Qatar has announced it will host the 6th General Assembly of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) from October 2-3 in conjunction with the opening of the Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha.
It was also announced that the organisation would hold the second high-level forum in Kazakhstan from June 6-8 under the chairmanship of Qatar.
The announcements were made during a press conference by the Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Chairman of the Executive Council of IOFS, Dr Masoud Jarallah al-Marri and HE the Director General of IOFS, Yerlan Baidaulet, on Sunday.
Dr Masoud Jarallah al-Marri said the hosting of the event comes after Qatar's interaction with the IOFS and its various arms, especially as it took the initiative to join and ratify the statute of the IOFS in 2016 and chairs its executive council represented by the Ministry of Municipality. This membership reflects the Islamic states' trust in the significant role played by Qatar in the Islamic world.
Al-Marri added that the Doha meetings would witness the launch of a fund for financing projects to enable member states to use their capabilities, enhance and rationalise the management of their resources, co-ordinate among states at the level of government, facilitate the process of communication between them, and overcome difficulties and help in the fields of food security to face challenges and emergencies.
The Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Chairman of the Executive Council of IOFS indicated that global food security faces several challenges, whether environmental or geopolitical, which require co-ordinating the efforts and setting programme and strategies that would lead to an Islamic Organisation that is capable of addressing all crises.
He pointed out that the International Islamic Food Processing Association (IFPA) is one of the leading programmes of the organisation, which it relies on to achieve food security by promoting Islamic products and increasing intra-industry trade. The IFPA provides consultations for the products' owners to compete with other producers from outside the organisation, thus creating job opportunities and income for business owners.
Dr Masoud Jarallah al-Marri reviewed the arrangements related to hosting the event and the importance of the organisation's role to improve the situation of food security in the countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
He noted that the General Assembly of the IOFS would be attended by the ministers of agriculture and specialists in food security issues from 57 Islamic countries, in addition to officials from more than 25 international organisations specialised in food security.
The number of participants is expected to exceed 250. The organisation's General Assembly is seen as a platform for exchanging and co-ordinating joint efforts among Islamic countries to strengthen food security.
IOFS Director General Prof. Yerlan Baidaulet, highlighted the great role of Qatar in the activities of the organisation, especially in the field of agriculture and animal production and Doha's contributions to resolving many issues facing the region and the world.
Baidaulet pointed out that the organisation deals with 57 member states of the organisation, which are mostly concerned with achieving food security, while 28 face the risk of hunger, malnutrition and natural disasters, which affect their food situation and security.
He added that the Islamic market is large and constantly, and 80% of Halal food is imported from non-Islamic countries. Therefore, the organisation is working to develop supply chains, strengthen the capabilities of farmers, support small farms with consultations, and the provision of cheap and effective technology to face water scarcity and climate changes, he said.
The director general of the organisation stated that the sixth General Assembly of the IOFS will discuss a number of important issues, including the challenges of food security, support for businessmen and governments to deal with social and economic conditions, implementation of animal farm projects, provision of bread, development of supply chains, provision of agricultural technology and the need to attract international companies and centres specialised in the fields of food security, reviewing the status quo and implementing the 10-year strategy, supporting the private sector, and reviewing the organisation's annual report.
During the press conference, it was also announced that the organisation will hold the second high-level forum, which will be held from June 6 to 8, 2023, in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, under the chairmanship of Qatar and with the participation of representatives of more than 23 member states. With more than 1,000 participants, the second edition of the forum will be an opportunity to confirm FAO's commitment to assisting member states in ensuring sustainable food systems.
The forum aims to create a unique, dynamic and unprecedented platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue, with a focus on exchanging advanced agricultural technologies, advancing science and research in order to adapt agriculture to marginal environments, promoting the concept of smart agriculture, transforming food supplies and value chains, and facilitating strategic partnerships for business opportunities. investments in agriculture, and youth empowerment for sustainable food systems.
On June 6, 2023, IOFS will hold a youth biotechnology forum titled 'Biotechnology for Food Security and Climate Resilience' where future food security experts, agro-entrepreneurs, farmers, IT professionals and students from the agriculture sector will hold working sessions and discussions on pressing challenges in agriculture from a modern perspective.
Young people's interest in this economic sector will, in the long term, help strengthen rural development and national and regional food systems.
The main part of the IOFS high-level Forum on Food Security will be held on June 7, 2023, and will focus on three main sectors: food safety, advanced technologies and innovations. The important part of the forum on trade and investment will also be held within the Astana International Forum from June 8 to 9. It will serve as a platform for eminent delegates from governments, international organisations, businesses and academia, to address the four major global challenges including foreign policy, security, sustainability, energy, climate, economics and finance.
During the meetings of the Fifth General Assembly of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security on October 11, 2022, Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Municipality, was elected Chair of the Executive Council of the organisation due to the great role it plays in the framework of joint work with the countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to advance the issues of the Islamic nation
Qatar has made great efforts in the field of achieving food security, within the realisation of the Qatar National Vision, to achieve sustainable development as part of the national programme for food security, which contributes to making the Qatar National Vision a reality.
These efforts have contributed to Qatar's advanced ranks in recent years in the global food security index, which confirms that work in implementing the national strategy for food security is progressing according to plan.
The Islamic Organisation for Food Security is a specialised institution affiliated with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which was established in 2013. The first meeting of the General Assembly was held in 2016. The organisation attaches importance to food security for all countries of the Islamic world and its reflection on the social, economic and political aspects.
The main objectives of the organisation include providing expertise and technical knowledge to member countries in various aspects of sustainable agriculture, rural development, food security and biotechnology, assessing and monitoring the food security situation in member countries to be able to identify emergency situations, providing social safety nets and humanitarian assistance through food security reserves through co-ordinating, formulating and implementing common agricultural policies such as sharing and transferring appropriate technology and public food management systems, addressing problems such as desertification, deforestation, erosion and salinity, and mobilising and managing financial and agricultural resources to enhance food security. (QNA)