COMCEC Poverty Outlook 2017
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The COMCEC Strategy has identified four output areas in its Poverty Alleviation Section, which
are aid effectiveness, productive capacity of the poor, effective utilization of financial resources
and monitoring poverty.
The COMCEC Poverty Alleviation Working Group has been established within the framework of
the implementation of the COMCEC Strategy. The Working Group (WG) provides a regular
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. Up to now nine WG meetings of the COMCEC Poverty Alleviation
Working Group were held. The tenth WG Meeting will be held on October 5th , 2017 with the
theme of “Education of Disadvantaged Children in the OIC: The key to escape from poverty”.
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 inMakkah, the Fundwas officially
launched in 2007. The fund focuses on human development, alleviating poverty through
enhancing the productive capacity of the poor, reducing illiteracy and eradicating diseases and
epidemics, particularly Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS, agriculture and rural
development, basic infrastructure and micro enterprises. The principle target capital of the fund
is US$10 billion. The Fund was established in the form of a Waqf, meaning that the activities and
projects under the ISFD can only be financed from the revenues obtained from its capital
resources. As of April 2017, total amount of received contributions is US$ 2.68 billion. As of
2016, cumulative approvals were US$ 664.8 million for 106 operations in 33 Member Countries.
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 $12 billion. As the end of 2016, total disbursements was US$ 1525 million, which
brought the total disbursements since 2012 to date to US$ 5.4 billion.
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.
Main objectives of OIC-VET are;