WNAM REPORT: The 6th Meeting of the OIC Steering Committee for reviewing the progress on the implementation of the OIC Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Agenda 2026 commenced on Tuesday at COMSTECH Secretariat Islamabad,
(the Ministerial Standing Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for Scientific and Technological Cooperation).
This high-level meeting is being attended by the heads and representatives of 15 OIC institutions from Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Jordan, Uganda, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Pakistan, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening STI collaboration across the OIC member states.
In his welcome address, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General, COMSTECH, thanked the delegates for their active participation. He emphasized that the Steering Committee meeting should focus on assessing the implementation progress of the OIC STI Agenda 2026, which was launched following the First OIC Summit on STI in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2017. The agenda is designed to foster research collaboration, promote knowledge sharing, and enable technology transfer to support sustainable development in the Islamic world.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Ambassador Aftab Ahmed Khokhar, Assistant Secretary General OIC, appreciated COMSTECH’s efforts in hosting this important meeting. He highlighted the urgency of reviewing the STI Agenda, addressing associated challenges, and outlining a way forward for impactful outcomes.He also emphasized the need for greater interactions with the member states for the successful implementation of STI agenda 2026, and to define future actions beyond 2026.
The key agenda items of the meeting included a review of member states’ progress towards the STI Agenda 2026 goals, identification of new joint initiatives and partnerships, discussions on future actions aligned with the proposed OIC STI Agenda, and institutional presentations on progress, challenges, and recommendations under the Abu Dhabi Declaration (2022).
Participating institutions included the OIC General Secretariat, Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB), IOFS, UNA, SESRIC, SMIIC, ICCD, ICYF, among others.
COMSTECH continues to play a vital role in advancing STI cooperation among OIC member states and will lead coordination efforts to implement the Committee’s recommendations and maintain momentum toward achieving the strategic objectives of the OIC-STI Agenda.
