H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Ambassador Askar MUSSINOV, Director General of Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) on the sidelines of the the 7^th Session of the Annual Coordination Meeting of OIC Institutions (7^th ACMOI) held on 17-18 January 2024 at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah. The discussions focused on strengthening the collaboration outlined in the Joint Action Plan, encompassing both current and future activities between the two esteemed organisations.

During the meeting, H.E. SELÇUK highlighted the key initiatives of the Centre including Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme, Environment Capacity Building Programme, Water Resources Management Capacity Building Programme, and others.

Expressing his gratitude for the bilateral meeting, H.E. Amb. MUSSINOV underlined IOFS’s readiness to implement the outlined activities in the Joint Action Plan and remains open to collaborating on initiatives within its mandate, with the goal of enhancing food security and the agriculture sector in OIC countries.

The meeting concluded with both SESRIC and IOFS reaffirming their commitment for cooperation for the benefit of OIC member countries. Leveraging their combined expertise, the two institutions aim to spearhead the food security agenda for the OIC member countries, fostering cooperation among diverse stakeholders.

The IOFS is a specialized institution of the OIC whose aim is to provide expertise and technical know-how to member states on various aspects of sustainable agriculture, rural development, food security, and biotechnology; assess and monitor the state of food security in member states; coordinate, formulate and implement common agricultural policies, as well as address problems posed by desertification, deforestation, erosion, and salinity; and eventually mobilize and manage financial and agricultural resources to enhance food security.