H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Rania A. AL-MASHAT, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), on the margins of the UN Governance Innovation Summit.

The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on avenues for further strengthening the existing cooperation between SESRIC and ESCWA in areas of mutual interest, particularly statistics, research and capacity building. The discussions underscored the importance of enhancing institutional collaboration and promoting the exchange of knowledge, expertise and best practices to support the socio-economic development efforts of OIC Member Countries.

Furthermore, the two sides discussed the prospect of formalising their institutional cooperation through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SESRIC and ESCWA. The proposed agreement would establish a structured framework for advancing joint initiatives and strengthening collaboration in their respective areas of expertise.

The meeting also addressed the potential participation of ESCWA in SESRIC’s side events to be organised on the margins of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), to be hosted by Türkiye. In this regard, both sides highlighted the importance of leveraging their complementary expertise and institutional capacities to contribute to international dialogue and cooperation on climate change and sustainable development.