Director Food Security Department, Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al Marri (right) and Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs at OIC, Ahmad Kawesa Sengedo addressing a press conference in Doha yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: With the participation of 46 countries, the 9th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development will begin in Doha today.
Under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the two-day event will be held under the theme, ‘Towards Achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in OIC Member States’.
The conference aims to discuss the situation of agriculture and food security in OIC member states, determine priorities, and agreeing on how to deal with the challenges related to enhancing food security in the member states. As many as 46 countries will be participating in the conference, represented by two Deputy Prime Ministers, 26 Ministers, 17 secretaries-general, a head of a body, and 20 international organisations. The announcement was made in a press conference at Sheraton Hotel, yesterday.
Addressing the press conference, Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al Marri said that a report on the topic of agriculture development and food security in the OIC member states will be tabled during the conference.
He said that the conference will also include presentations by the Islamic Development Bank and the COMCEC Coordination Office on financing projects in the field of agriculture development and food security.
“Presentations will be also made by the Islamic Organization for Food Security on the strategic plan to ensure food security in the OIC member states and other concerned organisations,” said Al Marri.
Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs the OIC Ahmad Kawesa Sengedo thanked Qatar for hosting this important meeting, which comes after a period that witnessed many crises that affected food supply chains, which shows urgent need for food security. Through this meeting, he said, “We seek to ensure cooperation and coordination between the countries of the organisation to become food producing and exporting countries, through the implementation of strategic plans for food security.”
The conference will review the activities of the Islamic Organization for Food Security and other institutions affiliated with the OIC in the fields of agriculture, rural development and food security.
The conference will consider proposals submitted by member states to host the tenth edition of the conference in 2025. At the end of the conference, the ministers of the OIC member states will adopt a resolution on the decisions and results they reach in Doha. Qatar, which was elected Chairman of the Executive Council of the Islamic Organization for Food Security during the fifth meeting of the General Assembly in 2022, seeks to contribute to food security in the OIC countries.
Qatar represented by the Ministry of Municipality decided to organise this conference in line with hosting of Expo 2023 Doha.
