COMCEC Poverty Outlook 2016:
Human Development in OIC
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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 seven WG meetings of the COMCEC Poverty
Alleviation Working Group were held on June 27th, 2013, December 26th, 2013, April 10 th,
2014, September 18th 2014, February 26th 2015, 10-11 September 2015 and February 11th
2016 in Ankara respectively. The eighth WG Meeting will be held on November 3rd, 2016 with
the theme of “Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries: Policy Framework Adopted by
Host Countries”.
The Strategy has also introduced a well-defined Project Cycle Management (PCM) 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. Up to now four project calls were made in
September 2013, in September 2014, in September 2014 and in September 2015 respectively.
The Member Countries and the relevant OIC Institutions have shown great interest in the PCM.
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, 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$10 billion. The Fund was established in the form of a Waqf, meaning that the
activities and projects under the ISFD can only be financed from the revenues obtained from
its capital resources. The total amount of received contributions so far is US$ 2.42 billion of
which US$ 850 million was paid by the IDB and US$ 1.57 billion by Member States. By 2015,
two Micro Finance projects in Kyrgyzstan (USD 1.7 million) and one Community Driven
Development Project in Indonesia (USD 7 million) had already been completed. Additionally,
65 projects are currently active under the ISFD portfolio. The total cost of these projects is
estimated at USD 97.33 million. (ISFD, IDB 2016)
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 USD 12 billion. As of January 2016, the amount of total disbursements is US$
1,618 million representing 43 percent of total approvals of US$ 3,798 million. And 67 projects
have been implemented under the SPDA. (SPDA, IDB 2016)