SESRIC participated in the 2^nd Ministerial Meeting of the OIC-15 Dialogue Platform, held under the theme “Innovation in Science and Technology through Harnessing AI: A Strategy for Excellence, A Bright Future for the Islamic World” on 18-19 May 2025 in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Organised by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the meeting brought together ministers and high-level representatives of the OIC-15 Member States, along with relevant OIC institutions, including COMSTECH and SESRIC.

The meeting commenced on 18 May with a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), where participants held deliberations on advancing artificial intelligence (AI) in OIC countries, activating technical committees, and reviewing the final documents. The Ministerial Session, held on 19 May featured statements by heads of delegations and concluded with the adoption of the Tehran Declaration—a landmark document charting a collective course for harnessing AI as a driver of sustainable development, innovation, and inclusive growth across the OIC region.

As the first OIC document in the field of AI, the Tehran Declaration lays the foundation for enhanced cooperation among Member States in areas such as AI education and workforce development, collaborative research and innovation, technology transfer and exchange of best practices, ethical AI governance, public-private partnerships for AI development, and enhancing global AI competitiveness of OIC Member States. It also calls for the establishment and activation of dedicated technical committees to implement key decisions and ensure effective follow-up.

During the meeting, SESRIC reaffirmed its readiness to contribute to the technical committees through evidence-based policy research, capacity-building initiatives, and fostering cross-country collaboration in data and technology.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offered to host the 3^rd Ministerial Meeting, a proposal that was welcomed by all participating delegations.

The OIC-15 Dialogue Platform, launched in 2023 with its inaugural Ministerial Meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan, serves as a voluntary grouping of leading OIC countries in science, technology, and innovation (STI) committed to spearheading initiatives for the broader benefit of the OIC community. The Platform’s outcomes, including declarations and technical frameworks, are developed for the collective advancement of all OIC Member States.

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