The 49^th Meeting of the Board of Directors of SESRIC was held on 7 January 2026 at the SESRIC Headquarters in Ankara, with the participation of all Board members from Gabonese Republic, Republic of The Gambia, Republic of Guinea, Republic of Indonesia, State of Kuwait, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, State of Palestine, Republic of Somalia and Republic of Türkiye.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, and H.E. Dr. Ahmad Kawesa SENGENDO, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, attended the meeting as ex officio members of the Board. The Heads of Departments of the Centre were also present.

The meeting commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by welcoming remarks by H.E. SELÇUK. In her speech, she extended a warm welcome to the Board members and highlighted the value of their diverse expertise and active engagement. She further reaffirmed the pivotal role of the Board’s guidance in strengthening SESRIC’s effectiveness and advancing its mission in support of the needs and priorities of OIC countries.

This was followed by opening remarks by H.E. Dr. Ola AWAD, Chair of the Board, who conveyed her appreciation to the Board members for their continued commitment and thanked the Director General and SESRIC staff for their warm hospitality and excellent organizational arrangements. Dr. AWAD underlined SESRIC’s strategic importance as a key OIC institution, particularly in advancing statistics, research, and training initiatives to support sustainable development efforts across member countries.

Both H.E. SELÇUK and the Chair of the Board strongly condemned the ongoing genocide in Gaza, describing them it as a grave violation of international law and fundamental human rights. They expressed their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in their quest for justice and dignity.

The Board subsequently adopted the agenda and work programme unanimously. Following this, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Kawesa SENGENDO delivered the message of H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim TAHA, Secretary General of the OIC. The message reiterated the OIC’s strong support for SESRIC’s mandate, emphasizing the Centre’s vital role in fostering cooperation, capacity building, and evidence-based policymaking in OIC countries. The message also called on member countries to provide continued programmatic and financial support to enhance SESRIC’s impact across the OIC.

The meeting continued with the review and discussion of the Director General’s Report on SESRIC’s activities in 2025, as well as the Budget Proposal and Work Programme for 2027. During the deliberations, Board members offered constructive comments and practical recommendations on the Centre’s technical and financial matters.

The Board also recommended submitting the proposed 2027 budget to the upcoming Session of the OIC Permanent Finance Committee (PFC) for approval and adoption.

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