SESRIC, the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) held a virtual technical meeting to advance the Collaborative on Administrative Data (CAD) initiative. The meeting aimed to establish new priorities for CAD, identifying potential collaborations, and initiate joint efforts to enhance the integration of administrative data into statistical production within the OIC region.

An Indonesian Ministerial delegation, led by Mr. Arianto Christian HARTONO, Coordinator of International Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (BAPPENAS), paid a courtesy visit to SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, Turkiye. The delegation included representatives from BAPPENAS, the Ministry of Cooperative and Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and Ministry of Trade of Indonesia. The visit aimed to enhance cooperation between SESRIC and Indonesian national institutions and to explore potential new areas of collaboration in addition to the existing ones.

SESRIC welcomed Prof. Zulfiqar ALI, Director of Programmes & Project Department at the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) at its Headquarters in Ankara on 23 May 2024.

SESRIC participated in the 40^th Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). The meeting aimed to review the implementation of the COMCEC Strategy and the OIC-2025 Programme of Action, and to address cooperation areas, including intra-OIC trade, private sector development, financial cooperation, transport and communications, tourism, agriculture, poverty alleviation, and digital transformation.

SESRIC participated in the first meetings of the General Assembly and Steering Group of the International Forum on TOSSD (IFT), hosted by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) in Oslo.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC, in collaboration with the National Health Institute (INSP) of the Ministry of Health of Tunisia, organised a Training Course on “Health Statistics” with the participation of 10 experts from the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and Ministries of Health of 6 French speaking OIC countries through an online video conferencing platform.

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 “Harnessing Digitalization and AI for the Advancement of OIC Stock Exchanges”.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC, in collaboration with the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), organised a Training Course on “Labour Statistics” on 20-21 May 2024.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised an Online Training Course on “SDG 5 (Gender Equality) Indicators” with the participation of 17 experts from the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and relevant national authorities of 7 Arabic-speaking countries of the OIC.

On the margins of the High-Level Regional Seminar on Promoting Cancer Awareness and Advocacy Programme in Abuja, H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Prince Adeyemi ADENIRAN, the Statistician General of the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The meeting aimed to strengthen and expand the collaborative efforts between the NBS and SESRIC.

SESRIC and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) convened virtually on 17 May 2024, for a coordination meeting aimed at exploring potential collaborations and joint initiatives. Among the prospective collaborations discussed were capacity building programmes related to environment.

SESRIC participated in the 44^th Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC). The objective of the meeting was to review and coordinate the activities and programmes of OIC institutions and to report to COMCEC Sessions.

The “High-Level Regional Seminar on Promoting Cancer Awareness and Advocacy Programmes in OIC African Member States” was held in Abuja, Nigeria on 15-16 May 2024 under the auspices of H.E. Senator Oluremi TINUBU, First Lady of Nigeria, and was organised by the @OIC_OCI General Secretariat in collaboration with relevant OIC institutions and international organizations to address the critical challenges of cancer burden in the OIC Countries, particularly in Africa. The seminar aimed to facilitate the sharing of regional best practices and promote coordination mechanisms in cancer registry, control planning, and implementation.

Within the framework of the SESRIC Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme (Agri-CaB), the Centre, in collaboration with the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) of Pakistan, organised a Training Course on “Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)” on 14-15 May 2024 through an online video conferencing platform.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Amb. Yusron Bahauddin AMBARY, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the OIC, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The meeting focused on exploring opportunities to expand cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK engaged in a fruitful discussion with H.E. Amb. Tarig ALI BAKHEET, OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural, and Social Affairs, at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and H.E. Dr. Ahmad Kawesa SENGENDO, OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, engaged in a fruitful discussion at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah. The meeting served as a platform to exchange insights on innovative approaches to drive socio-economic development in OIC countries.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Mr. Liaquat Ali WARRAICH, Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the OIC on 12 May 2024 in Jeddah. The meeting served as a platform to reaffirm the strong and continuing partnership between SESRIC and national institutions of Pakistan.

SESRIC and the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan formalised their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 8 May 2024 in Ankara.

SESRIC hosted a delegation of young diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Palestine, accompanied by representatives from Diplomacy Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Türkiye, at its Headquarters in Ankara. The delegation was warmly received by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC.