanges Capacity Building Programme (SE-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with Borsa Istanbul, the Secretariat of the OIC Exchanges Forum (OICEF), organised an online Training Course on “Sustainable Growth and Climate Resilience: Islamic Green Finance in OIC Capital Markets.”

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Training Course on “SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth) Indicators” with the attendance of 56 participants from 26 National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of the OIC countries on 25-26 February 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK addressed the “First Meeting for Networking of Water Centres of Excellence in OIC Member Countries,” organised by OIC General Secretariat and COMSTECH in Islamabad, Pakistan. The meeting brought together experts, researchers, and policymakers to address critical challenges related to water security within OIC community.

SESRIC participated in the First Meeting for Networking of Water Centers of Excellence in OIC Member States organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and OIC General Secretariat on 24-25 February 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. SESRIC also provided technical content to enrich the relevant sessions of this meeting.

SESRIC held a meeting with the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye to discuss ways to strengthen existing cooperation efforts.

Within the framework of SESRIC Halal Capacity Building Programme and in collaboration with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), SESRIC, co-organised a Training Course on “Advanced Halal Food Processing Techniques: Ensuring Safety and Quality” on 19-20 February 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

In collaboration with AITRS, ESCWA, IEA, TURKSTAT, and UNSD, SESRIC organised a virtual side event titled “Accelerating Data-Driven Energy Transitions through Collaborative Data Ecosystems” in the margins of the 56^th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC).

SESRIC held a meeting with the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) to explore potential new areas of collaboration in promoting women’s economic empowerment within the business sector across the OIC countries.

Within the framework of the OIC Public Employment Service Network (OIC-PESNET) and Public Employment Services Capacity Building Programme (PES-CaB), SESRIC successfully organised a webinar on “AI’s Impact on Labour Market Matching: Insights and Strategies” on 12 February 2025. The webinar was provided by competent experts from, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Türkiye, and International Labour Organisation (ILO), and brought together 107 participants from 32 OIC Countries.

SESRIC participated in the online Regional Consultations for Reviewing the Draft Strategic Plan for Ensuring Food Security in OIC Member States (Arab, African and Asian) organized by the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) on 11-13 February 2025. These consultations aimed to review the draft Strategic Plan for Ensuring Food Security in OIC Member Countries and gather feedback from representatives of the African, Arab, and Asian groups. The discussions were held in line with the outcomes of the 9^th Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development, which took place in Doha, Qatar, in October 2023.

SESRIC took part in the Annual Meeting of the Global Network of Institutions for Statistical Training (GIST) hosted virtually on 10 February 2025 from New York. The meeting brought together GIST members, the Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAG), and National Statistical Offices (NSOs) to review the progress made over the past year and set strategic priorities for 2025.

SESRIC held a meeting with the representatives of the Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Türkiye to discuss their ongoing cooperation under the OIC-OSHNET initiative.

SESRIC welcomed a delegation of public officials, diplomats, academics, and researchers studying the Turkish language and culture in Ankara as part of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB)’s KATIP Programme. The delegation included 16 participants from 16 countries and three experts from YTB.

SESRIC welcomed a group of Nigerian students studying at Turkish universities to its headquarters.

SESRIC welcomed representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye to discuss potential areas of collaboration on environmental issues across OIC countries.

Within the framework of the Social Development Capacity Building Programme (SD-CaB), SESRIC successfully organized an online Workshop on “Developing Inclusive Education Programs in the Domain of Science and Technology in OIC-Africa Countries” on 4 February 2025.

SESRIC launched its new programme series “SESRIC Talks” hosting H.E. Amb. Cenk URAZ, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Türkiye to the OIC, as the inaugural guest speaker on the topic “Türkiye as a Member of the OIC” on 4 February 2025 at its Headquarters in Ankara.

SESRIC held a technical meeting with the Agency for Development of Public Service of Uzbekistan (ARGOS), with the facilitation of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the OIC, to explore potential areas of cooperation between the two institutions.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK addressed the Sustainable Tourism Forum in Karachi, Pakistan, highlighting the immense potential of the OIC countries in advancing sustainable tourism. The Forum, jointly organized by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD), the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), provided a vital platform to discuss innovative strategies for sustainable tourism growth.

The SESRIC delegation, led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, participated in the Second Meeting of the OIC Intergovernmental Expert Group held at the OIC General Secretariat Headquarters in Jeddah Saudi Arabia on 26-29 January 2025 to discuss the draft Programme of Action for the period 2026-2035.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK signed the Declaration on the Baku Climate Coalition for SMEs’ Green Transition on 23 January 2025, recognising that the Declaration’s goals and strategies align with SESRIC’s mandate, South-South and triangular cooperation mechanisms, and its commitment to sustainable development and collaborative efforts at the OIC level.

The 48^th Meeting of the Board of Directors of SESRIC convened on 23 January 2025 at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, with the participation of representatives from the newly elected member countries of the OIC for the three-year term spanning January 2025 to January 2028. The meeting included Dr. Ola AWAD (State of Palestine), Mr. Alpha Bacar BARRY (Republic of Guinea), Mr. Salih TANRIKULU (Republic of Türkiye), Ms. Wafa ALYAHYA (State of Kuwait, virtual participation), Mr. SARPONO (Indonesia), Mr. Abdirahman Omar DAHIR (Republic of Somalia), Mr. Muhammad Humair KARIM (Islamic Republic of Pakistan), Mr. Nendjot PATRICE (Gabonese Republic) and Mr. Abbas DARBOE (Republic of The Gambia).

Within the framework of the Public Employment Services Capacity Building Programme (PES-CaB) and in line with the OIC Public Employment Services Network (OIC-PESNET) Work Plan 2024-2026, SESRIC, in collaboration with the National Agency for Employment and Independent Work of Tunisia (ANETI), organised a Training Course on “Entrepreneurship and Business Creation” on 21-22 January 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

Within the framework of its Competition Authorities Capacity Building Programme (CA-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and, the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC), organised a Training Course on “The Role of Competition Policy in Enhancing Intra-OIC Trade” on 21-22 January 2025 through an online video conferencing platform.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Mr. Saif ANJUM, Federal Secretary, Ministry for Industries and Production Division of Pakistan.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. SHAH at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Islamabad.

A fruitful bilateral meeting took place between H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and Dr. Naeem Uz ZAFAR, Chief Statistician of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK participated in the International Conference on “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities,” held on 10-12 January 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. This event was organized by the Muslim World League in collaboration with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training of Pakistan.

SESRIC and the National Institute of Statistics (INS) of the Republic of Guinea have formalized their collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) as part of the project titled “Integration of Tobacco Questions for Surveys (TQS) into the National Surveys in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member Countries”. The MoA was signed by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, and H.E. Dr. Makan DOUMBOUYA, Director General of INS of Guinea.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a courtesy visit to the recently appointed Ambassador of Kuwait in Ankara, H.E. Abdulaziz ALADWANI, to discuss strengthening ties between SESRIC and Kuwait.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Amb. Abdulhamed HAMZA, Representative of the League of Arab States to Türkiye.

SESRIC held a technical cooperation meeting with the University of Respati Indonesia (URINDO), with the co-facilitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (MoFA-Indonesia), to explore potential areas of cooperation between the two institutions.