The Signing Ceremony, which has been organized by the COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO), for the successful projects under the COMCEC Project Cycle Management (PCM) was held in Ankara on April 2nd, 2014. A total of 15 successful projects under the COMCEC PCM, the main implementation instrument of the new COMCEC Strategy, have been announced on March 9th, 2014. These projects were submitted by 10 OIC member countries namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, and Uganda and two OIC institutions including SESRIC. Prof. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, signed the operational and financial agreements of two successful projects of SESRIC entitled to receive grants within the framework of COMCEC Project Cycle Management (PCM).

H.E. Naci Koru, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Kemal Madenoğlu, Undersecretary, Ministry of Development of the Republic of Turkey, and Ambassadors of OIC Member Countries attended the Signing Ceremony. Mr. Metin Eker, Director General of CCO, and representatives of the three OIC regions (Arab, Asian and African groups) delivered opening speeches.

In his opening address, Prof. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, informed that SESRIC was the only institution to have two successful projects among the 15 final-listed projects entitled to receive grants. The first project is under the area of “poverty alleviation” titled “Enhancing National Capacities in Poverty Statistics of COMCEC Member Countries”. The overall objective of this project is to highlight the nature and causes of poverty and to formulate strategies for strengthening capacities in the compilation, production and dissemination of poverty statistics, and ultimately, to contribute to the National Statistical Systems (NSS) of the OIC countries in terms of poverty alleviation, monitoring poverty and aid effectiveness. The project aims at identifying the nature and causes of poverty through the preparation of a comprehensive policy-oriented research paper with a special section that considers the statistical capacities and needs in poverty statistics, and provides effective recommendations to overcome poverty-related problems in OIC member countries. This will also contribute to raising awareness of decision makers in the member countries towards evidence-based policy making on poverty alleviation.

The second project is under the area of “Tourism” titled "Improving Statistical Capacities of Tourism Sector in COMCEC Mediterranean and Gulf Region". The overall objective of the project is to build statistical capacity in the compilation, production and dissemination of tourism statistics and, ultimately, to contribute to the National Statistical Systems of the OIC member countries through capacity building programs. This project includes a series of eight short-term training programmes in the Mediterranean and Gulf countries and a regional workshop with the participation of national and international experts at the end of these short-term trainings. The project aims at enhancing tourism statistics capacity of the staff in the NSOs of these countries as well as those in relevant government agencies. It will also raise the awareness of decision makers in the member countries towards evidence-based policy making on tourism investments.

Following these speeches, operational and financial agreements have been signed between the Development Bank of Turkey and successful project owners.

Statement

• Statement of Prof. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC (English)

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