Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) in collaboration with Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) organised a workshop on “Innovative Solutions to Poverty Reduction and Empowerment of the Poor”, on 26-28 June 2013, in Ankara, Republic of Turkey. The workshop took place in the Headquarters of SESRIC.

Natural disasters have been historically one of the greatest challenges against development of human societies. Today, natural or human-caused disasters are still among the serious threats to societies’ socio-economic and political development around the world. Floods, storms, epidemics, earthquakes, droughts, and many more disasters frequently interrupt and distort the lives of many around the world, in many instances taking lives, ruining investments, and forcing major relocations. During 1970-2012, the number of natural disasters around the world significantly increased. However, the OIC countries experienced a steeper trend in the occurrence of natural disasters during the last four decades, increasing from around 199 incidences in the 1970s to 1,431 incidences in the 2000-2012 with a rate of increase significantly higher than that of the world. The number of natural disasters per year increased from 13 in 1970 to a record high of 135 in 2000. The cost of damages also substantially increased in the OIC countries from US$3 billion in the 1970s to a record high of US$67 billion in the 1990s, and to US$65 billion during 2000-2012.

The High Level Meeting on the Implementation of the 2008 SNA and Supporting Statistics in the Arab Region was held on 24 June 2013 in Amman, Jordan; jointly organized by UNESCWA, UNSD, AITRS and the Department of Statistics, Jordan. The participants of the meeting were; delegates of the National Statistical Office (NSO) from the 13 Arab Countries including Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Qatar, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, Tunisia, and the representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF - METAC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Planning Jordan and the Central Bank of Jordan. SESRIC was represented by Ms. Münevver Nilgün Egemen, Senior Researcher.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) was represented in the workshop on “Workshop on Job and Vocational Counselling Services” in Ankara, Turkey on 20-21 June 2013 by Mr. Mansur Boydaş, Research Assistant. The workshop was jointly organised by Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) and Turkish Employment Organization (İŞKUR) and attended by representatives from stakeholders in the area: policy-makers, public institutions, private organizations, county municipalities, non-government organizations, and regional clusters and networks; representatives from ministries, particularly those with responsibility in related fields; training, advisory, counselling, skill-development, and employment development experts from employment agencies in European Countries namely, Germany, Denmark, Ireland and Bulgaria.

The conference on “Islamic Finance Instruments: Prospects and Opportunities for Turkey” was held on 20 June 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. The conference was hosted by Capital Markets Board of Turkey and co-organized by Islamic Development Bank. The event was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey H.E. Mr. Ali Babacan, Undersecretary, Undersecretariat of Treasury, Turkey H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Canakci, Chairman and CEO Borsa Istanbul H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Turhan, relevant international institutions including Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), World Bank, Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) as well as over 100 specialists and academicians from different countries. Dr. Umut Unal, Researcher at SESRIC, represented the Centre thereat.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a training programme on “Financial Stability” at the Central Bank of Republic of Azerbaijan on 19-21 June 2013, within the framework of OIC Central Banks Capacity Building Programme (OIC-CB-CaB). The Course was provided by Mr. Mehmet Onay, expert of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey with participation of relevant members of Central Bank of Republic of Azerbaijan.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised, in collaboration with the Competition Authority of the Republic of Turkey, a training course on "Competition Law and Policy" within the framework of the OIC Capacity Building Programme for Competition Authorities (OIC-CA-CaB) on 18-20 June 2013 in Islamabad, Pakistan. The course was attended by several experts from the Competition Commission of Pakistan.

The Meeting on the Preparation of the Implementation Plan for the OIC-SHPA was held on 18-19 June 2013 in Bandung, Indonesia. The meeting was attended by the health experts from ministries of health of OIC member countries and various international health organizations. During the meeting, the participants reviewed the first draft of the Implementation Plan for the OIC-SHPA and discussed the methodology to categorize the proposed activities under each thematic areas of cooperation into short, medium and long term activities. After an exhaustive debate, the meeting agreed to continue the work on the Implementation Plan and asked the lead country coordinators to incorporate the comments and suggestions of the meeting into their respective implementation plans and submit the revised documents to the all participants for review and comments. After wards, the Implementation Plan will be submitted to the 7th meeting of the OIC Steering Committee on Health on 21 October 2013 for endorsement and subsequent adoption by the 4th Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM) in conjunction with adoption of the OIC-SHPA.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), in cooperation with the Middle East Regional Training Center (MERTCe) and Turkish State Railways (TCDD) organized a workshop on “Railway System Technologies” on 17-21 June 2013 in Eskisehir, Republic of Turkey.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) was represented in the conference on “Private Sector’s Role in Vocational Training-Lessons Learned from Turkey” in Istanbul, Turkey on 12-13 June 2013, which was jointly organised by UNDP Istanbul Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).

In order to finalize the constituent instrument of the approved OIC Food Security Institution in Kazakhstan, the Intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting (EGM) has been held in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan during 11-13 June 2013. The meeting followed the decision of the 39th Session of the OIC CFM, which was held in Djibouti on 15-17 November 2012 and the 12th Session of Islamic Summit, which took place in Cairo, Egypt on 2-7 February 2013.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a training programme on “Breeding and Improving Wheat Plants to Increase the Productivity” in Qatar on 4-6 June 2013, within the framework of OIC Agriculture Capacity Building Programme (OIC-AgriCaB). The Course was provided by Dr. Emin Dönmez, Head Of Breeding Department, Central Research Institute for Field Crops, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey with participation of relevant scientists and agronomists of Ministry of Environment of Qatar.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a training programme on “Risk Management in Islamic Banking” at the Central Bank of Republic of Turkey on 3-5 June 2013, within the framework of OIC Central Banks Capacity Building Programme. The Course was provided by Mr. Rifki Ismal, expert of the Bank Indonesia with participation of relevant experts of Central Bank of Republic of Turkey.

A group of eight master trainers from different vocational schools of the Republic of Cameroon received training at the Centre for Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İSMEK) under SESRIC’s İSMEK Master Trainer Programme (İMTP) with the support of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on 03-08 June 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), in collaboration with the International Anatolian Health Federation (USAF) organized a training programme on “Recognition and Prevention of Diabetes” within the framework of the IbnSina Health Capacity Building Programme (IbnSina-HCaB) at the National Board for Technical Education in Kaduna, the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 1-2 June 2013. The Course was provided by Dr. Mustafa Bilgi, internal medical specialist.

SESRIC and Central Bank of Sudan (UAE) organised the Second Interim Meeting of the Working Group on Macro-Prudential Regulations. The Meeting was held on 27 May 2013 in Khartoum, under the hospitality of Central Bank of Sudan. A total of 6 representatives from 5 central banks and monetary authorities of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, and SESRIC, attended the Meeting. SESRIC was represented in the Meeting by Dr. Umut UNAL, Centre’s Researcher.

The Launch of the “Science, Technology and Innovation in Kazakhstan” Report, under the framework of the Atlas of Islamic-World Science and Innovation (AIWSI) Project, has been organised by the National Agency for Technological Development JSC of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NATD) in collaboration with SESRIC on 25 May 2013 in Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The VIth Astana Economic Forum has been organized under the auspices of the Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists Association in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Kazakhstan and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana on 22-24 May 2013. The Forum is an international platform organized and conducted with the support and active participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev, annually.

Within the framework of the OIC-VET Programme, Statistical Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), in cooperation with the General Secretariat of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB), organised a ‘Training Programme for Agricultural Extension Experts in OIC Member States’ on 21-23 May 2013 in Izmir, Republic of Turkey.

The 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction took place in Geneva from May 19th to May 23rd on the theme: “Invest Today for a Safer Tomorrow.” The Global Platform is organized by UNISDR, the UN's office for disaster risk reduction and secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. More than 3,000 participants have attended this event, including delegates from 165 governments, 130 academic institutions, 209 NGOs and 67 private sector companies. The Centre was represented by Dr. Kenan Bagci, Senior Researcher, at the Global Platform.