The 41st Session of the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation began in Istanbul on 3 November 2025 with an inauguration by President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Chair of COMCEC. The opening underlined the urgent need for stronger economic solidarity and coordinated action across OIC Member States to confront rising protectionism, supply chain disruptions and the growing impacts of climate change.
President Erdoğan stressed deepening intra-OIC trade through effective implementation of the OIC Trade Preferential System and the development of national export strategies, and he urged progress on halal certification frameworks and arbitration mechanisms to support sustainable and inclusive growth. These measures were presented as practical steps to boost trade flows and economic resilience within the OIC community.
The President also called for intensified cooperation on post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza and Syria and expressed solidarity with Sudan, urging the OIC to take the lead in mobilizing resources, partnerships and technical expertise for recovery and long-term resilience. Such appeals framed the COMCEC Session as a platform not only for trade and investment discussions but also for coordinated humanitarian and reconstruction support.
OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha reaffirmed that COMCEC remains central to strengthening economic cooperation among Member States and advancing the Organization’s development goals. Referring to the recently reached ceasefire in Gaza, he emphasized that immediate relief for the Palestinian people must be prioritized and urged sustained backing from Member States and the international community to support economic resilience during recovery.
The opening was also addressed by ministers in charge of trade from Qatar, Senegal and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as representatives of the Arab, African and Asian groups, respectively. Senior leaders from the Islamic Development Bank Group, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye joined the meeting, which is attended by ministers and senior officials and will continue through 4 November. The Session will review progress on projects spanning trade and investment, agriculture, tourism, transportation, finance, private sector development and poverty alleviation and will adopt relevant resolutions to advance these areas.
Delegations were urged to broaden participation in COMCEC programs and to translate shared commitments into concrete actions. For Pakistan, active engagement in the COMCEC Session offers an opportunity to promote export diversification, strengthen halal industry standards and contribute to regional recovery initiatives, reinforcing the country’s role within OIC economic cooperation. The Session’s outcomes are intended to guide immediate policy steps and longer-term planning across Member States to foster stability, prosperity and sustainable development.
