Within the framework of the SESRIC Project on “Promoting Food Security in OIC Member Countries through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs”, which has been successfully listed for funding by the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) under the 11^th Call for Project Proposals, the Centre, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkiye and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), will organise a Workshop on “Promoting Food Security in OIC Member Countries through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs” on 24-25 September 2024 at SESRIC headquarters in Ankara, Turkiye.

The workshop is designed to bring together representatives from the 15 OIC countries, along with distinguished speakers and competent experts from relevant partner institutions. The main objective of the workshop is to establish an effective platform for participants to exchange valuable experiences, knowledge, and best practices in advancing sustainable agricultural inputs for the enhancement of food security. Additionally, the workshop aims to raise awareness about the pivotal role of sustainable agricultural practices in ensuring food security, promoting knowledge dissemination, and formulating actionable strategies for the integration of sustainable agricultural inputs into national food security policies and programmes. Through promoting collaboration and sharing knowledge, the workshop aspires to make meaningful contributions to the progress of sustainable agriculture and food security within OIC countries.

The COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO) introduced the COMCEC Project Funding (CPF) in 2013, a financing mechanism that funds projects submitted by the OIC member countries and relevant OIC Institutions. The funding is provided in the form of a grant through the Development and Investment Bank of the Republic of Türkiye, a main body in the CPF scheme. Since the initiation of CPF, SESRIC has implemented 13 projects so far under various cooperation areas and sectoral themes determined by the CCO.

For the 11^th Call for Project Proposals of CPF, the CCO has completed the evaluation process and announced the Final List of successful projects. Three SESRIC projects were found eligible to be funded in the 2024 implementation period. These projects, designed in collaboration with relevant national institutions in member countries, aim to strengthen human resources and institutional capacities in agriculture, poverty alleviation, and tourism cooperation areas.

For more details about SESRIC projects funded by the COMCEC, please visit: https://www.sesric.org/tcd-activities-projects-funded.php.