In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Population and Housing Censuses; Registers of Population, Dwellings and Buildings’ to Jordan for the benefit of the Libyan Bureau of Statistics and Census (LBSC) on 26-28 December 2017. 

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on 'Construction Statistics' at Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) of Republic of the Sudan on 25-27 December 2017.

SESRIC organized a “Workshop on Capacity Building of the Libyan Audit Bureau” on 21 December 2017, at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. The workshop was organized within the framework and objectives of the BINA Programme, which was launched in 2016 in collaboration with the Libyan Programme for Reintegration and Development (LPRD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

SESRIC in collaboration with the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) and the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) organised the Workshop on ‘Peer Review Mechanisms for National Statistical Offices in OIC Member Countries’ on 19-20 December 2017 at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, Republic of Turkey.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Statistical Course on ‘Labour Statistics’ at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) of United Arab Emirates on 19-21 December 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Geographic Information Systems (GIS)’ at the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) of Republic of Albania on 19-21 December 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Economic Accounts’ at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on 18 – 20 December 2017.

Within the framework of promoting women’s status and empowerment in OIC Member States, the OIC General Secretariat in coordination with SESRIC and IDB organised the “Workshop on Developing the Capacities of National Institutions Working in the Field of Women Empowerment in OIC Member States” on 17-18 November 2017 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Technical Mission on ‘Mining, Manufacturing and Construction Statistics’ at the Department of Statistics (DoS) of Malaysia on 13-15 December 2017. 

SESRIC in collaboration with Union Postale Universelle (UPU) and La Poste Tunisienne organized a workshop on “Electronic postal payment services for the Arab region” on 13-14 December 2017 in the old city of Tunis, in Tunisia.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Coordination of International Statistical Work’ at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on 13 – 15 December 2017. 

Islamic Development Bank (IDB) together with the Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation (ATCT) organized the Second Dialogue Meeting of the IDB MCs Technical Cooperation Agencies (TCAs) of IDB Member Countries (MCs) on 12-13 December 2017 in Tunisia. Dr. Atilla KARAMAN, Researcher, and Mr. Onur CAGLAR, Technical Cooperation Specialist, represented the Centre thereat.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on 'Development of Dissemination Methods' at the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) of State of Kuwait on 11-13 December 2017.

The Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Cooperation (SESRIC) participated in the Workshop on New Approaches to Statistical Capacity Development organised by PARIS21 and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Boulogne-Billancourt, France on 11-12 December 2017.

Within the framework of the “Capacity Development of The School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences at The University of Gambia” Project, SESRIC organized in collaboration with IDB and TIKA a training course on Infection Control and Quality Management in the School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences at The University of Gambia for the benefit of medical students, physicians and residents from different clinics on 11-15 December 2017. 

A Declaration of Intent (DoI) was signed among SESRIC, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), National Occupational Health Office (ONMT) of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety (DGOHS) of Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Republic of Turkey in order to tackle the challenges of work-related accidents and diseases through bringing together joint efforts and complementary advantages of the partnering institutions for improving occupational safety and health conditions in Mauritania.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Metadata’ to Turkey for the benefit of the State Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 7-8 December 2017. The study visit was be hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) of Republic of Turkey.

SESRIC launched the OIC Health Portal during the 6^th Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM) of the Member Countries which was held on 5-7 December 2017, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SESRIC and Union of News Agency (UNA-OIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of training and development of journalists' skills in the member agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The MoU was signed by Counselor Issa Khaireh Robleh, General Manager of UNA-OIC and Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya, Director General of SESRIC on the sideline of the Second ACMOI meeting on 6 December 2017 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

 SESRIC has launched the OIC Health Report 2017 during the 6th Islamic Conference of Health Ministers, which was held in Jeddah on 05-07 December 2017. The main findings of the report were presented by H.E. Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya, Director General of SESRIC, during the conference.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Statistical Confidentiality and Disclosure Protection’ at National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Benin on 4 – 6 December 2017. 

SESRIC organized a thematic solution forum on “Women as Benefactors of Development through Social Entrepreneurship” as part of Global South-South Development EXPO (GSSD EXPO) on 28 November 2017 in Antalya, Turkey. 

SESRIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) to promote the use of South-South cooperation approaches and modalities in development policies and programmes of their common member countries and their institutions in the public and private domains.

The GSSD Expo 2017 was hosted by the Republic of Turkey and organized by United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), which took place in Antalya, Turkey from 27 to 30 November 2017. SESRIC as an implementing partner together with Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) attended to the GSSD Expo 2017.

Under Thematic Area 5 on Emergency Health Response and Interventions of the Strategic Health Programme of Action (SHPA), SESRIC organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) a training course on Emergency and Disaster Medical Services for the benefit of 20 experts from the Federal Ministry of Health of the Republic of Sudan during the period 26 November – 1 December 2017 in Khartoum, Sudan.

A Memorandum of Understanding signed among SESRIC, Islamic Development Bank, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey (AFAD), Turkish Red Crescent (TRC), The Credit Guarantee Fund of Turkey (KGF), The Union Of Chambers and Commodity Exchange of Turkey (TOBB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and WAFAA International Group (WAFAA) to launch “Syrian Palestinian Employment and Entrepreneurship Development – SPEED” Project during the 33^rd Ministerial Session of COMCEC on 22 November 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. 

The Statistical, Economic, and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized a 3-day Training Workshop for Junior Diplomats from the OIC Member Countries on 21-23 November 2017, in Istanbul Turkey.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Tourism Statistics’ to Turkey for the benefit of the Committee on Statistics of the Ministry of National Economics of Kazakhstan on 21-23 November 2017. The study visit was hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) of Republic of Turkey.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Foreign Investment Survey’ at the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) of Kuwait on 20-22 November 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Gender Statistics’ to Sudan for the benefit of the Libyan Bureau of Statistics and Census (LBSC) on 20-22 November 2017. The study visit was hosted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) of Sudan.

SESRIC has launched the OIC Economic Outlook 2017, the flagship report of the Centre, during the 33^rd Session of the COMCEC, which was held in Istanbul on 20-23 November 2017. The main highlights of the report were presented by H.E. Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya, Director General of SESRIC, during the meeting.

Chaired by H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Republic of Turkey, the 33^rd Ministerial Session of the COMCEC was held on 20-23 November 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Session was attended by the delegates of OIC Member States and relevant OIC, regional and international institutions.  

The Kick-off Ceremony of the "OIC International Internship Program (OIC Intern)" was held on 16 November 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey with the participation of the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Çavuşoğlu and the Turkey's National Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz.

SESRIC organised the First Meeting of the Working Group on TVET Teacher Education on 15-16 November 2017. The objective of the Working Group was to develop the comprehensive multinational TVET strategy action plan for OIC Member Countries, and was attended by senior experts, working in this specific area from TVET authorities from OIC Member Countries which were member of the working group, as well as the relevant OIC institutions.

The first meeting of the OIC Water Council will be held in Istanbul in the period 15-16 November, 2017. The meeting will be held in pursuance of the decision of the 3^rd session of the OIC Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water (ICMW) which was held in Istanbul between the dates 17-19 May 2016 and which approved the establishment of the OIC Water Council and adopted its Terms of Reference.

SESRIC in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organised the Second Workshop on Monitoring Food Security in the Context of 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda on 14-15 November 2017 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey. 25 participants from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and Ministries of Agriculture of 10 OIC member countries including  Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Iraq, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Sudan and 5 international organisations including FAO Statistics Division, FAO Sub-regional Office for Central Asia (FAO-SEC), Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-STAT), Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) and SESRIC attended the Workshop.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Price Statistics’ at the Agency on Statistics under President of the Republic of Tajikistan on 13 – 15 November 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Price Statistics’ to Egypt for the benefit of the Libyan Bureau of Statistics and Census (LBSC) on 13-14 November 2017. The study visit was hosted by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) of Egypt with the participation of 2 officials from LBSC.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB), in collaboration with SESRIC, ISESCO and the Relief Worldwide, organized a 2-day workshop on Developing Syrian Refugees and IDPs Education, on 08-09 November 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The 12^th Meeting of the OIC Steering Committee on Health (SCH) was hosted by the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 6-7 November 2017 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Steering Committee was attended by representatives of member countries and the relevant OIC and UN institutions, and discussed, inter alia, the status of implementation of the decisions and resolutions adopted by the Fifth Islamic Conference of Health Ministers held in Turkey on 17-19 November 2015, as well as the implementation of the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 2014-2023 (SHPA).

Senior Officials of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of Indonesia have paid a study visit to Turkey on 6-10 November 2017 to familiarize themselves with Science and Technology Parks (STPs) in Turkey, which is jointly facilitated by SESRIC and IDB Turkey Country Gateway Office.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Classifications’ for the benefit of Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) on 25 – 27 October 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

The Workshop on Islamic Finance in the National Accounts was held on 24-26 October 2017 in Beirut, Lebanon. The workshop was jointly organised by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNSD) and the Statistics Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director of Statistics and Information Department, represented the Centre thereat.

SESRIC and the NGO World signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 23 October 2017 at SESRIC HQ in order to enhance their cooperation on developing the capacities of NGOs in the OIC member countries.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Household Surveys’ at the General Bureau of Statistics (GBS) of Republic of Suriname on 23 – 25 October 2017.

OIC-NGOs Academy arranged a capacity building workshop for NGOs on Effective Non-profit Leadership & Management as side event for the NGO’s representatives participating at the “International City and Civil Society Organisations” Summit (20-22 October) at Yıldız Technical University 2010 European Capital of Culture Congress and Culture Centre, Istanbul. The Summit was organised by Esenler Municipality in which delegates from 60 countries participated and total 35 sessions were delivered.

SESRIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ensar Foundation, a non-profit organisation, to initiate and facilitate collaboration and cooperation between two organisations in matters of common interest.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Agricultural Censuses and Registers’ at National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of Maldives on 10 – 12 October 2017.

The Training Workshop on Gender and Elections was jointly organized by the OIC General Secretariat and the UN Electoral Assistance Division and hosted by SESRIC on 10-12 October 2017 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey.

The ‘Regional Meeting of Labour Statisticians in Preparation for the 20^th International Conference on Labour Statisticians (ICLS)’ was organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with SESRIC and GCC-STAT on 9 - 11 October 2017 in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘International Trade Statistics’ at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on 9 – 11 October 2017.

SESRIC and Yunus Emre Institute started a joint Training Programme for Syrian and Iraqi Refugees residing in Turkey on 7 October 2017 in Ankara, Turkey.

SESRIC signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Universal Postal Union and La Poste Tunisienne to establish a framework for implementing joint cooperation projects in the Arab Region. The agreement was signed on 05 October 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Business Surveys’ at the General Bureau of Statistics (GBS) of Republic of Suriname on 5 – 6 October 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Transport Statistics’ at State Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 03-05 October 2017.

Hosted by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat), the Thirtieth Session of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) was held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. The Session was attended by representatives of international and supranational agencies including AfDB, AITRS, Eurostat, FAO, GCCStat, IMF, OECD, PARIS21, SESRIC, UNCTAD, UNECA African Centre for Statistics, UNECE, UNEP, UNESCAP, UNESCWA, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC, UNPD, UNSD, UNWTO, and World Bank. H.E. Amb. Musa KULAKLIKAYA, Director General, and Dr. Atilla KARAMAN, Researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

On 26 September 2017, SESRIC and ICFYDC hold the High-Level International Conference on the “State of Muslim Youth” in OIC Member Countries in Istanbul, Turkey. H.E. Amb. Musa Kulaklıkaya, SESRIC Director General, H.E. Amb. Elshad Iskandarov, ICYF-DC President, and H.E. Mr. Osman Aşkın Bak, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Turkey made the opening ceremony.

SESRIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General of Occupational Health and Safety (DGOHS) of Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Republic of Turkey to strengthen cooperation in matters of common interests. The MoU was signed during a ceremony held at the SESRIC HQ on 26 September 2017 in Ankara Turkey.

SESRIC organized in collaboration with the Post Mauritania a training course on “Parcel, Logistics, and Express Services” within the framework of the OIC Postal Services Capacity Building Programme (OIC PS-CaB) on 26-27 September 2017 in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Metadata’ at National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Benin on 26 – 28 September 2017.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), organized a reception to commemorate the 48^th Anniversary of the establishment of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 25^th September 2017 at its Headquarters, in Ankara, Turkey. H.E. Lütfi Elvan, Minister of Development of the Republic of Turkey, Ambassadors of the OIC Member States and other countries resident in Ankara along with the Representatives of International Organisations and Turkish Institutions attended the reception.

SESRIC organised the Consultative Meeting (CM) on Developing Islamic Finance Industry Database for OIC Member Countries on 24 September 2017 in Muğla, Republic of Turkey.

The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey hosted the 15^th Meeting of the “Central Banks and Monetary Authorities of the OIC Member Countries” to discuss possible cooperation areas in the domain of central banking and monetary policy-making, and to review the impacts of global financial developments on Member Countries. The meeting was attended by 68 high-level officials including 8 Governors from the Central Banks and Monetary Authorities of 26 OIC Member Countries.

The 15^th Meeting of the Central Banks and Monetary Authorities of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member Countries was held in Muğla, Turkey on September 21-22, 2017.

SESRIC organized in collaboration with the National Agency for Employment and Independent Work of Tunisia a training course on “Managing information on labour market” for the benefit of the Directorate General of Labour and Social Security of Senegal (DGTSS) within the framework of the OIC Capacity Building Programme for Public Employment Services (OIC-PESCaB) on 20-21 September 2017 in Dakar, Senegal.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Income and Consumption Statistics’ to Tunisia for the benefit of the Libyan Bureau of Statistics and Census (LBSC) on 19-21 September 2017. The study visit was hosted by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) of Tunisia.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Entrepreneurship Statistics’ at Committee on Statistics of the Ministry of National Economics of Kazakhstan on 18-20 September 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Health Statistics’ at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on 18 – 20 September 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘International Standard Classification of Occupations’ at the Information and eGovernment Authority (IGA) of Kingdom of Bahrain on 13-14 September 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘International Statistical Classifications’ at the Information and eGovernment Authority (IGA) of Kingdom of Bahrain on 11-12 September 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Education Statistics’ at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on 11 – 13 September 2017.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held The first OIC Science and Technology Summit in Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan on 10-12 September 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘International Trade Statistics’ at the BPS-Statistics Indonesia on 28 – 29 August 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Health Statistics’ at the Department of Statistics (DoS) of Malaysia on 22-24 August 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Population and Housing Censuses; Registers of Population, Dwellings and Buildings’ at the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) of Brunei Darussalam on 22-24 August 2017.

SESRIC in collaboration with the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Central Bank of Malaysia, organized the Training Workshop on ‘Developing an Islamic Financial System for Regulators’ within the framework of the OIC Central Bank Banks Capacity Building (CB-CaB) on 21-25 August 2017 in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

The Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP HDRO) announced its “Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Statistical Briefing Based on the 2016 Human Development Report” on 12 July 2017 in New York, USA.

The Workshop on ‘Tobacco Questions for Surveys (TQS): Data Analysis and Dissemination’ was organised by SESRIC in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and CDC Foundation on 16-17 August 2017 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the General Directorate of Statistics and Economic Studies (DGSEE) of Gabonese Republic signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between both institutions within the framework of the project titled “Integration of the ‘Tobacco Questions for Surveys (TQS)’ into the National Surveys in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States”.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Business Statistics’ at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) on 15-17 August 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Agriculture Statistics’ for the benefit of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) on 14-17 August 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Transport Statistics’ at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) on 9-10 August 2017.

The 11-day “Training Workshop on Health Journalism” was organised by SESRIC in collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and Anadolu Agency (AA) on 08-18 August 2017 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Population and Migration Statistics’ at Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) on 7 – 9 August 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Government Finance, Fiscal and Public Sector Statistics’ for the benefit of Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) on 1 – 3 August 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘International Trade Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics (INS) of Cote d'Ivoire on 1 – 3 August 2017.

The Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an extraordinary meeting at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Istanbul on 1 August 2017 upon the call made by Turkey as the Chair of the OIC Summit and the Executive Committee. The Open-Ended Extraordinary Meeting was convened to discussion the latest tension in Jerusalem and across Palestinian territories against new controversial Israeli security measures where metal detectors were installed and Muslims barred from entering the Mosque for Friday prayers by Israeli police at the Haram al-Sharif complex which houses the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Social Protection Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics (INS) of Cote d'Ivoire on 25 – 27 July 2017.

Ghana Muslim Student Association (GMSA) paid a visit to SESRIC to familiarize themselves with the activities of the organization and build closer collaboration and partnership.

SESRIC organized in collaboration with the University of Khartoum in Sudan a Training course on “Seed Development: Laboratory Test and Certificates, Agriculture Combat: Plant Diseases, Pest and Weed Control” within the framework of the OIC Agricultural Capacity Building Programme (OICAgriCaB) on 24-25 July 2017 in Jordan Ministry of Agriculture.

The International Conference on the Question of Jerusalem was convened under the auspices of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Baku, Azerbaijan on July 20-21 July 2017. The conference brought together representatives of various international organizations, civil society organization and diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan.

Health in Africa Congress was organised by the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA) in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Health, Hayat Foundation, and Istanbul Medeniyet University on 20-21 July in Istanbul, Turkey.

SESRIC organised the First Meeting of the Working Group on Certification and Modular Training Programs. The objective of the Working Group was to develop the comprehensive multinational TVET strategy action plan for OIC Member Countries, and was attended by senior experts, working in this specific area from TVET authorities from OIC Member Countries, which are member of the working group, as well as the relevant OIC institutions.

HE Amb. Musa KULAKLIKAYA, Director General of SESRIC, attended to the Special Event on ‘The Data Revolution for the Sustainable Development Goals’ as a pannelist on 19 July 2017 which was hosted by the High Commission for Planning of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics of the State of Qatar in the margins of the 61st ISI World Statistics Congress (WSC).

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Bank to initiate and facilitate statistical collaboration and cooperation between the two institutions.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Price Statistics’ at the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) of Brunei Darussalam on 18-20 July 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Gender Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Republic of Benin on 18 – 20 July 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Health Statistics’ at the National Statistical Office (ONS) of Islamic Republic of Mauritania on 18-20 July 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Price Statistics’ for the benefit of Central Statistical Organization (CSO) of Republic of Iraq on 17 – 19 July 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Department of Statistics (DoS) of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Banking, Insurance, and Financial Statistics’ for the benefit of BPS-Statistics Indonesia on 17 – 19 July 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Turkish Statistical Institute.

The Fourth International Congress on Islamic Economics and Finance was held on 15-16 July 2017 at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Istanbul, in collaboration with Sakarya University ISEFAM (Research Center for Islamic Economics and Finance); Participation Banks Association of Turkey (TKBB).

SESRIC in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) organised the Workshop on Development Finance Statistics on 12-13 July 2017 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Agricultural Censuses’ for the benefit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries of Republic of Tunisia on 10 – 12 July 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Department of Statistics (DoS) of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The Fourth International Islamic Economics and Finance Summer School was organized on 10-14 July 2017 in Istanbul. The programme lasted for five days and covered theoretical lectures and practical activities. Coming from different countries and with strong credentials, the training staff have consisted of expert academicians and professional practitioners who have publications on national and international The programme was attended by participants who have interest in the field of Islamic economics, finance and banking as well as the candidates of economics, political sciences, business and theology background.

The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) of United Arab Emirates is working to standardize the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and sharing information for development of guidelines and standards. The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has been established in the United Arab Emirates as per Federal Decree Law # 11 for the year 2008 regarding Human Resources issued by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates. The Authority is aiming to develop Human Resources in Government Sector based on the modern concepts and International criteria applied in the field of Human Resources Management.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Health Statistics’ at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of Republic of Maldives on 9-10 July 2017.

The First Meeting of the Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) Task Force was organized by the Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in collaboration with the OECD Statistics Directorate and with the support of the United Nations (UN) Statistics Division and UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development (IATF) on 6 July 2017 at OECD Conference Centre in Paris, France. The Meeting was attended by the National Statistics Offices (NSOs) of Colombia, France, Mexico, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, and United Kingdom; OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and non-DAC providers from Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, European Union (EU), France, Japan, and United States of America (USA); and partner country development policy makers from Bangladesh, Ghana, and Timor Leste. The Centre was represented by HE Amb. Musa KULAKLIKAYA, Director General, and Dr. Atilla KARAMAN, Researcher.

SESRIC organized a training program on the “Development and Promotion of Muslim Friendly Tourism in COMCEC Member Countries” for 15 member countries with little or no Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT) applications and/or have weak implementations about the potential and positive impact of MFT.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) in partnership with Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) organised the OPHI Summer School on ‘Multidimensional Poverty Measurement & Analysis’ in Marrakesh, Kingdom of Morocco on 3 – 15 July 2017.

SESRIC collaborated with the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA), the Middle East and North Africa Public Administration Research (MENAPAR) Network and the General Personnel Council in the organisation of the “IASIA-MENAPAR 2017 Joint Conference on Public Administration under Pressure” on 3-7 July, 2017 in Ramallah, Palestine.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Energy Statistics’ at the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) of Republic of the Sudan on 02-04 July 2017.

Centre International du Commerce Extérieur du Sénégal organized the ‘8^th Dakar International Exhibition of Health and Medicine Equipment’ on 28 June to 1 July 2017 at the Exhibition grounds of CICES in Senegal.

On the sideline of the recently concluded Second Regional Networking Forum for the Arab States, Europe and the CIS on South-South and Triangular Cooperation which took place in Astana, Kazakhstan, SESRIC and the Steering Committee of the Regional Hub of Civil Services in Astana (The Hub) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote closer collaboration between the two institutions. The MoU was signed by H.E. Amb. Musa Kulaklıkaya, Director General of SESRIC and Alikhan Baimenov the Chairman of the Hub.

The Second Regional Networking Forum for the Arab States, Europe and the CIS on South-South and Triangular Cooperation was jointly organised by SESRIC, UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a number of other key regional and global stakeholders on 15 June 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Forum was hosted by the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support from the Regional Hub of Civil Service in Astana and within the framework of the Astana Economic Forum.

SESRIC in collaboration with United Nation Office for South-South Cooperation, the Islamic Development Bank and United Nations System Staff College organized a capacity building training on the South-South & Triangular Cooperation (SS & TC) on the sidelines of the “Astana Economic Forum” which was held in Astana, Kazakhstan on 12-14 June 2017.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Social Sciences University of Ankara (ASBÜ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide coordination services of the Journal of Economic Cooperation and Development (JECD) on 9 June 2017 at the headquarters of SESRIC.

The United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (UNSIAP) in collaboration with the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan organised the Subregional Workshop on Data and Statistics for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for High-Level Official Statisticians on 30-31 May 2017 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Dr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher at Statistics and Information Department of SESRIC, represented the Centre thereat.

Public Administration Institute for Turkey and Middle East (TODAIE) offers full scholarships for public officials. TODAIE conducts International Public Administration Master Programme (APEP) for international students and PhD Programmes in Political Science and Public Administration. The language of instruction for both programmes is English.

The Certificate Ceremony for International Trade Unionism and Social Policy Training Programme was held in Ankara on 25 May 2017. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Amb. Musa Kulaklıkaya, Director General of SESRIC, H.E. Mr. Ali Yalçın, President of MEMURSEN and H.E. Prof. Dr. Onur Ender Aslan, Director General of TODAİE, and certificates were distributed to 25 participants from 25 different confederations in different countries in the area of trade unionism and social policy.

SESRIC organized the First Meeting of the Working Group on Working Group on Qualification and Quality Assurance System and Occupational Standards was held in Ankara, Turkey on 24-25 May 2017. The objective of the Working Group was to develop the comprehensive multinational TVET strategy action plan for OIC Member Countries.

SESRIC in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Republic of Turkey organized a Training Workshop on “Environmental Impact Assessment” within the framework of the Environment Capacity Building Programme (Environment-CaB) on 22-24 May 2017 in Ankara, Turkey.

SESRIC, in collaboration with MEMUR-SEN and TODAİE, organized an international workshop on “Trade Unionism and Social Policy” on 17-18 May 2017 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey.

SESRIC organized a Training Course on “Postal Codes and Addressing System” within the framework of the OIC Postal Services Capacity Building Programme (OIC-PSCaB) on 16-18 May 2017 in Ramallah, Palestine. The course was provided by 2 experts from PTT, Turkey, Mr. Yakup Kadri KAYA, and Mr. Ali MANAS. The target group of this training course was experts from General Administration of Post, Palestine.

The spread of cancer has become a major public health concern in OIC member countries, which is adversely affecting socio-economic efforts of government and partners. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 60% of the world’s new cancer cases and 70% of all cancer deaths occur in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, regions in which most OIC member countries are located. Unfortunately, many of these countries are not able to provide the level of affordable cancer services required to meet the increasing demand. More than half of the OIC member countries lack the capacities to tackle chronic diseases or address their major underlying causes. To highlight this challenge and in line with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) mission of fostering comprehensive human development in its MCs, a side event on Improving Lives and Wellness in OIC Countries: Prevention, Early Detection & Treatment of Cancer was held on 16 May 2017, during the 42^nd Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Living Conditions and Poverty Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Republic of Benin on 16 – 18 May 2017.

SESRIC in collaboration with the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Central Bank of Malaysia, organized a Training Workshop on “Ensuring Effective Regulations of Islamic Banks” within the framework of the Capacity Building Programme for Central Banks (CB-CaB) on 15-19 May 2017, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

SESRIC participated in a seminar, themed Modeling the Youth Economic Empowerment in Palestine, which took place on 15 May 2017 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was attended by Officials from IDBG Member countries, development partners, donor agencies, private actors and NGOs.

SESRIC organised a training course on ‘Cotton Varieties and Efficient Cultivation Technologies’ within the framework of Capacity Building Project on Development of Cotton Sector in OIC Member Countries in Baku, Azerbaijan on 15- 19 May 2017. The course was provided by 3 experts from Nazilli Cotton Research Institute of Turkey Ms. Şerife Balcı, Ms. Özlem Yıldırancan and Ms. Nazife Özkan. The target group of this training course were experts from Agrarian Science Consultation and Information Center,Ganca Cotton Research Institute,Genetic Resources Institute of ANAS,State Sort Testing Commission.

On the sidelines of the ongoing 42^nd IDB Annual Meeting in Jeddah, SESRIC and UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD), announced their joint publication tittle “Engaging the Private Sector in Skills Development: a Best Practices Guideline and Toolkit” which is designed to guide governments, local authorities, training providers, civil society actors, industry and other key stakeholders in formulating advice on effective partnerships with companies, industry chambers, and other business support organizations, to improve the results of skills education and training. The manual and toolkit outline strategies of how the private sector can contribute to active labour market measures to complement effort of addressing the lack of relevant skills for disadvantaged youth, women and other marginalized groups.

As part of continued efforts to realize the objectives of the “Improving Occupational Health and Safety in Mauritania” project, The Centre in collaboration with the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety (DGOHS) operating under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey (MoLSS) organized a study visit to The National Occupational Health Office (ONMT) in Nouakchott, Mauritania on 14-19 May 2017.

HE Amb. Musa Kulaklıkaya, Director General of SESRIC, was among thousands of dignitaries, well-wishers, athletes and sport enthusiasts that attended the Opening Ceremony of the Fourth Islamic Solidarıty games on 12 May 2017 at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan. The official opening was done by Azerbaijan President H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev with a spectacular display of fireworks and cultural performances.

HE Amb. Musa Kulaklıkaya, Director General of SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Tahir Yagub Budagov, Chairman of the State Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 11 May 2017 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC), in collaboration with OIC General Secretariat and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, organized the Executive Model OIC Summit 2017 on 9-12 May in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan under the theme “Solidarity in Action”.

The International Forum on al-Quds Waqf organizes the International Forum on the Role of Waqfs in Economic Development of the Holy City of Al-Quds and its Surrounding, under the auspices of His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Republic of Turkey.

SESRIC participated to the 5^th Meeting of OIC/COMCEC Private Sector Tourism Forum with the theme of "Crisis Communication and Management in Tourism: Recent Challenges and Solutions in OIC Countries" which organized by The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 4^th of May, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey.

SESRIC organized a training course on “Integrated Pest Management and Crop Management” within the framework of the OIC Cotton Training Program (OIC-CTP) on 3-5 May 2017 in Kampala, Uganda. The course was provided by Prof. Dr. Tayyab Husanain and Prof. Dr. Idrees Ahmad Nasir, from Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Pakistan. The target groups of this training course were experts from the Cotton Development Organization, the National Agricultural Research Organization and Operation Wealth Creation in Kampala.

SESRIC in collaboration with The NGO World Foundation and the Institute of NGO Leadership and Management organized a training on “Effective Leadership and Management of Development Organizations” which was held on 02-05 May 2017 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Education Statistics’ at Educational Center of Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in Republic of Chad on 2 – 4 May 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Agricultural Censuses’ at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resource and Fisheries of Republic of Tunisia on 2-4 May 2017.

Public Hearing was held on 27 April 2017 by Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions - AAOIFI) for introduction and development standards (External Shari'ah Audit and Central Shari'ah Board), which are of great importance for the Islamic Finance Industry.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Environment Statistics’ for the benefit of Department of Statistics (HCP) of Kingdom of Morocco on 24-26 April 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Department of Statistics (DoS) of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

SESRIC participated in the Workshop on Key Infrastructure Development for Rural Growth for OIC Countries, organized by Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), in collaboration with the Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation (PGTF), Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the Union Chamber and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) on 24-26 April 2017, in Istanbul, Turkey.

SESRIC, in collaboration with ICDT and IDB, organized a workshop looking at the potential impacts Brexit on the economies of OIC Member Countries. The people of the United Kingdom on 23rd June 2016 voted narrowly to leave the European Union (EU). The decision which is now dubbed Brexit is seen as one of the biggest political seismic swift in recent times. Since its founding after the Second World War, no member country has quit the EU which is the largest single market in the world. And as the second largest economy in Europe, The UK is one of the most important members of the EU. The British Prime Minister, Therese May, has triggered Article 50 of the EU Treaty, beginning a two year divorce process.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Agriculture Statistics’ at National Statistics Office (ONS) of People's Democratic Republic of Algeria on 18-20 April 2017.

The Resolution of the Standardization Department regarding the adoption of the new OIC/SMIIC Standard on “General Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health” has been recently announced by the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC).

A delegation of representatives from 25 OIC countries visited SESRIC on 7 April 2017. The visit was part of the Training Programme on International Trade Unionism and Social Policy organized by the Center in collaboration with MEMUR-SEN and TODAİE.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in collaboration with the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) organised the Workshop on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicator Framework on 5-6 April 2017 in Beirut, Republic of Lebanon with the participation of 13 ESCWA member countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen and regional and international agencies including GCCStat, ILO, SESRIC, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN HABITAT, UNICEF, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UN Women, and WHO. Dr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher at Statistics and Information Department of SESRIC, represented the Centre thereat.

Organised by the ESCWA Statistics Division, the 12^th Session of ESCWA Statistical Committee was held on 4-5 April 2017 in Beirut, Lebanon with the participation of 13 ESCWA member countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen and regional and international agencies including GCCStat, ILO, SESRIC, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN HABITAT, UNICEF, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNSD, UN Women, and WHO. Dr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher at Statistics and Information Department, represented the Centre thereat.

SESRIC in collaboration with MEMURSEN and TODAİE have on Monday, 3^rd of April, kick-stated an “International Trade Unionism and Social Policy Certificate Programme” for twenty-five foreign relations officers from 25 different confederations in different countries in the area of trade unionism and social policy. The opening ceremony took place at the TODAİE office in Ankara.

The Vocational Qualifications Authority of Turkey shares its 116 national occupational standards, out of 416, with OIC member countries.

SESRIC and Public Administration Institute for Turkey and Middle East (TODAIE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signaling a commitment by both institutions to enhanced co-operation. The MoU which tied together the two institutions in formal collaboration is aimed at mutual cooperation in the field of research, statistics, capacity building, publications and other relevant areas.

SESRIC hosted a delegation from the OIC Labour Centre in Azerbaijan at its headquarters in Ankara. The delegation consisted of Vugar Hasanov, President of Scientific Research and Training Centre, Durdana Mirzayeva, Head of Department of Law, Mr. Farid Garayev, International Relations Specialist and Aynur Qadimaliyeva, State Employment Service Expert.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Population and Migration Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Republic of Benin on 28 March – 30 March 2017.

SESRIC hosted a consultation meeting on “The Global Muslim Diaspora Project” (GMD) at its headquarters on 28 March 2017. The meeting was attended by ambassadors of OIC member countries as well as representatives from host countries.

SESRIC participated in a regional seminar on “Financial Inclusion Strategies in South East Asia: Methodology and Perspectives” which jointly organized by Association of National Development Finance Institutions in Member Countries of the Islamic Development Bank (ADFIMI) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited on 28 – 29 March 2017 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

SESRIC is among a handful of institutions and government ministries that have been awarded grant by The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) Coordination Office to implement a training project on the “Development and Promotion of Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT)”. The project is targeting countries that have little or no development in the area of Islamic tourism.

As part of its efforts in capacity building of member states in trade, SESRIC organized in collaboration with the Ministry in charge of Foreign Trade of the Kingdom of Morocco, Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) the Training Workshop on “Trade in Services” for OIC Member States in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco on 22-24 March 2017. In addition, World Trade Organization (WTO) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) were also partners of the event. The Workshop was participated by experts from OIC member countries including Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Palestine, Senegal, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia and Turkey, and from regional and international organizations including COMCEC Coordination Office, ICDT, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), ITC, League of Arab States (LAS), SESRIC and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Dr. Kenan Bağcı, Researcher, and Dr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

The First GCC Statistical Forum was held on 20-22 March 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Government General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and the Statistical Centre of the GCC Countries (GCC-Stat) co-organized the Forum under the theme of “Enhancing Statistical Partnerships to Support Economic Policies and Sustainable Development in the GCC Region”. The Session was attended by representatives of national and international agencies. H.E. Amb. Musa KULAKLIKAYA, Director General of SESRIC, was chairman of the session titled "Strategic Drivers in National Statistical Systems" at the Forum.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Environment Statistics’ at Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) of State of Qatar on 20-22 March 2017.

Within the framework of the thematic area 3 on Maternal, New-born and Child Health and Nutrition of the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 2014-2023 (OIC-SHPA); SESRIC collaborated with the Yükseliş Economic and Strategic Research Foundation (YİSAV) and the Ministry of Health of Turkey (MoH) for the organisation of the “5^th Congress on the Mother and Child Nutrition in the First 1000 Days” on 19-22 March 2017 in Ankara, Turkey.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 17 March with the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MFAL) to enhance cooperation among OIC Member Countries (OIC MCs) in the field of food, agriculture and livestock by means of establishing joint programmes and initiatives.

SESRIC organised a Training Course on “Environmental Sensitivity Mapping in Suriname” within the framework of the Environment Capacity Building Programme (Environment-CaB) on 15-17 March 2017 in Paramaribo, Suriname. The training course mainly focused on the following topics:

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Community Outreach through Social Media for National Statistics Offices’ at General Directorate of Statistics and Economic Studies (DGSEE) of Gabonese Republic on 13–14 March 2017.

SESRIC, in its capacity as the Secretariat of the OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom), organised the annual Meeting with the Delegates of National Statistical Offices of OIC Member Countries on 8 March 2017 in Conference Room A of the UN Conference Building as a side event meeting of the 48th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission in New York, USA. H.E. Amb. Musa KULAKLIKAYA, Director General, and Dr. Atilla KARAMAN, Researcher at the Statistics and Information Department, represented the Centre at the side event. The meeting was attended by a total of 34 participants (26 representatives from 17 OIC Member Countries including Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cameroon, Egypt, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Senegal, and Tunisia together with 6 international and regional agencies including AITRS, GCCStat, IDB, SESRIC, UNESCWA, and UNSD).

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Labour Cost Statistics’ at BPS-Statistics Indonesia on 6 – 7 March 2017.

Within the capacity building project on “Improving Occupational Health and Safety in Mauritania-Support for Legislation Development” SESRIC received a delegation from the National Occupational Health Office (ONMT) in Mauritania, as part of a study visit to the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety (DGOHS) of the Republic of Turkey during the period 06-10 March 2017.

Under Thematic Area 5 on Emergency Health Response and Interventions of the Strategic Health Programme of Action (SHPA), SESRIC organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Turkey a study visit of 5 delegates from the Ministry of Health of Sudan on 6-8 March 2017 in the cities of Ankara and Izmir, Turkey.

SESRIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Anadolu Agency (AA) to initiate and facilitate cooperation and collaboration between both institutions in matters of common interests.

The Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Cooperation (SESRIC) participated in the Conference on Soundness Indicators for Conventional and Islamic Finance jointly organised by the Arab Monetray Fund (AMF), the International Fund (IMF), and the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) on 1-2 March 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Agriculture Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics, Economic, and Demographic Studies (INSEED) of Republic of Chad on 27 February – 1 March 2017.

SESRIC in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organised the Workshop on Monitoring Food Security in the Context of 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda on 22-23 February 2017 in Ankara, Republic of Turkey. 40 participants from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of 19 OIC member countries including Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mozambique, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Uganda and 7 international organisations including Economic Cooperation Organization Regional Coordination Centre for Food Security (ECO-RCC-FS), FAO Statistics Division, FAO Sub-regional Office for Central Asia (FAO-SEC), Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Turkey, World Food Programme (WFP) and SESRIC attended the Workshop.

Knowledge and Experience Sharing Workshop on “Media Literacy " was jointly organised by SESRIC and IBRAF with the attendance of participants from national broadcasting regulatory authorities and governmental bodies on the side-line of the 5 ^th Annual Meeting of OIC Broadcasting Regulatory Forum which was held during 20-23 February 2017.

In accordance with its 2016 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC has organised the Training Course on ‘Tourism Satellite Account’ at Suriname Tourism Foundation of Republic of Suriname on 14-16 February 2017.

The Joint Planning Meeting for the Regional Networking Forum and Capacity Development Training for Technical Cooperation Agencies was hosted by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Istanbul Office on 13-14 February 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. Together with SESRIC, the meeting was participated by the Astana Regional Hub of Civil Service in Astana (RHCS), Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MNE), and the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB).

The First Session of the Ministerial Conference on Strengthening Marriage and Family Institution and Preserving its Values in OIC Member States was held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 8-9 February 2017 under the theme “Towards an OIC Approach to Empower the Marriage and Family Institution and the Preservation of its Values”.

SESRIC hosted the Kick-off Meeting for the SME Development and Empowerment Project under the “BINA INITIATIVE" in collaboration with the Libyan Programme for Reintegration and Development (LPRD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Istanbul, Turkey on 6-7 February 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Agriculture Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Republic of Benin on 31 January – 3 February 2017.

SESRIC has organised a training course on “Occupational Safety” in Kampala, Uganda on 09-12 January 2017. The training course was provided by the OSH experts at the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety (DGOHS) under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey with the attendance of participants from the Occupational Safety Department of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Republic of Uganda.

SESRIC organised a Theoritical and Practical training course on‘Occupational Safety and Health’ within the framework of Occupational Safety and Health Capacity Building (OSHCaB) Programme of OIC Member Countries in Kampala, Uganda on 30 January–02 February, 2017. The course was provided by 2 experts from Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Republic of Turkey . The target group of this training course were experts from Federation of Uganda Employers , National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), Nakawa Vocational Training Institute, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, Makerere University, National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC has organised the Training Course on ‘Gender Statistics’ at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on 29-31 January 2017.

SESRIC, Ilke NGO Academy, Ensar Vaqf, OIC Humanitarian Affairs Department (OIC ICHAD) and Syrian Associations Platform organised a training course on “NGO Management” within the framework of the OIC NGO Capacity Building Programme (OIC NGO-CaB) in Istanbul, Turkey on 27-29 January 2017.

The short film called “Matrix and Milieu” was launched by SESRIC on the sideline of the training course on “NGO Management”, which was organised within the framework of the OIC NGO Capacity Building Programme (OIC NGO-CaB) in Istanbul, Turkey on 27 January 2017. As a product of three months of rigorous work, the film, which was directed by Mr. Enes Ateş, aimed to increase the awareness towards the Syrian refugees who put their lives in danger for crossing the Mediterranean Sea in hope of reaching Europe.

SESRIC organised a training programme on “Reforming International Investment Agreements: An Action Plan” which took place in Casablanca, Morocco on 23-26 January 2017, in collaboration with Islamic Development Bank Group Investment Promotion Technical Assistance Program (ITAP) of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) of Islamic Development Bank Group, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Moroccan Investment Development Agency.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC has organised the Training Course on 'Gender Statistics' at Department of Statistics and Demographic Studies (DISED) of Republic of Djibouti on 17-18 of January 2017.

Under Thematic Area 3 on Maternal, New-born and Child Health and Nutrition and Thematic Area 5 on Emergency Health Response and Interventions of the Strategic Health Programme of Action (SHPA), SESRIC organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Turkey (MoH) and the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM) an on-site training on Emergency Obstetrics and C-Section in War for a period of two weeks on 17-31 January 2017 for the benefit of 2 Syrian doctors and 4 midwives in Istanbul Zeynep Kamil Obstetrics and Genecology Hospital.

SESRIC organised the training course on “Project Cycle Management (PCM)”, in collaboration with the Ministry for EU Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, Turkey on 3 January 2017 and 10-11 January 2017 respectively.

SESRIC organised a training course on ‘Health and Safety Management System and Risk Assessment Methodologies’ in collaboration with the Tunisian Occupational Safety and Health Institute (TOSHI), at the Ministry of Labour, State of Palestine in Ramallah, Palestine on 9-13 January 2017. The training course was provided by Mr. Abdelmajid Hidri, Director of Safety Department and Mr. Sassi Mohsen, Safety Expert of TOSHI with the attendance of relevant safety experts from the Ministry of Labour, State of Palestine.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC has organised the Training Course on 'International Trade Statistics' at Central Statistics Organization (CSO) of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on 8-10 January 2017.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC has organised the Training Course on ‘Banking, Insurance, and Financial Statistics' at Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) of People's Republic of Bangladesh on 8-11 January 2017.