The State of Qatar has announced that it will host the Sixth General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security during the period from 2-3 October next, in conjunction with the opening of an exhibition "Expo 2023 Doha" for gardening. It was also announced that the organization will host the second high-level forum, which will be held from 6 to 8 June in Kazakhstan, under the chairmanship of the State of Qatar. This came during a press conference held today by Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al-Marri, Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Chairman of the Executive Council of the organization, and Professor Yerlan Bidolet, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security. Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al-Marri stressed that this hosting comes within the framework of the interaction of the State of Qatar with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its various arms, especially as it took the initiative to join and ratify the statute of the Islamic Organization for Food Security in 2016 and it chairs its Executive Council represented by the Ministry of Municipality, and that this membership reflects the confidence of countries In the great role played by the State of Qatar in the Islamic world and its interaction with its issues. He added that the Doha meetings will witness the launch of a project financing fund aimed at enabling member states to exploit their capabilities, strengthening and rationalizing the management of their resources, coordinating between countries at the level of governments, and facilitating the process of communication among them while overcoming difficulties and helping the areas 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 the organization explained that food security in the whole world faces many challenges, whether environmental or geopolitical, which requires coordination of efforts and preparation of strategies and programs that lead to an Islamic system capable of addressing all crises and circumstances, indicating that the International Islamic Union The food industry is one of the most important programs of the organization and one of the agencies that rely on it to achieve food security by promoting Islamic products, increasing intra-trade, developing its system, and providing advice to owners to compete with other products outside the organization, thus creating job opportunities, providing income for business owners, and giving them the opportunity to compete. Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al-Marri reviewed the arrangements for hosting this event and the importance of the organization’s role in improving the reality of food security in the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He indicated that the meetings of the Organization’s General Assembly will be attended by ministers of agriculture and specialists in food security issues from 57 Islamic countries, in addition to more than 25 organizations. An international event specialized in food security. It is expected that the number of participants will exceed 250. The meetings of the organization’s general assembly are considered a platform for exchanging and coordinating the joint efforts of Islamic countries in enhancing food security.
For his part, Professor Yerlan Bidolet, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, stressed the great role of the State of Qatar in the activities of the organization, especially in the fields of agriculture and animal production and its contributions to resolving many issues facing the region and the world, pointing out that the organization deals with 57 member states of the organization. Most of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is concerned with achieving food security, 28 of which face the risks of hunger, malnutrition and natural disasters, which affect their situation and food security. He added: The Islamic market is large and expanding day by day, and that 80 percent of halal food is imported from non-Islamic countries. Therefore, the organization is working to develop supply chains, strengthen the capabilities of farmers, support small farms with consultations, and provide cheap and effective technology to face water scarcity and climate changes and benefit from available resources. . The Director General of the Organization stated that the Sixth General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security will discuss a number of important issues, including the challenges of food security, support of 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 attraction of international companies and centers specialized in this field. Food security, reviewing the status quo and implementing the ten-year strategy, supporting the private sector, and reviewing the organization’s annual report. During the press conference, it was also announced that the organization will host the second high-level forum, which will be held from 6 to 8 June 2023 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, chaired by the State of Qatar and with the participation of representatives of more than 23 member states and 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 sharing 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, the Islamic Organization for Food Security will hold a Youth Biotechnology Forum entitled "Biotechnology for food security and climate resilience" Where future food security experts, agribusinessmen, farmers, IT professionals and students from the agricultural 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 in strengthening rural development and national and regional food systems. The main part of the FAO 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, and will address four major global challenges including foreign policy, security, sustainability, energy, climate, economics and finance. It is mentioned that during the meetings of the Fifth General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security on October 11, 2022, the State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Municipality, was elected as Chairman of the Executive Council of the organization due to the great role it plays in the framework of joint work with the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to advance the issues of the Islamic nation, as the State of Qatar is making efforts Qatar has made great efforts in the field of achieving food security, within the realization of the Qatar National Vision, to achieve sustainable development as part of the National Program for Food Security, which contributes to making the Qatar National Vision a reality. These efforts have contributed to the State of Qatar’s advanced ranks in recent years in the global index of food security, which confirms that work in implementing the national strategy for food security is progressing according to plan and hope. The Islamic Organization for Food Security is a specialized institution affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. It was established in 2013 and the first meeting of the General Assembly was held in 2016. The organization 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 organization 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, Coordinating, 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 mobilizing and managing financial and agricultural resources to enhance food security.
