SESRIC organized a study visit on “Vocational Education Experiences of ISMEK” in collaboration with the Centre for Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (ISMEK) on 25 June 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MEVT) of the Kingdom of Morocco.

SESRIC has co-organized with the National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) the 2nd International Workshop on Cleanroom Training for Critical and Sustainable Technologies programme on 25 June – 8 July 2012 in Ankara, Turkey. The workshop has been supported by Turkish Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology (MoSIT), Turkish International Cooperation & Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the Turkish Ministry of Development.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized training programme on “Modern Hospital Management Trends” at Ministry of Health of Yemen on 24-25 June 2012. The training programme was provided by Prof. Adnan Kisa, Head of Zirve University (Turkey), and Prof. Fevzi Akinci, Dean of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Zirve University (Turkey). The course was attended by mid-career and senior-level decision-makers as well as managers who are actively involved in planning and/or directing government-initiated health sector reforms. The course provided the participants an intensive and state-of-the-art knowledge on health sector reforms, hospital management trends.

Representatives of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy of the Republic of Turkey paid a visit to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Foundation and Islamic Development Bank on 23-30 June 2012, in Saudi Arabia. The delegation composed of decision makers and experts visited King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Foundation first. They were informed about the technical infrastructure of the social housing projects undertaken by the foundation. Later, the delegation went one of the construction site of the charity houses and were briefed about the management and funding processes of the construction.

S&P/OIC COMCEC 50 Shariah Index has been launched during a press conference held on 22 June 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey. The index has been designed by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in partnership with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Stock Exchanges Forum. Mr. Mehmet Metin Eker, Director General of the COMCEC Coordination Office, and Mr. Vefahan Ocak, Director-General of the OIC Cabinet and Principal Advisor and representatives of the OIC Member States' Stock Exchanges, were present at the launch ceremony. The SESRIC was represented at the index inauguration by Mr. Nadi Serhan Aydin, the Centre’s Researcher.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), in cooperation with the Tobacco Market Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Turkey (TAPDK) and the Country Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Turkey organized a study visit in order to share the practices and exchange expertise on tobacco control issues on 20-21 June 2012 in Erzurum, Republic of Turkey.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) was held from 20 to 22 June at the Riocentro Convention Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, came together to shape how to reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want.

The 6th Conference on Tobacco or Health was organized by the National Committee on Tobacco or Health (SSUK), in cooperation with World Health Organization (WHO), Erzurum Atatürk University and Turkish Thoracic Society took place on 20-22 June 2012, in Erzurum, Republic of Turkey, Ms. Fatma Nur Zengin and Mrs. Rabia Tuba Yıldız, researchers of the SESRIC attended the Conference.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, was hosted from 20 to 22 June 2012 by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. UN conference on Sustainable Development 2012 brought together more than 100 heads of state and government, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, to shape the strategies on reducing poverty, advancing social equity and ensuring environmental protection to get to the future we want.

The 35th Session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs (ICECS)” has been held at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 18-20 June 2012. The Session has been attended by the representatives of the OIC member countries and those of the OIC and its subsidiary, specialized and affiliated institutions.

The Centre for Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (ISMEK), a partner of the OIC-VET Programme, organized an “International Symposium of Culture of Lifelong Learning and Vocational Education” as part of its 15th General Exhibition and Festival on 16-17 June 2012 in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey. Mr. Huseyin Hakan Eryetli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department, represented the Centre thereat.

The Regional Seminar on "International Trade Statistics" was held on 12-14 June 2012 in Amman, Jordan. The workshop was co-organised with the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS) in collaboration with the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) and Department of Statistics (DOS) Jordan.

The Third Coordination Committee Meeting on the implementation of the “Framework for Development and Cooperation in the Domain of Tourism among OIC Member States” was held in Tehran, Iran, on 12-13 June 2012. The Meeting was attended by the following Members of the Coordination Committee: Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Sudan, Republic of Turkey. The representative of the OIC General Secretariat and those of the following OIC institutions also attended the Meeting: SESRIC, IRCICA, ICDT, ISESCO, and COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO). Mr. Efe Kerem Aydın, Research Assistant, represented SESRIC at the Meeting.

The 27th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), which was held in Istanbul in October 2011, decided on “Enhancing the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the OIC Member States” as the theme for the Exchange of Views at its 28th Session, which will be held in October 2012, and requested the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and relevant OIC institutions, to organize a workshop on this theme and submit its report to the next COMCEC session.

In its capacity as the leading OIC institution for the preparation of the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 2013-2022 (OIC-SHPOA), SESRIC organized a brainstorming workshop on 11-12 June 2012 in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss and finalize the structure of the OIC-SHPOA document. The workshop was attended by the experts representing following members of the OIC Steering Committee on Health: Kazakhstan, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, OIC General Secretariat, SESRIC, IDB, COMSTECH, ISESCO, WHO, and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The workshop was also attended by experts from Turkish Ministry of Health, TOBB University, Harvard School of Public Health and Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised training on “Agronomy: Fertilization” at the Cotton Development Organisation of Uganda, on 11-13 June 2012. The Course was provided by Prof. Dr. N. C. Kuchinda, an expert from the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, and was attended by 16 field extension workers and cotton researchers of the Cotton Development Organisation of Uganda who have expertise on cotton agronomy issues.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised training on “Plant Protection: Cotton Diseases and Control” at the Cotton Research Institute in Azerbaijan, on 11-13 June 2012. The Course was provided by Dr. Oktay Erdoğan, an expert from the Nazilli Cotton Research Institute of Turkey, and was attended by 39 technical personnel from the Cotton Research Institute in Azerbaijan and by Nazim Nadirov, Head of Department, Azerbaijan State Agrarian University (ASAU).

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) was represented in the 7th Annual Global Tobacco Control Leadership Program held by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD, USA on 2-16 June in 2012.

The European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics (Q2012) was co-organised by the Statistical Authority of Greece (ELSTAT) and Statistical Office of the European Union (EuroStat) on 29 May-1 June 2012 in Athens, Greece. Over 400 participants attended the Conference. Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

The Meeting of the Directors of the National Statistical Institutes (NSI) of the Mediterranean Europe Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Countries was jointly organised by the Statistical Office of the European Union (EuroStat) and the Development and Cooperation Directorate General of the European Union (EuropeAid) on 29 May 2012 in Athens, Greece. The NSIs of the OIC Member Countries including Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia participated in the meeting. Mr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, attended the meeting on behalf of the Centre.