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65. The Committee also took note with appreciation IDB Group’s (ITFC
and ICIEC) increased regional presence through Dakar Regional Office and
Country Gateway Offices in Dhaka, Istanbul, Jakarta and Dubai which brought
ITFC and ICIEC closer to clients and enabled it to serve member countries'
needs.
66. The Committee commended the efforts of ITFC in financing SMEs in
promoting Islamic Finance and supporting Least Development Member
Countries and took note of its efforts to diversify its portfolio and extend more
financing for agriculture sector that has direct and prominent impact on
improving productivity, job creation, increasing export revenues and alleviating
poverty.
67. The Committee called upon the Member States to complete their
membership requirements for the institutions of the IDB Group (ITFC and
ICIEC) so that the IDB Group implements its mandate successfully.
68. The Committee took note of the trade promotion and capacity
development initiatives being implemented by ITFC under its various flagship
programs including Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab States (AFTIAS), Special
Programme for Central Asia (SPCA) Arab Africa Trade Bridge Program
(AATB), Trade Knowledge Program and Trade Development Forum to raise
awareness of the private sectors on the activities of the ITFC.
69. The Committee took note of the efforts of the ITFC in implementing
integrated Trade Programmes for commodity development through blending its
trade finance facilities with its trade related technical assistance interventions
and requested ITFC to develop similar programs for other strategic
commodities.
70. The Committee took note of ITFC’s efforts for the diversification of
Islamic Financial Instruments, supporting training programs on Islamic finance
and promoting Islamic Finance solutions at international fora.
v) Trade Related Activities of SMIIC
71. The Committee welcomed the activities of Standards and Metrology
Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) in the area of standardization,
metrology and accreditation and their impact on trade facilitation and capacity
building.
72. The Committee invited the Member States to become a member of
SMIIC and actively participate in its technical committees (TCs), Metrology
and Accreditation Councils.