OIC reviews preparations for science and technology meeting in Kazakhstan
During the OIC general secretariat meeting, Muhammad Naeem Khan, assistant secretary general for Science and Technology, underscored the need for OIC institutions to enhance partnerships.
He said that these were important “so as to achieve the goals and targets outlined in the outcome document of OIC’s first summit on science and technology.”
The general secretariat, which met at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on Tuesday, discussed broad spectrum of issues expected to be taken up during the summit.
These include environment, health, education, innovation, and science and technology, according to Maha Akeel, OIC director general for information and media.
Akeel added the meeting also examined the proposed outcome document for the summit compiled by Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH).
The document included input from more than 120 scientists from OIC member countries who made comments, which would be submitted to the member states for consideration. At the end of the meeting, the participating institutions paid tribute to OIC Secretary General Yousef Ahmed Al-Othaimeen and the general secretariat for the attention paid to the issue of science, technology, and innovation as key driver to social and economic development of countries.
The institutions also pledged to participate in the organization of the summit and to ensure effective implementation of its recommendations.
The summit will be held in pursuance of the resolution of the 12th session of the Islamic summit conference held in Cairo in 2013, which mandated COMSTECH to organize the first summit of OIC member countries devoted exclusively to science and technology.
Representatives from the host country, Kazakhstan, also attended the meeting.
Source: The Arab News