Astana, Kazakhstan - 11 June 2024 - In a concerted effort to address the pressing food security challenges facing Palestine, the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and the Palestine International Cooperation Agency (PICA) convened for a bilateral meeting on 11 June 2024. The online meeting, facilitated by both organizations, saw high-level participation from key representatives.
The meeting began with introductory remarks from His Excellency Ambassador Berik Aryn, Director-General of IOFS, and His Excellency Ambassador Imad Zuhairi, Director-General of PICA, highlighting the critical importance of cooperation and strategic partnership in tackling food security issues. Ambassador Aryn reaffirmed IOFS's unwavering commitment to supporting Palestine, emphasizing a profound sense of duty and solidarity. He stressed the urgent need for collective action to address the challenges facing the Palestinian people.
Ambassador Zuhairi expressed PICA's keen interest in strengthening collaboration and partnership with IOFS to address food security challenges in Palestine and in the OIC Geography.
Following the productive discussions, both parties agreed to concrete action points, including the exploration of collaboration opportunities in critical areas such as water management in agriculture and Climate Smart Agriculture. Showing their commitments, IOFS and PICA started working on an MoU ensuring mutual agreement and understanding.
IOFS extended an invitation to PICA for the 7th General Assembly scheduled to be held in Astana on 26-27 August 2024, fostering continued engagement and participation. Both organizations will start preparing a joint action plan for the period 2024-2026, with the potential to apply for funding from relevant funding institutions.
The bilateral meeting between IOFS and PICA marks a significant step forward in strengthening collaboration and addressing food security challenges in Palestine. Both organizations remain committed to working together to support the Palestinian people and achieve sustainable development goals.
