COMCEC Poverty Outlook 2019
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platform in this field for the country experts to deliberate on the issues related to poverty, and to
share their experiences and good practices. The Poverty Alleviation Working Group (WG) meets
twice a year in Ankara.
The Strategy has also introduced a well-defined Project Funding Mechanism for the realization of
the COMCEC Projects. In this respect, the Member Countries’ and the relevant OIC Institutions’
technical cooperation and the capacity building projects which will serve to the realization of the
objectives of the COMCEC Strategy and to multilateral cooperation are funded by the COMCEC
Coordination Office.
Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) and Special Program for
Development of Africa (SPDA)
Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) is a special fund within the IDB. In line with the
decision of the 3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in 2005 in Makkah, the Fund was officially
launched in 2007. The fund focuses on human development, agriculture, rural development and
basic infrastructure. The targeted budget of the Fund is US$ 10 billion. As of April 2018, total
amount of the contributions received is US$ 2.584 billion. Cumulative approvals of the Fund
(2008-2018) have amounted to 127 operations (loans & grants) for 34 member countries, to
which the ISFD has contributed US$ 1.185 billion. Out of the total approved projects, about 80%
have been allocated to the Least Developed Member Countries (LDMCs). The main sectors of
operations are agriculture (including rural development), which accounted for around 45 percent
of the ISFD financing, and education (including vocational training), which accounted for around
24 percent of the ISFD financing.
In accordance with the relevant decision of the 3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in 2005 in
Makkah, Special Programme for Development of Africa (SPDA) has been initiated by the IDB
Group with the aim of supporting African OIC Member Countries, particularly least developed
ones, in their poverty alleviation and economic development endeavors for the emergence of
sustainable economic growth and the reinforcement of regional integration. The target capital of
the SPDA is $12 billion. The amount of total approvals has reached 5.509 billion USD since the
beginning of the Program. The disbursements against SPDA approvals is US$ 2.248 billion or 46
percent of total approvals. Outputs of the Program include over 2,500 KM of roads constructed or
upgraded in addition to two new national airports; more than 900MW of electricity produced in
six countries; over 200,000 cubic meters of clean water made accessible to over 50,000
households every day; more than 420 new primary and secondary schools (including 120 new
madrassas) built, resulting in over 1400 classrooms; over 10 new hospitals and over 120 clinics,
health centers and primary health care centers built or upgraded; about 10 strategic grain
reserves built; and over 800,000 hectares of land developed and cultivated including marginal
lands.
Capacity Building Activities of SESRIC
Vocational education and training issues have significance impacts on enhancing the productive
capacity of the poor. In this respect, a programme on vocational education and training was
initiated by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic
Countries (SESRIC) in 2009. The main target of this Programme (OIC-VET) is to provide
opportunities to individuals to develop their knowledge and skills; thus to contribute to the
development and competitiveness of the economies of the Member Countries.