Islamabad (UNA) – The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in collaboration with the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), will hold the first meeting of the Network of Centres of Excellence in Water in the OIC Member States on 24-25 February 2025, at the COMSTECH headquarters in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
The meeting aims to achieve a number of objectives, including the exchange of knowledge and joint work between leading institutions in the field of research and development in the water sector in the member states of the organization, the establishment of a cooperative network of centers of excellence in the field of water within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in addition to deepening cooperation between governments, research institutions and international organizations to find sustainable solutions to water issues.
This meeting is being organized in implementation of Resolution No. 1/4-ICWM/2018, which was adopted during the Fourth Islamic Conference of Water Ministers in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, during the period from 14 to 16 October 2018.
It is also based on the recommendations of the second meeting of the OIC Water Council held in Cairo on 21-22 October 2019.
The meeting will be attended by experts, decision-makers and representatives of water centres of excellence from various OIC member states. Participants will discuss key water-related challenges and explore innovative solutions for sustainable water resource management.
The countries participating in the event are Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sultanate of Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, Turkey, Uzbekistan, UAE and Yemen.
It is worth noting that the issue of water security remains a very important challenge for many member states of the organization, in light of the ongoing threats resulting from climate change, scarcity of water resources, pollution, and mismanagement of resources, which negatively impact economic and social development.
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