SESRIC participated in the Online Consultative Meeting on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Trade and the Way Forward which was organized by the COMCEC Coordination Office on 13 July 2020. The meeting was attended by more than 50 experts from the OIC member countries, relevant OIC institutions and international organizations.

The consultative meeting discussed the current and potential future impacts of the pandemic on economy and trade in the OIC region as well as the trade facilitation policies, exchange of expertise and good practices among the member countries. During the meeting, the participants also discussed and deliberated on the cooperation opportunities based on the needs and experiences of different OIC member countries.

Dr. Kenan Bagci, Senior Researcher, represented SESRIC in the meeting and contributed a presentation on COVID-19 pandemic crisis and its impacts on OIC economy and trade. In his presentation, Dr. Bagci shared the main findings of SESRIC’s recent report titled “Socio-Economic Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic in OIC Member Countries: Prospects and Challenges” to reflect on the possible economic and trade related impacts of the pandemic on OIC countries. The participants in meeting also heard presentations from UNCTAD on trade facilitation policies as well as from two member countries, namely Malaysia and Turkey about their national experiences in tackling the COVID-19 crisis. The meeting concluded with interactive discussions on exploring the capacity building and experience sharing opportunities among the member countries.