SESRIC and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) organised the First Interim Meeting of the Working Group on Macro-Prudential Regulations. The Meeting was held on 23 December 2012 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, under the hospitality of Central Bank of UAE. A total of 10 representatives from 7 central banks and monetary authorities of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, and SESRIC, attended the Meeting. SESRIC was represented in the Meeting by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin, Centre’s Researcher.

Mr. Yama Yari, advisor at the Ministry of Public Works of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan visited the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) on 21 December 2012 and had a meeting with the Mr. Huseyin Hakan Eryetli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department of the Centre.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised training on “Fiber Technology: Contamination” at the New Cotton Company of Togo (NSCT) in Atakpamé, Togo, on 20-22 December 2012. The course was provided by Mr Papa Fata NDIAYE, an expert from Society for Development of Textile (SODEFITEX) in Senegal, and was attended by scientists dealing with cotton production of the New Cotton Company of Togo (NSCT).

SESRIC and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) organised the First Interim Meeting of the Working Group on Liquidity Management in Islamic Finance. The Meeting was held on 20 December 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the hospitality of BNM. A total of 8 representatives from 5 central banks and monetary authorities of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, and SESRIC, attended the Meeting. SESRIC was represented in the Meeting by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin, Centre’s Researcher.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a training programme on “Inflation Targeting” at the Central Bank of Republic of Azerbaijan on 19-21 December 2012, within the framework of OIC Central Banks Capacity Building Programme. The Course was provided by Ms. Neslihan Kaya, expert of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey with participation of relevant members of Central Bank of Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Centre organised training course on “Income and Consumption” at the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA), on 19-20 December 2012. The course was provided by Ms. Fidaa Abtli, an expert from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and was attended by relevant staff members of the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA).

The 2nd International Conference on Management of Technology (MoT), IRAMOT 2012 Conference was held on December 16-17, 2012 in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran with presence of more than 800 participants. The conference is held annually to provide a platform and bring together the global community in the field of Technology Management.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) was represented in the International Conference on “Innovation in Skills Development for SMEs Competitiveness” in Ankara, Turkey on 14 December 2012 by Dr. Umut Ünal, Researcher, and Mr. Efe Kerem Aydin, Research Assistant.

Organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP),the Committee on Statistics held its third session on 12-14 December 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Committee Session was attended by 159 delegates from UNESCAP full and associate member countries and 36 representatives from 18 organisations. 9 out of the attending 35 UNESCAP member countries were also OIC member countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. The Centre was represented thereat by Dr. Savas Alpay, Director General, and Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher.

Dr. Savas Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, and Ketua Umum Prof. Said Aqil Siradj, General Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), Indonesia’s largest independent Muslim organization, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Jakarta, Indonesia on 11 December 2012. The MoU Signing Ceremony was attended by over 50 guests and Indonesian press and witnessed by two ministers of the Cabinet of the Republic of Indonesia including H.E. Mr. Muhaimin Iskandar, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, and H.E. Mr. Helmy Faishal Zaini, State Minister for Development of Disadvantaged Regions.

SESRIC and International Anatolian Health Federation (USAF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop an institutional collaboration for IbnSina Health Capacity Building Programme on 10 December 2012 at the new headquarters of SESRIC. The objective of the MoU is to foster a stronger relationship between the two parties p for the improvement of training courses on health related issues. The MoU is also intended to provide health professionals and personnel with comprehensive training programmes particularly in the fields of diabetes, hypertension and pregnancy care ultrasonography.

The 19th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC 2012) was held from 9 to 11 December 2012 in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and with the official support of the Central Bank of Bahrain. WIBC 2012 was themed “Islamic Finance: Adapting to the New Dynamics of Global Finance” and attended by over 1,000 industry leaders from over 50 countries representing some 260 international and regional organizations. Almost a hundred international speakers and industry thought leaders discussed critical issues that the global Islamic finance industry is currently facing and how Islamic finance can adapt to the new dynamics of global finance.

The 1st Meeting of the OIC/COMCEC Private Sector Tourism Forum was held on 7-8 December 2012 in İzmir, Turkey with the collaboration of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial of the Organization of Islamic Countries (COMCEC). The Forum was attended by public and private sector representatives from 11 OIC Member Countries, OIC General Secretariat and relevant OIC institutions, including Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), COMCEC Coordination Office, and Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) as well as United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Turkey office.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) was represented in the 2nd Railway Seminar – Closing Ceremony of the Railway Operation in ECVET (RAILVET) Project in Ankara, Turkey on 5-6 December 2012 by Mr. Efe Kerem Aydin, Centre’s Research Assistant.

The World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation organised the Eight World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) on 4-6 December 2012, in Iskandar Development Region of the state of Johor Bahru, Malaysia – the fastest growing economic region in the country and one of the most significant business districts in Southeast Asia. The Forum was held on the theme “Changing Trends, New Opportunities”. The Eight WIEF discussed the changing dynamics in global business today after the Arab uprisings and Eurozone crisis which left many doors open to new business opportunities elsewhere across the globe.

The Fifth ECO High Level Expert Group Meeting was held on 4-5 December 2012 in Ankara, Turkey, hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). The meeting was attended by the delegates from National Statistical Offices (NSO) from 6 ECO Countries including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey and the representatives of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA). The Centre was represented there by Ms. Münevver Nilgün Egemen, Senior Researcher and Mr. Syed Tahir Mahmud, Researcher.

Upon a cordial invitation, the Director General of SESRIC, Prof. Savas Alpay, presented a Public Lecture titled “Critical Perspectives on Socio-Economic Development and Transformation in the Islamic World” at Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, on 2nd December 2012.

Within the framework of the OIC-VET Programme, SESRIC in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has initiated a project titled “Skill Development for Youth Employment (SDYE)” with a view to contributing to the efforts of the OIC Member Countries towards decreasing the high unemployment rates, particularly among youth. As an initial phase of the SDYE programme, a Study Visit was organized in Ankara, Republic of Turkey on 11-13 January, 2012 with the participation of relevant institutions from eight selected pilot member countries to share and exchange the experience of Turkey in fighting against youth unemployment through, in particular, the project named “Skill 10 Project”. The Study Visit also discussed the possible ways and means of transferring the Turkish experience in “Skill 10 Project” as a best practice to the eight selected pilot OIC Member Countries.

A group of eight master trainers from different vocational schools of the Republic of Senegal received training at the Centre for Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İSMEK) under SESRIC’s İSMEK Master Trainer Programme (İMTP) with the support of Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) on 26 November-4 December 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Centre organised training course on “Quarterly National Accounts” at the Department of National Planning, Maldives, on 26-28 November 2012. The course was provided by Ms. Siti Asiah Ahmad an expert from the Department of Statistics, Malaysia and was attended by relevant staff members of the Department of National Planning, Maldives.

The Fourth Meeting of the Monitoring and Advisory Committee (MAC) of the Vocational Education and Training Programme for OIC Member Countries (OIC-VET) was held on 26-28 November in Yaoundé, Republic of Cameroon. The meeting was hosted by Ministry of Employment and Professional and Technical Training (MINEFOP) and was attended by the delegations of the National Focal Points (NFPs) of the OIC Member States, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Comoros, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkey. The representatives of the concerned OIC institutions, namely IDB, ICYEN, IUT and SESRIC, and OIC-VET partners, namely ISMEK, ISGUM, MUSIAD, TOBB and ISKUR were also present in the meeting.

The 34th Meeting of the Executive Committe and the 26th Meeting of the General Assembly of the Organization of the Islamic Shipowners’ Association (OISA) was held on 21 November 2012 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The delegates from various national shipping and transportation authorities of Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan and Turkey as well as the representatives of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of Islamic Countries (COMCEC), Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), International Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture. (ISESCO) attended the meeting. SESRIC was represented by Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt Selcuk, Researcher, thereat.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a training programme on “Macroeconomic Modelling” at the National Bank of Kazakhstan on 21-22 November 2012, within the framework of OIC Central Banks Capacity Building Programme. The Course was provided by Mr. Hüseyin Çağrı Akkoyun, expert of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, and attended by relevant members of the National Bank of Kazakhstan.

Under the framework of a German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) project on “Support to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)’ Study Visits to Strengthen the Process of Establishing a Training Centre for PBS”, a delegation of 7 participants from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan paid a study visit to SESRIC. The delegation was headed by Mr. Munir Ahmad Aslam, Director General of PBS, and accompanied by Dr. Michael Wild, Advisor to GIZ in Pakistan, and Mr. Marcus Delacor, Managing Director of euphorum GmbH, implementing agency of the study visit. As the Government of Pakistan decided to establish a statistical training centre to satisfy the demand for capacities in the field of statistics, the focus of the study visit was to gain a better understanding on the statistical training activities of SESRIC implemented under the Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) initiative and impact of StatCaB trainings at large.

The Sixth Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research took place during 20-21 November 2012 in Khartoum, Republic of the Sudan. The two-day Conference brought together the ministers of higher education and scientific research of the OIC Member States to discuss various important issues pertaining to higher education and scientific research in the member countries and the report of ISESCO Director General on ISESCO's Efforts in the Field of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology between the Fifth and Sixth Sessions of the Conference.

The Centre organized a training course on “Short-term Business Statistics” at the Department of National Planning, Maldives, on 19-20 November 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Abd. Latib Talib, an expert from the Department of Statistics (DOS) Malaysia, and was attended by the related staff members of the Department of National Planning, Maldives.

The Centre organised training course on “Price Statistics and Indices” at the Central Statistics Organization (CSO) Afghanistan, on 18-21 November 2012. The course was provided by Ms. Sa'adiah Ahmad, an expert from the Department of Statistics, Malaysia and was attended by the relevant staff members of the Central Statistics Organization Afghanistan.

The Workshop on “Conducting and Analysing Labour Force Surveys for Monitoring of the Labour Market for the Arab Countries” was held on 18-22 November 2012 in Amman, Jordan. The workshop was co-organised with the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS) in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) and Department of Statistics (DOS) Jordan.

The 39th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) has been held in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti on 15-17 November 2012. Foreign Ministers of the Member Countries focused on the problems that Member Countries are facing currently and discussed sound strategies to promote peace and development of the Islamic Ummah and strengthen solidarity and cooperation among OIC Member States.

A group of eight master trainers from different vocational schools of the Republic of Azerbaijan received training at the Centre for Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İSMEK) under SESRIC’s İSMEK Master Trainer Programme (İMTP) 12-17 November 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Centre organised training course on “Business Registers” at the Central Bureau of Statistics, (CBS) Sudan, on 12-14 November 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Hassen Aurouri, an expert from the Institut National de la Statistique, Tunisie, and was attended by 35 staff members of CBS, Sudan.

Regional conference on “Promoting Youth Employment in West Africa”, organized by the Development Centre of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in partnership with the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and African Development Bank (AFDB), was held in Dakar, Senegal on 10 November 2012. Gathering the policy makers, experts, private-sector representatives, academics, members of civil society and youth representatives from Africa and other continents, the conference was aimed to focus on concrete examples to facilitate knowledge sharing on development of educational models and policies thrives youth employment.

The Centre organised training course on “Price Statistics and Indices” at the Ministry of National Economy Oman, on 12-14 November 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Cem Baş, an expert from the Turkish Statistical Institute and was attended by 20 staff members of Ministry of National Economy Oman.

The International Seminar on Industrial Property Policies was held on 8-9 November 2012 in Ankara, Turkey as a part of Technical Cooperation among Patent Institutes of OIC Member States Project. The Meeting was hosted by the Turkish Patent Institute (TPI). Senior representatives of the national patent institutes in OIC member countries, as well as the relevant OIC institutions, were among the attendees of the Meeting. SESRIC was represented at the Meeting by Mr. Hakan Huseyin Eryetli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department, and Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Centre’s Atlas Project Manager.

The Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), an affiliated institution of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, held the SMIIC Forum 2012 in Antalya, Republic of Turkey on 8-9 November 2012. Aiming at functioning as a platform to bring experts and professionals from the fields of standardisation, accreditation and metrology together, the SMIIC Forum 2012 gave participants the opportunity to discuss the current situation of these fields in the OIC Member Countries and at the international level. Over 150 attendees from 35 countries including the National Standardisation Bodies (NSB) and relevant national organisations of member countries, and international organisations comprising the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC), Standardisation Organisation for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GSO), International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), OIC General Secretariat, COMCEC, SESRIC, and ICDT participated in the Forum. Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher at the Statistics and Information Department, represented the SESRIC at the Forum.

The Centre organised training course on "Short-term Business Statistics" at the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), on 5-7 November 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Abd. Latib Talib, an expert from the Department of Statistics (DOS) Malaysia, and was attended by the related staff members of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized, in collaboration with Aegean International Federation of Health (ESAFED) and Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), a training programme on “Pediatric Emergency Medicine” on 01 November 2012-31 January 2013 in Mogadishu, Republic of Somalia. The training course was conducted by Dr. Lokman Çam, pediatrician in Kayseri Maternity and Child Hospital, Republic of Turkey. He conducted lectures on 13 different subjects related to new-born healthcare. The trainings provided Benadir University Medicine Faculty students and Benadir Hospital doctors and nurses to be equipped with key points from the literature regarding leading-edge pediatric emergency medicine topics, literature-based recommendations for practice improvement and improved diagnostics and a better treatment plan for their patients.

The Centre organised training course on “Labour Force Statistics” at the Central Statistics Organization (CSO) Afghanistan, on 22-24 October 2012. The course was provided by Ms. Saidah Hashim, an expert from the Department of Statistics (DOS) Malaysia, and was attended by the related staff members of the Central Statistics Organization (CSO) Afghanistan.

The Centre organised training course on “Supply - Use and Input-Output Tables” at the Department of Statistics (DOS) Malaysia, on 17-19 October 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Mehmet Kula, an expert from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), and was attended by 37 staff members of the Department of Statistics (DOS) and other agencies.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a training course on “Demography and Population” at the National Institute of Statistics (INS) of Niger in Niamey on 15-17 October 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Achref Mrabet, an expert from the Statistics Tunisia, and was attended by relevant INS staff members.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised training on “Fiber Technology: Lint Quality” at the Malian Company for Textile Development (CMDT) in Koutiala, Mali, on 15-17 October 2012. The Course was provided by Mr. Idy Ka, an expert from Society for Development of Textile (SODEFITEX) in Senegal, and were attended by approximately 20 scientists dealing with cotton production in the Malian Company for Textile Development (CMDT).

Making a formal commitment to cooperation in science and technology innovation policies, Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Kazakhstan National Agency for Technological Development JSC of Republic of Kazakhstan (NATD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to reflect increased cooperation between the two organisations following the ‘Atlas of Islamic-World Science and Innovation Project’. Deputy Chairman of the NATD Board of Management, Mr. Anuarbek Sultangazin signed the MoU on behalf of NATD while Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, signed on behalf of SESRIC. The signing took place during the Kazakh-Turkish Business Forum, held October 12, 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey with the presence and support of H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, and H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Task Force Meeting on Implementation of Accreditation Program for Statistical Professionals in OIC Member States (OSTAT) Programme was held on 12 October 2012 at the SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. The meeting was hosted by SESRIC and attended by Dr. Nabeel Mohammed Shams, Director General of the Statistics Department at the Central Informatics Organisation (CIO) of the Kingdom of Bahrain; Mr. Abu Camara, Statistician at the Data Resources and Statistics Department of the Islamic Development Bank; Mr. Hüseyin Hakan Eryetli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department, SESRIC; Mrs. Münevver Nilgün Egemen, Senior Researcher at the Statistics and Information Department, SESRIC; Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher at the Statistics and Information Department, SESRIC; Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Researcher at the Statistics and Information Department, SESRIC; and Mr. Syed Tahir Mahmud, Researcher at the Statistics and Information Department, SESRIC. The objective of the meeting was to gather the basic stakeholders including the CIO of Bahrain, IDB and SESRIC to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the relevant organisations and other vital issues to be considered during the operationalization of proposed programme.

The 28th Session of the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) convened in Istanbul on 8-11 October 2012 with the participation of delegates from 47 OIC member countries. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Central Republic of Africa, Russian Federation, Kingdom of Thailand and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus participated in the Session as observers. The OIC General Secretariat, subsidiary, specialized and affiliated organs of the OIC also participated in the Session. A number of international and regional organizations, including Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Developing Eight (D-8), International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Economic Cooperation Organization Trade and Development Bank (ECOBANK), attended the Session. The SESRIC was represented thereat by Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General; Mr. Nabil Dabour, Director of Economic and Social Research Department; Dr. Kenan Bagci, Researcher and Dr. Umut Ünal, Researcher.

The First Technical Meeting on Development and Harmonization of Standards on Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines among OIC Member States was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 1 to 2 October 2012. The meeting was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia and Ministry of Health, Malaysia in collaboration with the OIC General Secretariat. The meeting was attended by representatives of OIC Member States, OIC Institutions and International Organizations. SESRIC was represented at the meeting by Mazhar Hussain, Centre’s Researcher.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized the second phase of the training programme on “Hospital and Health Care Facilities Management and Administration”, in collaboration with Aegean International Health Federation, at Ministry of Health of Yemen on 28 September-02 October 2012. The training programme was provided by the members of Aegean International Health Federation namely Assist. Prof. Abdülkadir Civan, Gediz University (Turkey), Faculty of Medicine Assist. Prof. Ali Coşkun, Fatih University (Turkey), Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and Dr. Ali Iravul, Deputy Director, Izmir Health Directorate. The course was designed for healthcare managers and hospital administrators. The course aims to improve participants’ professional knowledge in the field of health care management and operations, increase their efficiency and maximize the rational use of resources.

The First Meeting of the COMCEC Capital Markets Regulators Forum was held on 26-27 September 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Meeting was hosted by the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMB). Heads and senior representatives of the regulatory authorities in COMCEC member countries, as well as the relevant OIC institutions, were in attendance. SESRIC was represented at the Forum by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin and Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Centre’s Researchers.

The Sixth Meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States' Stock Exchanges Forum was held on 26th September 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Meeting was hosted by the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE). Senior representatives of the stock exchanges and central depositories, registry and clearing institutions operating in OIC member countries, as well as the relevant OIC institutions, were among the attendees of the Meeting. SESRIC was represented at the Meeting by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin and Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Centre’s Researchers.

Islamic Development Bank (IDB) organized an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) of Regional Organizations on Inter-regional Economic Cooperation on 25-26 September 2012 at its headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The EGM aimed at sharing experiences and best practices of existing regional cooperation schemes, identifying priority areas for enhanced cooperation across regions in trade and discussing ways and means for strengthening cooperation between OIC institutions and the regional economic groupings. In this context, cross-regional cooperation is seen an efficient means to leverage on the diversity and richness of endowments, capacities and experiences available in OIC regions.

The Regional Workshop on matching literacy programmes with income-generating activities of women, organised by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in cooperation with the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Cameroon National Commission for UNESCO, was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon on 24-26 September 2012. The workshop brought together 18 literacy officials from 9 African countries, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Mali, Niger and Senegal.

The Third Istanbul Finance Summit (IFS) was held on 24-25 September 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey, under the theme “Finance in a Fragile World: Risks and Opportunities.” This year’s summit took pace with a loaded agenda on securities and finance industries and hosted some of the most important figures of the global financial world from North America, Europe, the Gulf Region and East Asia. SESRIC was represented at the Meeting by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin and Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Centre’s Researchers.

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) hosted the 3rd Global Islamic Finance Forum (GIFF) in Kuala Lumpur from 18th to 20th September 2012. Themed "Internationalisation of Islamic Finance: Bridging Economies" in recognition of the tremendous international prospect surrounding the thriving Islamic finance industry, GIFF 2012 congregated financial industry practitioners, regulators, shariah scholars and business communities from around the globe to discuss the prospects for Islamic finance industry in bridging economies and strengthening connectivity. The Forum was organised in collaboration with the Securities Commission Malaysia, Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM), Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM), Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA), International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) and Bursa Malaysia. SESRIC was represented at the Forum by Dr. Savas Alpay, Director-General, and Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin, Centre’s Researcher.

The Twentieth Session of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) was held in Frankfurt am Main on 17-19 September 2012. Being the co-chair of the Committee for the term 2012-2012, European Central Bank (ECB) hosted the Session where Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

SESRIC and Aegean International Federation of Health (ESAFED) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 10 September 2012 at the new headquarters of SESRIC. The MoU promotes cooperation between two organisations in providing training courses on health related issues.

The new headquarters of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) has been inaugurated on Saturday, 8 September 2012 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey, with the high-level participation of H.E. Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey; H.E. Cevdet Yılmaz, Minister of Development of the Republic of Turkey; HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; H.E. Dr. Abdullah Motaouq Al-Matouq, Advisor in the Al-Diwan Al-Amiri of the State of Kuwait, ambassadors of OIC Member Countries and other representatives of international organisations.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised training on “Plant Protection: Diseases and Insects” at the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) of Sudan, on 27-29 August 2012. The Course provided by Prof. Isa Onu, an expert from the Institute for Agriculture Research, Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, and attended by 26 scientists and agricultural protectionists dealing with cotton production at the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) of Sudan.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized a training programme on “Risk Management in Islamic Financial Instruments” at the National Bank of Republic of Tajikistan on 11-12 July 2012 within the framework of OIC Central Banks Capacity Building Programme. The Course has been provided by Dr. Rifki Ismal, Researcher at Directorate of Islamic Banking from the Bank Indonesia, and was attended by relevant members of the National Bank of Republic of Tajikistan.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized a training programme on “Islamic Financial Instruments” at the Central Bank of Turkey on 26-28 June 2012 within the framework of OIC Central Banks Capacity Building Programme. The Course was provided by Dr. Eko Adi Irianto, Manager in Department of Islamic Banking and Mr. Agung Bayu Purwoko, Manager in Department of Monetary Operation from the Bank Indonesia, and was attended by relevant members of the Central Bank of Turkey.

Dr. Kelly J. Henning Director, International Health Programs Bloomberg Foundation New York, Dr. Toker Ergüder, National Tobacco Control Programme Officer, World Health Organization (WHO) visited Dr. Savas Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, in his office on 26 June 2012.

SESRIC organized a study visit on "Vocational Education Experiences of Turkey" in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey on 26-27 June 2012, in Ankara, Turkey with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training of the Kingdom of Morocco.

SESRIC has co-organized with the National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) the 2nd International Workshop on Cleanroom Training for Critical and Sustainable Technologies programme on 25 June – 8 July 2012 in Ankara, Turkey. The workshop has been supported by Turkish Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology (MoSIT), Turkish International Cooperation & Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the Turkish Ministry of Development.

SESRIC organized a study visit on “Vocational Education Experiences of ISMEK” in collaboration with the Centre for Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (ISMEK) on 25 June 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MEVT) of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized training programme on “Modern Hospital Management Trends” at Ministry of Health of Yemen on 24-25 June 2012. The training programme was provided by Prof. Adnan Kisa, Head of Zirve University (Turkey), and Prof. Fevzi Akinci, Dean of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Zirve University (Turkey). The course was attended by mid-career and senior-level decision-makers as well as managers who are actively involved in planning and/or directing government-initiated health sector reforms. The course provided the participants an intensive and state-of-the-art knowledge on health sector reforms, hospital management trends.

Representatives of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy of the Republic of Turkey paid a visit to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Foundation and Islamic Development Bank on 23-30 June 2012, in Saudi Arabia. The delegation composed of decision makers and experts visited King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Foundation first. They were informed about the technical infrastructure of the social housing projects undertaken by the foundation. Later, the delegation went one of the construction site of the charity houses and were briefed about the management and funding processes of the construction.

S&P/OIC COMCEC 50 Shariah Index has been launched during a press conference held on 22 June 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey. The index has been designed by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in partnership with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Stock Exchanges Forum. Mr. Mehmet Metin Eker, Director General of the COMCEC Coordination Office, and Mr. Vefahan Ocak, Director-General of the OIC Cabinet and Principal Advisor and representatives of the OIC Member States' Stock Exchanges, were present at the launch ceremony. The SESRIC was represented at the index inauguration by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin, the Centre’s Researcher.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, was hosted from 20 to 22 June 2012 by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. UN conference on Sustainable Development 2012 brought together more than 100 heads of state and government, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, to shape the strategies on reducing poverty, advancing social equity and ensuring environmental protection to get to the future we want.

The 6th Conference on Tobacco or Health was organized by the National Committee on Tobacco or Health (SSUK), in cooperation with World Health Organization (WHO), Erzurum Atatürk University and Turkish Thoracic Society took place on 20-22 June 2012, in Erzurum, Republic of Turkey, Ms. Fatma Nur Zengin and Mrs. Rabia Tuba Yıldız, researchers of the SESRIC attended the Conference.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) was held from 20 to 22 June at the Riocentro Convention Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, came together to shape how to reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), in cooperation with the Tobacco Market Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Turkey (TAPDK) and the Country Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Turkey organized a study visit in order to share the practices and exchange expertise on tobacco control issues on 20-21 June 2012 in Erzurum, Republic of Turkey.

The 35th Session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs (ICECS)” has been held at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 18-20 June 2012. The Session has been attended by the representatives of the OIC member countries and those of the OIC and its subsidiary, specialized and affiliated institutions.

The Centre for Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (ISMEK), a partner of the OIC-VET Programme, organized an “International Symposium of Culture of Lifelong Learning and Vocational Education” as part of its 15th General Exhibition and Festival on 16-17 June 2012 in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey. Mr. Huseyin Hakan Eryetli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department, represented the Centre thereat.

The Regional Seminar on "International Trade Statistics" was held on 12-14 June 2012 in Amman, Jordan. The workshop was co-organised with the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS) in collaboration with the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) and Department of Statistics (DOS) Jordan.

The 27th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), which was held in Istanbul in October 2011, decided on “Enhancing the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the OIC Member States” as the theme for the Exchange of Views at its 28th Session, which will be held in October 2012, and requested the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and relevant OIC institutions, to organize a workshop on this theme and submit its report to the next COMCEC session.

The Third Coordination Committee Meeting on the implementation of the “Framework for Development and Cooperation in the Domain of Tourism among OIC Member States” was held in Tehran, Iran, on 12-13 June 2012. The Meeting was attended by the following Members of the Coordination Committee: Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Sudan, Republic of Turkey. The representative of the OIC General Secretariat and those of the following OIC institutions also attended the Meeting: SESRIC, IRCICA, ICDT, ISESCO, and COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO). Mr. Efe Kerem Aydın, Research Assistant, represented SESRIC at the Meeting.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised training on “Plant Protection: Cotton Diseases and Control” at the Cotton Research Institute in Azerbaijan, on 11-13 June 2012. The Course was provided by Dr. Oktay Erdoğan, an expert from the Nazilli Cotton Research Institute of Turkey, and was attended by 39 technical personnel from the Cotton Research Institute in Azerbaijan and by Nazim Nadirov, Head of Department, Azerbaijan State Agrarian University (ASAU).

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised training on “Agronomy: Fertilization” at the Cotton Development Organisation of Uganda, on 11-13 June 2012. The Course was provided by Prof. Dr. N. C. Kuchinda, an expert from the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, and was attended by 16 field extension workers and cotton researchers of the Cotton Development Organisation of Uganda who have expertise on cotton agronomy issues.

In its capacity as the leading OIC institution for the preparation of the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 2013-2022 (OIC-SHPOA), SESRIC organized a brainstorming workshop on 11-12 June 2012 in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss and finalize the structure of the OIC-SHPOA document. The workshop was attended by the experts representing following members of the OIC Steering Committee on Health: Kazakhstan, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, OIC General Secretariat, SESRIC, IDB, COMSTECH, ISESCO, WHO, and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The workshop was also attended by experts from Turkish Ministry of Health, TOBB University, Harvard School of Public Health and Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) was represented in the 7th Annual Global Tobacco Control Leadership Program held by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD, USA on 2-16 June in 2012.

The Conference on Quality in International Statistics was hosted by the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) on 29 May 2012 in Athens, Greece prior to the European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics (Q2012). Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, attended the conference on behalf of the Centre.

The Meeting of the Directors of the National Statistical Institutes (NSI) of the Mediterranean Europe Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Countries was jointly organised by the Statistical Office of the European Union (EuroStat) and the Development and Cooperation Directorate General of the European Union (EuropeAid) on 29 May 2012 in Athens, Greece. The NSIs of the OIC Member Countries including Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia participated in the meeting. Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, attended the meeting on behalf of the Centre.

The European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics (Q2012) was co-organised by the Statistical Authority of Greece (ELSTAT) and Statistical Office of the European Union (EuroStat) on 29 May-1 June 2012 in Athens, Greece. Over 400 participants attended the Conference. Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

The International Conference of Muslim Youth Cultural Cooperation held its seventh meeting on 26-27 May 2012, in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey. The conference was organized by International Youth Forum (IYFO) under the theme of "Islamic Union and Muslim Youth". It brought together over 200 delegates from 120 countries including leaders and representatives of the youth and student organizations, leading politicians, journalists and representatives of independent international NGOs. The 7th Conference of Muslim Youth Cultural Cooperation offers the participants an opportunity to discuss the current developments in the world and the future of youth movements in the Muslim world accordingly. It also provides a platform to share the experiences of Muslim youth in protecting Islamic values and Muslim identity.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) has organized a training programme on “Reserve Management” at the National Bank of Kyrgyz Republic on 23-24 May 2012 within the framework of OIC Central Banks Capacity Building Programme. The Course was provided by Mr. Suat Aydin, senior portfolio manager from the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, and was attended by relevant members of the National Bank of Kyrgyz Republic.

The 5th Astana Economic Forum was organized and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana on 22-24 May 2012. The Forum is an international platform organized and conducted with the support and active participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev, annually.

The World Bank, in partnership with Capital Markets Board of Turkey, and Albaraka Banking Group organized a conference entitled “The Role of Sukuk in Development”. The conference, held on 18 May 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey, brought together policy-makers, standard-setters, market practitioners, and international organizations to discuss how best to unlock the potential of the Islamic securitization, known as ‘Sukuk’, in support of growth and development. The SESRIC was represented in the conference by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin, Researcher.

The Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers (ICEM) held its fifth session on 17-18 May 2012, in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. The Conference was organized by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the General Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection (PMEP) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The 5th ICEM comes ten years after the convening of the first session in June 2002, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during which a founding document entitled “Jeddah Commitments on Sustainable Development” was adopted, laying down the first pillars of joint Islamic action in the field of the environment.

An agreement to facilitate international cooperation between the two organisations in providing relevant activities relating to training and education in Islamic economics and finance was signed on 15 May 2012 between the SESRIC and the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB).

The Ninth Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) Summit was held on 16-17 May 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Summit was hosted by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. The one and a half day Summit brought together an experienced international group of chairpersons and speakers, with an estimated audience of over 200 delegates from all sectors of the financial services industry across the globe.

The 2012 Meeting of the Central Banks and Monetary Authorities of the OIC Member Countries has been organized by SESRIC, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Turkey (TCMB), and held in Istanbul, Turkey on 15 May 2012 under the theme “Promoting Strong and Stable Capital Flows among OIC Countries: Roles of the Financial Sector and Central Banks”.

The Second Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom) was co-organised by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on 13-15 May 2012 in Izmir, Turkey.

The 28th Meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the COMCEC was held on 9-10 May 2012 in Ankara, Turkey, with the participation of the member countries of the Committee (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Palestine, Senegal, Kuwait, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Mali and Cameroon). Representatives of Malaysia and Iraq also attended the meeting as observers. The OIC General Secretariat and the following subsidiary, affiliated and specialised organs (SESRIC, ICDT, IDB, ICCIA, IUT, and SMIIC) attended the Meeting. A representative of UNIDO has also attended the meeting.

SESRIC and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), under the patronage of Turkish Embassy of Nouakchott, jointly organised “Food and Life Safety Support Programme” in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on 5-10 May 2012, within the framework of the  OIC Agricultural Capacity Building Programme (OIC-AgriCaB). The trainings were provided by academicians from various universities of Turkey. 33 veterinary surgeons, food engineers, medical and private sector staff from food sector attended this programme. The aim of the programme was to enhance the capacities in producing red meat, fish and other food in compliance with international level of standards.

Occupational Safety and Health Week (OHS-WEEK) has been held regularly by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey (MoLSS) every year on 4-10 May to discuss about situation of OHS and find proper solutions to OHS problems.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, the Director General of SESRIC, addressed the African Conference on Measuring Well-Being and Fostering the Progress of Societies as a panellist at the Roundtable of Policy Makers: Towards Evidence-Based Policy Making along with Mr. Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, High Commissioner of Planning of HCP Morocco, Mr. Moubarak Lo, Advisor to the President of Senegal, Mr. Antonin Dossou, Chief of Staff, Prime Minister of Benin, The Roundtable was chaired by Ms. Thokozile Ruzvidzo, Director of UN African Centre for Gender and Social Development and Mr. Pali Lehohla, Director General of Statistics South Africa. This session pointed out the key issues related to improving national statistical systems and using statistics for policy-making.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Birol Aydemir, President of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), in Ankara, Turkey on 17 April 2012.

Occupational Health and Safety Institute (ISGUM) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey was invited to the kickoff meeting for the South Eastern Europe countries (SEE countries) which was Organised and hosted by the University College of Applied Sciences in Safety and has been carried out in Zagreb, Croatia.

A delegation from International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations (IIFSO) headed by Secretary General Dr. Ahmed Abdelatti visited SESRIC on 14 April 2012. Mr. Hüseyin Hakan Eryetli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department of SESRIC, received the delegation.

H.E. Ahmad Kasim Al-Ansi, Minister of Public Health and Population of the Republic of Yemen, visited SESRIC with his delegation comprising of Mr. Sameer Reza, Yemen Parliament Member, H.E. Abdulkavi Al-Iryani, Yemen Ambassador to Turkey, Mr. Khaldon Saeed Abdulla, Counselor in Yemen Embassy in Ankara and Dr. Akram Abdulkarem Algunaid, INGO Director in Ministry of Public Health and Population on 5 April 2012 in Ankara, Turkey.

SESRIC participated in the first international seminar on “Youth and Development in OIC Member Countries” organized by the IDB Group on the occasion of its 37th Board of Governors Annual Meeting on 2 April 2012 in Khartoum, Sudan. Two international experts, Mr. Huseyin Hakan Eryetli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department at SESRIC, and Mrs. Dahlia Khalifa, International Finance Cooperation (IFC), and a number of youth representatives from different parts of the world attended the seminar as panelists to express their ideas on the challenges faced by the younger generation and share their concerns regarding the opportunities open to them in today’s world.

The 37th Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, took place in Khartoum, Republic of the Sudan from 31 March - 4 April 2012. The meetings of the Boards of Governors and General Assemblies of entities of the IDB Group took place on 3 – 4 April 2012. Apart from these meetings, seminars, workshops, and other fora on specific topics of interest to IDB member countries also took place during the Annual Meeting. Important highlights from IDB Group annual meeting are the followings

The Training Workshop on “Project Risk Management” was jointly organized by the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) and the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) on 28-31 March 2012 in Ankara, Turkey.

The Tenth Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance, hosted by Harvard Law School’s Islamic Finance Project (IFP), was held at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during March 24-25, 2012, under the theme “Islamic Finance and Development”.

Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Researcher at SESRIC, visited Central Bank of the Republic of Indonesia on 23 March 2012 to discuss issues of mutual interest of cooperation between the two institutions.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized a training programme on “Health Information System” at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of People’s Republic of Bangladesh on 22-24 March 2012 within the framework of OIC Ibn Sina Health Capacity Building Programme. The Course was provided by Dr. Sinan Korukluoglu, an expert from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey, and was attended by relevant members of the Management Information System Directorate under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh.

SESRIC participated in Vocational Education, Industry and High Technology Congress organized by Turkish Asian Centre for Strategic Studies (TASAM), under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, on 22-23 March 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Dr. Savas Alpay, Director-General of SESRIC, visited the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Economics Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on March 22nd, 2012, in Cambridge, USA. J-PAL was represented in the meeting by Dr. Rachel Glennerster, Director for J-PAL Global. The Lab is a network of 68 academics from all around the world who are united by their use of Randomized Evaluations to answer questions critical to poverty alleviation. J-PAL's mission is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is based on scientific evidence.

Dr. Savaş Alpay delivered a seminar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on March 22nd, 2012. The seminar was organized by MIT Muslim Students’ Association (MSA). The MIT MSA aims to assist Muslim students with their practice of Islam and endeavours to promote understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths at MIT. The seminar was held on March 22nd, 2012, under the theme “Challenges and Prospects for the Socio-Economic Development in the Islamic World”.

SESRIC Director-General, Dr. Savaş Alpay, visited the Global Health and Population Department at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) on March 22nd, 2012, at its headquarters in Boston, USA. The Department was represented by Mr. Wafaie Fawzi, Department Chair and Professor of Population Sciences, Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director-General of SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to the Harvard University on March 22nd, 2012. The Director-General was received by Mrs. Jackie O’Neill, Marshal of the Harvard University, on behalf of Prof. Drew Gilpin Faust, President of the Harvard University. The courtesy visit took place in the historical Wadsworth House, which was built in 1726 for the president of the Harvard. During the visit, Dr. S. Nazim Ali, Director of the Islamic Finance Project (IFP) at the Harvard Law School, was also present.

Atlas of Islamic-World Science and Innovation (AIWSI) is an international project that aims to provide an insightful overview of science and science-based innovation across the Islamic-world, an independent and authoritative assessment of how these capabilities are changing, and analysis of the opportunities and barriers to further progress across the selected countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Researcher at SESRIC, Mrs. Priya Shetty, Lead Researcher for ATLAS Indonesia Country Case, and Mrs. Susan Gillespie, Policy Adviser at Royal Society, conducted the fieldwork in Indonesia.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Suryamin, Chief Statistician of BPS-Statistics Indonesia, in Jakarta, Indonesia on 15 March 2012.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of the SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, on 14 March 2012, in Jakarta. Mr. Sudi Silalahi, State Secretary, Mr. Suryadharma Ali, Minister of Religious Affairs and Dr. Dipo Alam, Cabinet Secretary, were also present at the meeting.

The Centre organised training course on “Management of Archives and Documents” at the Central Statistical Office (CSO), Kuwait, on 12-15 March 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Amjad Abdulraheem al-Magableh an expert from the Department of Statistics (DOS) Jordan, and was attended by the relevant staff members of the Central Statistical Office (CSO), Kuwait.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Housing Investment and Portfolio Allocation" in its headquarters in Ankara on March 8, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Mr. Cengiz Tunc, North Carolina State University (NCSU).

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Heterogeneity and Uncertainty in the Dynamics of Firm Selection into Foreign Markets" in its headquarters in Ankara on March 6, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Mr. Mehmet Fatih Ulu, University of Chicago.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized a training programme on “Occupational Hygiene: Chemical Factors and Chemical Exposure” at the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, on 6-8 March 2012. The Course was provided by Mr. Kagan Yucel, an expert from Turkish Center for Occupational Health and Safety (ISGUM, and was attended by staff members of the Occupational Health Unit under the Ministry of Health of Malaysia.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Rethinking the Effects of Fiscal Policy on Macroeconomic Aggregates: A Disaggregated SVAR Analysis" in its headquarters in Ankara on March 5, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Mr. Umut Unal, Florida International University.

The Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water was held in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey during the period 05-06 March, 2012 under the theme “Working Together for a Water Secure Future”. The Conference was hosted by the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. Ministers, Deputy Ministers and high level officials from 28 Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), OIC Institutions, Observers and international organizations participated in the Conference. The aim of the Conference was to provide an opportunity for the Ministers and Representatives of the OIC Member States to review and adopt the OIC Water Vision Document which has been prepared by an Advisory Panel of Experts, composed of prominent experts from all the OIC regions, and discuss major issues and challenges related to the implementation of the OIC Water Vision. Mr. Nabil Dabour, Director of Economic and Social Research Department, and Mr. Mazhar Hussain, Researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

The Fourth Meeting of the Delegates of the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of the OIC Member Countries was organised by SESRIC on 1 March 2012 in New York, United States of America as a side-event of the Forty-Third Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission. The delegates of the NSOs of the OIC Member Countries attended the meeting that aimed to get their comments and feedback on the tentative agenda of the Second Session of the OIC Statistical Commission.

The Director General of SESRIC, Dr. Savas Alpay, made a statement at the opening session of the workshop on “Country Partnership Models with Central Asia”, which was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Turkey, organized by the COMCEC Coordination Office and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and held in Ankara, Turkey, on 22-23 February 2012. Within the framework of the implementation of the OIC Plan of Action for Cooperation with Central Asia, the aim of the workshop was to study and discuss the country partnership models implemented in OIC Central Asian member countries with a focus on the basic obstacles/challenges in the existing country specific technical cooperation models and projects/programmes, sharing best practices, as well as to discuss ways and means for more effective cooperation between these countries and the other OIC member countries and institutions.

A delegation from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta, USA, visited Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, in his office on 22 February 2012. The delegation comprised of Dr. Samira Asma, Chief of Global Tobacco Control, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mr. William C. Parra, Chief Operating Officer of the Bloomberg Global Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, CDC Foundation and Dr. Toker Ergüder, National Tobacco Control Programme Officer, World Health Organization.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Immigration in Canada: A General Equilibrium Analysis" in its headquarters in Ankara on February 16, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Ms. Serife Genc, University of Pittsburgh.

The First International Food, Agriculture and Gastronomy Congress was held from 15 to 19 February 2012 in Antalya, Turkey. The Congress was organized jointly by Agricultural Federation of Turkey, Middle East Technical University and Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA). The Congress brought together an estimated 3000 people from around 65 countries. Participants of the event ranged from industry executives, decision-makers, government representatives, academics, retailers, operators of restaurants and hotel chains, consumer associations, and agricultural cooperatives. Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin, Researcher, represented the SESRIC thereat.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “The Rise of Monogamy" in its headquarters in Ankara on February 7, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Mr. Sadettin Haluk Citci.

Fifth Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers was held at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah on 31 January – 1 February 2012. The purpose of the Steering Committee Meeting was to review actions taken on the resolutions adopted by the First, Second Islamic Conferences of Health Ministers, and discuss the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Third Islamic Conference of Health Ministers which was held in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan on 29 September - 1 October 2011. The Meeting was attended by the members of the Steering Committee and SESRIC was represented by Mr. Mazhar Hussain, Researcher, thereat.

Dr. Savas Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, delivered a General Lecture at the Institute of Statistics (STIS), a higher education institution on statistics administered by BPS-Statistics Indonesia, in Jakarta, Indonesia on 25 January 2012. The General Lecture was attended by the faculty and more than 1000 students of the STIS. The theme of the General Lecture delivered by Dr. Alpay was “Challenges and Prospects for Socio-Economic Development in the Islamic World”.

The Coordination Meeting of OIC Institutions Working in the Economic Domain was held at OIC Headquarters on 21-22 January 2012 with the participation of the following OIC Institutions working in the economy domain: OIC General Secretariat (Department of Economic Affairs), IDB (ISFD, ICD, ITFC), SESRIC, COMCEC Coordination Office, ICCI, ICDT, and OISA. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Amb. Hameed A. Opeloyeru, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Long Term Contracts and Farm Inflexibility Premium in the Production of Cellulosic Ethanol" in its headquarters in Ankara on January 17, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Ms. Rozita Jalili.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, delivered a special speech at Ankara Centre for Thought and Research (ADAM) on 13th January 2012. The conference entitled “Socio-Economic Development in the Islamic World: Challenges and Prospects” was attended by a group of academicians, industry practitioners, government officials and students.

The Meeting of Senior Officials from Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) took place in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey from 12 to 14 January 2012 to consider the OIC Water Vision document. The Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, Republic of Turkey in collaboration with the OIC General Secretariat hosted the Meeting. Fifty participants from thirty-two OIC Member States and OIC Institutions attended the Meeting during which Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, represented the SESRIC.

SESRIC organized a study visit on “Skill Development for Youth Employment” (SDYE) in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the Ministry of National Education (MoNE), Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Employment Organisation (İŞKUR) on 11-13 January 2012, in Ankara, Turkey. The study visit was attended by delegations of OIC Member Countries, namely Cameroon, Egypt, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Palestine, Senegal, Tunisia and Turkey and also by representatives of the Al – Fakhoora Programme, a programme of poverty reduction developed by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Besides, the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) attended the Study Visit as observer.