Seoul, South Korea – While attending the Global Green Growth Week 2025 (GGGW 2025), H.E. Ambassador Berik Aryn, Director General of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), undertook a series of high-level meetings to enhance IOFS’s cooperation with leading international institutions in advancing sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate resilience.
As part of his first visit to the headquarters of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Ambassador Aryn held bilateral discussions to strengthen strategic partnerships in agricultural development, climate adaptation, and resource mobilization.
At KOICA Headquarters, Ambassador Aryn met with H.E. Mr. CHANG Won Sam, President of KOICA. Both sides discussed expanding cooperation to support agricultural innovation, rural development, and climate-resilient food systems through knowledge-sharing, technical assistance, and capacity-building programmes. This partnership will be instrumental in empowering Member States to adopt sustainable practices and strengthen resilience to climate change impacts.
At the Green Climate Fund Headquarters, Ambassador Aryn met with H.E. Dr. Thomas Eriksson, Director of the Department of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Discussions focused on scaling climate finance and developing joint mechanisms to support IOFS initiatives on sustainable agriculture and water efficiency. Both parties recognized the critical importance of mobilizing financial resources to accelerate climate-smart agricultural transformation.
On the sidelines of GGGW 2025, Ambassador Aryn held several other bilateral meetings aimed at expanding IOFS’s policy collaboration with regional and global partners. In his meeting with H.E. Mr. Aly Abousabaa, Director General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the parties explored avenues for joint agricultural research and innovation, particularly in dryland regions, focusing on drought-resilient crops, water efficiency, and climate-smart technologies.
Further advancing IOFS’s engagement in environmental sustainability, Ambassador Aryn met with H.E. Dr. Thuraya Said Al-Sareeria, Presidential Advisor for Nature Conservation at the Ministry of Environment Authority of the Sultanate of Oman. The meeting focused on developing joint initiatives for sustainable agriculture.
Building on his meetings with the leadership of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) earlier in the week, Ambassador Aryn also held a technical meeting with Dr. Mahamadou Tounkara, Regional Director for MENA at GGGI. The discussion focused on regional cooperation in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable landscapes, and resilience-oriented programs, with an emphasis on joint technical support, policy coordination, and capacity-building.
Ambassador Aryn expressed his appreciation for the productive engagements and reaffirmed IOFS’s commitment to deepening collaboration with KOICA, GCF, ICARDA, the Sultanate of Oman, and GGGI. He emphasized that these partnerships mark significant progress toward advancing sustainable food systems and addressing climate-related challenges across Member States.
