SESRIC participated in the Workshop on Key Infrastructure Development for Rural Growth for OIC Countries, organized by Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), in collaboration with the Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation (PGTF), Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the Union Chamber and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) on 24-26 April 2017, in Istanbul, Turkey.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Study Visit on ‘Environment Statistics’ for the benefit of Department of Statistics (HCP) of Kingdom of Morocco on 24-26 April 2017. The Study Visit was hosted by the Department of Statistics (DoS) of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Agriculture Statistics’ at National Statistics Office (ONS) of People's Democratic Republic of Algeria on 18-20 April 2017.

SESRIC, in collaboration with ICDT and IDB, organized a workshop looking at the potential impacts Brexit on the economies of OIC Member Countries. The people of the United Kingdom on 23rd June 2016 voted narrowly to leave the European Union (EU). The decision which is now dubbed Brexit is seen as one of the biggest political seismic swift in recent times. Since its founding after the Second World War, no member country has quit the EU which is the largest single market in the world. And as the second largest economy in Europe, The UK is one of the most important members of the EU. The British Prime Minister, Therese May, has triggered Article 50 of the EU Treaty, beginning a two year divorce process.

The Resolution of the Standardization Department regarding the adoption of the new OIC/SMIIC Standard on “General Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health” has been recently announced by the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC).

A delegation of representatives from 25 OIC countries visited SESRIC on 7 April 2017. The visit was part of the Training Programme on International Trade Unionism and Social Policy organized by the Center in collaboration with MEMUR-SEN and TODAİE.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in collaboration with the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) organised the Workshop on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicator Framework on 5-6 April 2017 in Beirut, Republic of Lebanon with the participation of 13 ESCWA member countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen and regional and international agencies including GCCStat, ILO, SESRIC, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN HABITAT, UNICEF, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UN Women, and WHO. Dr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher at Statistics and Information Department of SESRIC, represented the Centre thereat.

Organised by the ESCWA Statistics Division, the 12^th Session of ESCWA Statistical Committee was held on 4-5 April 2017 in Beirut, Lebanon with the participation of 13 ESCWA member countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen and regional and international agencies including GCCStat, ILO, SESRIC, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN HABITAT, UNICEF, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNSD, UN Women, and WHO. Dr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher at Statistics and Information Department, represented the Centre thereat.

SESRIC in collaboration with MEMURSEN and TODAİE have on Monday, 3^rd of April, kick-stated an “International Trade Unionism and Social Policy Certificate Programme” for twenty-five foreign relations officers from 25 different confederations in different countries in the area of trade unionism and social policy. The opening ceremony took place at the TODAİE office in Ankara.

The Vocational Qualifications Authority of Turkey shares its 116 national occupational standards, out of 416, with OIC member countries.

SESRIC and Public Administration Institute for Turkey and Middle East (TODAIE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signaling a commitment by both institutions to enhanced co-operation. The MoU which tied together the two institutions in formal collaboration is aimed at mutual cooperation in the field of research, statistics, capacity building, publications and other relevant areas.

SESRIC hosted a delegation from the OIC Labour Centre in Azerbaijan at its headquarters in Ankara. The delegation consisted of Vugar Hasanov, President of Scientific Research and Training Centre, Durdana Mirzayeva, Head of Department of Law, Mr. Farid Garayev, International Relations Specialist and Aynur Qadimaliyeva, State Employment Service Expert.

SESRIC participated in a regional seminar on “Financial Inclusion Strategies in South East Asia: Methodology and Perspectives” which jointly organized by Association of National Development Finance Institutions in Member Countries of the Islamic Development Bank (ADFIMI) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited on 28 – 29 March 2017 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

SESRIC hosted a consultation meeting on “The Global Muslim Diaspora Project” (GMD) at its headquarters on 28 March 2017. The meeting was attended by ambassadors of OIC member countries as well as representatives from host countries.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Population and Migration Statistics’ at National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) of Republic of Benin on 28 March – 30 March 2017.

SESRIC is among a handful of institutions and government ministries that have been awarded grant by The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) Coordination Office to implement a training project on the “Development and Promotion of Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT)”. The project is targeting countries that have little or no development in the area of Islamic tourism.

As part of its efforts in capacity building of member states in trade, SESRIC organized in collaboration with the Ministry in charge of Foreign Trade of the Kingdom of Morocco, Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) the Training Workshop on “Trade in Services” for OIC Member States in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco on 22-24 March 2017. In addition, World Trade Organization (WTO) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) were also partners of the event. The Workshop was participated by experts from OIC member countries including Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Palestine, Senegal, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia and Turkey, and from regional and international organizations including COMCEC Coordination Office, ICDT, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), ITC, League of Arab States (LAS), SESRIC and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Dr. Kenan Bağcı, Researcher, and Dr. Atilla Karaman, Researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

In accordance with its 2017 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Training Course on ‘Environment Statistics’ at Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) of State of Qatar on 20-22 March 2017.

The First GCC Statistical Forum was held on 20-22 March 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Government General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and the Statistical Centre of the GCC Countries (GCC-Stat) co-organized the Forum under the theme of “Enhancing Statistical Partnerships to Support Economic Policies and Sustainable Development in the GCC Region”. The Session was attended by representatives of national and international agencies. H.E. Amb. Musa KULAKLIKAYA, Director General of SESRIC, was chairman of the session titled "Strategic Drivers in National Statistical Systems" at the Forum.

Within the framework of the thematic area 3 on Maternal, New-born and Child Health and Nutrition of the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 2014-2023 (OIC-SHPA); SESRIC collaborated with the Yükseliş Economic and Strategic Research Foundation (YİSAV) and the Ministry of Health of Turkey (MoH) for the organisation of the “5^th Congress on the Mother and Child Nutrition in the First 1000 Days” on 19-22 March 2017 in Ankara, Turkey.