Within the framework of its Environment Capacity Building Programme (Environment-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation (ATCT) and the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), organised a Training Course on “Combat with Desertification and Drought in OIC-Africa Countries” on 16-18 October 2023 through an online video conferencing platform.

SESRIC and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) jointly organised a Session on ‘Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Statistics in OIC Countries’ in OIC countries on 16 October 2023 on the margins of the 8^th World Investment Forum (WIF8) held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

SESRIC and the National Agency of the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) under the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills of the Kingdom of Morocco have held an online coordination meeting on 13 October 2023, to discuss the preparations required for the 4^th Meeting of OIC-Public Employment Services Network (OIC-PESNET).

The 42^nd Session of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) was held at the World Health Organisation (WHO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on 12-13 October 2023. Dr. Atilla KARAMAN, Director of Statistics and Information represented the Centre thereat.

A delegation from SESRIC, headed by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Mohd. Uzir MAHIDIN, Chief Statistician of the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) on 12 October 2023 at the Headquarters of DOSM in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The purpose of the visit was to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects and activities in the field of official statistics.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) participated in the 21^st Meeting of the COMCEC Transport and Communications Working Group, organized by the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), on October 12-13, 2023, in Ankara, Türkiye.

SESRIC attended the 21^st Meeting of the COMCEC Agriculture Working Group held with the theme of “Ensuring the Sustainability of Agricultural Inputs to Combat Food Insecurity in OIC Member Countries” on 12-13 October 2023 in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye.

The International Public Employment Forum (IPEF), organised by the Malaysian Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), was held on11-13 October 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The forum convened a gathering of more than 20 international speakers in human capital development.

SESRIC and the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) convened a Consultative Technical Meeting on 11 October 2023, at the SESRIC headquarters in Ankara, Türkiye. The meeting focused on discussing the existing collaboration between the two institutions aimed at supporting the OIC member countries in achieving their objectives related to food security and agricultural development.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) participated in the 21^st International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS), commenced on 11 October 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Atilla KARAMAN, Director of Statistics and Information Department of SESRIC, represented the Centre thereat. The 21^st ICLS coincides with the celebration of a century of dedicated work in setting international labor statistical standards.

SESRIC and the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen partnership and cooperation between the two institutions in the area of social security and public employment services.

SESRIC participated in the 20^th Meeting of the COMCEC Financial Cooperation Working Group that was held with the theme of “Improving Cooperation among Central Banks in terms of Digital Currencies: Challenges and Prospects for OIC Member Countries” on 9-10 October 2023 in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye.

SESRIC participated in the 21^st Meeting of the Poverty Alleviation Working Group organised by the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) on 9-10 October 2023 in Ankara, Türkiye.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, paid on a courtesy visit to H.E. Mr. Fahad Assaad A. ABUALNASR, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Ankara. The meeting, held on 9 October 2023, served as a platform to to explore avenues for mutual cooperation in various domains.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Secretary General of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 5 October 2023 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Within the framework of SESRIC’s Tourism Capacity Building Programme (Tourism-CaB) and in line with relevant resolutions of the 38^th Session of the COMCEC and the 11^th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM), SESRIC and ICDT jointly organized a Training Webinar on “Gastronomy Tourism in OIC Countries” on 4-5 October 2023 through an online video conferencing platform.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a constructive bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Fahad AL-DOSSARI, President of the General Authority for Statistics of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (GASTAT), on the sidelines of the 12^th Session of OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom), on 3 October 2023, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met on 3 October 2023 with H.E. Mr. Mohammed Ali AL QAED, Chief Executive of the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) of Kingdom of Bahrain on the sidelines of the 12^th Session of OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom) held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SESRIC participated in the closing ceremony of the Reverse Linkage Project between Pakistan and Türkiye on “Earthquake Seismological Research” that was held on 3 October 2023 at the headquarters of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in Islamabad, Pakistan.

SESRIC, in its capacity as the Secretariat of the OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom), organised, in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, the 12^th Session of the OIC-StatCom in a hybrid format in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with warm welcoming of General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Session brought together 64 participants from the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of 39 OIC countries.