Geneva, Switzerland | 22-24 July 2026 – The Director General of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), H.E. Ambassador Berik Aryn, accompanied by Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Chief Multilateral Relations Officer, attended the 17th United Nations–Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (UN–OIC) General Meeting on Coordination (GCM), which was held on 22-24 July 2026 at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The biennial meeting brought together senior representatives of the UN system, the OIC, and their affiliated institutions to review and strengthen inter-institutional cooperation in support of shared development priorities.
The Director General addressed the Meeting on the first day during the statements by Heads of Delegation, underscoring the growing importance of coordinated multilateral action in addressing the interconnected challenges of food security, climate change, sustainable agriculture, and resilient agrifood systems. He reaffirmed IOFS' commitment to advancing practical partnerships between OIC institutions and United Nations entities and presented a number of proposals aimed at further enhancing the effectiveness of the UN–OIC coordination mechanism.
On the sidelines of the Meeting, the Director General held bilateral consultations with H.E. Counsellor Sarah Ismail Al-Shoura, Executive Director of the Women Development Organization (WDO). The discussions focused on revitalizing the implementation of the IOFS–WDO Memorandum of Understanding, signed in January 2024, and its accompanying Joint Plan of Action. The two sides explored opportunities for collaboration in the areas of women's economic empowerment, agripreneurship, food security, climate resilience, and financial inclusion for rural women, while also discussing preparations for the 2027 IOFS Women and Youth in Agriculture (WAYA) Year and the implementation of the Women in Agriculture Development Initiative (WADI).
Ambassador Berik Aryn also met with Ms. Luz María de la Mora, Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC) of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The meeting provided an opportunity to review the ongoing technical consultations between the two organizations, particularly regarding cooperation under the project "Promoting Food Security and Climate Resilience through Trade in the IGAD Region." The two sides also discussed resuming consultations on a draft Memorandum of Understanding with a view to establishing a structured institutional framework for future cooperation.
In addition, Ambassador Aryn participated in the deliberations of the Working Group on Cooperation on Economic and Scientific Issues, where IOFS was actively represented by its Chief Multilateral Relations Officer, who served as Co-Rapporteur on behalf of the OIC institutions. During the session, the IOFS delegation put forward a number of recommendations aimed at strengthening coordination among relevant United Nations and OIC institutions working in the fields of economic and scientific cooperation. These included proposals to enhance inter-agency coordination, improve monitoring of joint activities, promote regular thematic consultations, and foster greater policy coherence in addressing shared development challenges.
At the closing ceremony on 24 July, Mr. Manafi presented the Report of the Report Working Group on Cooperation on Economic and Scientific Issues, summarizing the key discussions held during the session and outlining a set of recommendations aimed at further strengthening UN–OIC coordination in the fields of economic and scientific cooperation.
It is worth mentioning that the 17th GCM was co-chaired by Dr. Ahmad Sengendo, OIC Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, and Amb. Khaled Khiari, UN United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. In their closing remarks, both Co-Chairs underscored the importance of ensuring effective follow-up to the agreed activities reflected in the 2026–2028 Matrix of Joint Activities, which was finalized following intensive deliberations throughout the three-day coordination meeting. They called upon all participating institutions to remain actively engaged in implementing the Matrix and to further strengthen the UN–OIC partnership through sustained collaboration and regular coordination.
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