Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan – 17 December 2025 — The Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) marked IOFS Day and OIC Food Security Day 2025 with a high-level roundtable in Astana, bringing together representatives of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, heads of embassies, representatives of international organizations, academia, and development partners.
The event concluded a three-part commemoration that began on 11 December in Jeddah at the Headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on the margins of the 9th Annual Coordination Meeting of OIC Institutions, continued with a Diplomatic Football Tournament on 14 December, and culminated with the policy dialogue in Astana.
Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Ambassador Berik Aryn, Director General of IOFS, who expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Kazakhstan for their continued support and hospitality, underscoring the country’s pivotal role as host of the Organization. He highlighted key IOFS achievements in 2025, including the expansion of the Afghanistan Food Security Programme, the launch of the “Flour for Humanity – Gaza Emergency Appeal”, and the continued implementation of the Africa Food Security Initiative. The Director General also noted progress under the IOFS Strategic Vision 2031 and ongoing preparations for the Strategic Plan for Ensuring Food Security in OIC Member States (SPEFS-OIC).
This was followed by remarks from Mr. Alibek Kuantyrov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s strong political support for IOFS and emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing food security challenges amid climate change, water scarcity, and global market volatility.
Remarks were also delivered by Mr. Ermek Kenzhehanuly, Vice-Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who highlighted national priorities in agricultural modernization, irrigation infrastructure renewal, and the scaling-up of water-saving technologies, stressing the value of joint regional projects implemented in partnership with IOFS.
Opening the roundtable discussions, Mr. Serik Egizbayev, Chairman of the Mazhilis Committee on Agrarian Issues, underscored the importance of IOFS as a platform for strengthening agricultural cooperation and coordinated food security action among OIC Member States. He emphasized Kazakhstan’s agricultural potential, the need to improve water-use efficiency, and the relevance of IOFS-supported initiatives, including irrigation modernization, wheat productivity enhancement in Central Asia, and regional food security cooperation.
The discussion segment featured interventions from diplomatic missions and partner organizations. Speaking on behalf of the diplomatic corps, H.E. Dr. Montaser Abuzeid, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Republic of Kazakhstan and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, warmly welcomed the “Flour for Humanity – Gaza Emergency Appeal”, emphasizing its humanitarian impact on millions of Palestinians and calling upon all Member States to support the initiative. He also commended Kazakhstan’s role as host of IOFS and reaffirmed the importance of strategic partnerships for food security, international solidarity, and cooperation among OIC Member States.
Heads of embassies of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, together with representatives of international organizations, including the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, shared updates on their current food security projects and outlined ongoing and prospective areas of cooperation with IOFS, highlighting joint humanitarian, development, and capacity-building initiatives across the OIC region.
The event also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between IOFS and the North Kazakhstan University named after M. Kozybayev, aimed at strengthening cooperation in education, research, and capacity development in agriculture and food security.
In closing, the Director General reaffirmed IOFS’s commitment to building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems and called upon Member States and partners to further deepen engagement with the Organization in advancing food security across the OIC region.
