SESRIC participated in the 23^rd Meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Poverty Alleviation Working Group, held on 16-17 September 2024 in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye. The meeting focused on the theme “Alleviating Adverse Effects of Natural Disasters on Poor Segments of Society in the OIC Member Countries”.

The meeting commenced with the presentation of a draft guide specifically prepared for the meeting's theme, followed by a presentation on lessons learned from the selected case studies and policy options. The meeting also included presentations from representatives of OIC countries, such as Türkiye and Jordan, and international institutions, including United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Representatives shared their experiences and best practices in providing aid to the vulnerable people affected by natural disasters.

SESRIC actively contributed to the discussions by providing a brief overview of its research, statistics, and training initiatives dedicated to poverty alleviation.

The meeting concluded with discussions on policy recommendations for alleviating adverse effect of natural disasters on poor segments of society in the OIC Member Countries.

The Working Group (WG) mechanism serves as one of the main instruments of the COMCEC Strategy towards the realization of its objectives. The Strategy ensures active and direct involvement of the Member Country experts in the COMCEC cooperation areas, through regular WG meetings in each cooperation area. The WGs aims to produce and disseminate knowledge, and share experience and good practices. They also provide a suitable platform for creating a common understanding and approximating policies among the Member Countries to overcome their common development problems.